[MerlotDotOne]

Hey everyone I?m looking information on what to feed my new horse that has founder in the past. Right now she is getting free choice of hay in the daytime, and at night time she gets one cup of equalizer. The more information the better I have been googling but just want to in void a founder when she come home to her new barn. Thanks

 

[QtrBel]

If she is at a good weight and that works then just be aware of the sugars in different hays and when it is cut. There are times they can be on pasture and times they shouldn't. Some wear grazing muzzles others are essentially dry lotted year round. Really depends on the extent of the founder. There are pelleted feeds that work if they need the extra calories and fats are your best source for providing more if something above that is needed though those usually have a relatively high fat content. Pics of your mare? There are several here with experience in your neck of the woods. I am sure they will be along to offer advice.

 

[MerlotDotOne]

I didn?t know I could add from my cell phone lol. These are the only pictures I have so far. I?ll get more the next time I see her she is a 15 year old Registered Canadian mare 15.3 hands.

 

[JoBlueQuarter]

I love her ears! And her moon shaped star! You could call her Moon!

Edit: That probably didn't help much. I don't know a lot about this subject, so I'm just going to let more experienced people help you!

 

[walkinthewalk]

Hoo-boi ---- She foundered because she has insulin issues.

The indicators I immediately see are the cresty neck, she is over weight enough to give her a "water channel" down her back. She looks to have excessive fat pads in the shoulder area which are also typical.

When you say "next time you see her" so that means she is in a boarding situation? If so, I hope the BO is willing to help.

You're in Canada so you are probably already having pretty cold weather.

I have an insulin resistant horse that has foundered but I am in the south east United States where it is still "suntan" weather as far as you are concerned. @Smilie also deals with an insulin resistant horse that has foundered. She is in Canada and will be a lot more help in terms of what to feed.

What I can say is to keep the NSC's (non-structural carbohydrates) as low as possible. That means you need to watch what goes into her feed pan, grazing time and whether she needs a grazing muzzle.

If the barn owner buys hay by the season, ask permission to pay to have it tested for value for horses NOT cattle. If the hay tests high in NSC value that means soaking the hay where I live --- I don't know how that gets resolved somewhere the hay freezes the minute it's dunked in water

Your mare looks like she would benefit from her hay being in several slow feed hay bags, hung in several places so she has to move. Something that is difficult if she is in with other horses. I wouldn't be surprised if she eats like every bite is her last meal --- that is typical of a horse with elevated insulin, which is why slow feed hay nets are a huge benefit for them.

She needs frequent and quality hoof care since she foundered in the past. Were there x-rays and if so, did you get copies? Several of us wouldn't mind looking at her hooves, including clear sole shots in good light. Many times Hooves tell a lot more of the story than the person can

The bottom line is that less is more in the feed pan. IMHO,mane is teetering on the edge of possible founder again, if the pics you posted are fairly current.

 

[gottatrot]

Agree with @walkinthewalk that if the pictures of the horse are current, she is still in the danger zone.

When you say she gets free choice hay in the daytime...does that include pasture grazing as well? Does that mean she comes in at night or is out on a field?

You have to make sure that the majority of her feed comes from low sugar/starch sources and also that she loses weight until she is no longer obese (you can look at body condition score charts, but the spine should be level with the back and not in a channel, no fat pads around head of tail, crest of neck, behind shoulder, and ribs easily felt when you run your hand along her side).

You can send a sample to have your hay tested by a source such as Dairy One for between $20-$30.

She should not get more than 2% of her body weight in low NSC hay plus pasture daily. But that's based on what she should weigh, not her current weight. For example, a horse that is supposed to weigh 1200 lbs should get 24 lbs of hay daily. The trick is to spread that hay out through the day and night, using slow feeder nets and/or periodic feedings. It also is not 24 lbs plus grazing on lush pasture 24/7.
If she gets turnout and the field has lots of grass, ideally she would at least wear a grazing muzzle for part of the day and/or night.

Winter is dangerous for horses that have had laminitis. Many horses that have had laminitis in the past have damage to the hoof circulation. Normal horses shunt blood flow away from their hooves in freezing weather. For some reason, horses that have had laminitis shunt the blood away too much, resulting in so little blood flow to the hooves that it causes pain and inflammation. If she doesn't come inside at night off frozen ground, it might help to create an area she can stand on that doesn't freeze, such as a mat with shavings on top.

 

[MerlotDotOne]

I?m doing payments to buy her off a 2ed cousin. I?ve know this mare for a few years right now what I was told is if they are inside she gets a slow haynet feeder. She is on a dry lot no grass unless they turn them out for a bit in the other pen. She said she did get X-rays done and she gets her hoods done every 6 weeks. I?ll ask to see them to get a copy, The new barn where she will be going she won?t be getting free choice of hay and she will also be coming inside at nighttime. I know it?s risky to get a horse who has founder.

 

[MerlotDotOne]

Oh I forgot to add that she is a 15 year old 15.3 hand Canadian

 

[walkinthewalk]

1. Your second cousin isn't doing you any favors if you are paying the price of a healthy horse for a horse that has developed a disease that never goes away but MIGHT stay in remission with strict and proper management.

Proper management of an insulin resistant horse (and she is) means micro-managing a low NSC diet and added expense.

1.1. At the least, I hope your cousin only asked a couple hundred dollars for the horse and the horse has an exceptionally sweet disposition and willingness to do right.

1.2. If she is a show horse, her career has been made limited by the disease. These horses start out with whatever their normal energy level is and after about 15-30 minutes of work its like they have hit a brick wall and either slow down or go down because they are suddenly worn out for no apparent reason.

2. Unless the mare doesn't grow a lot of hoof (foundered horses do tend to grow too much heel too fast) six weeks is too long between trims. She should be trimmed every 4-6 weeks to keep the foundered hooves from flaring and the toes from stretching.

3. Please be prepared to have to spend extra money to properly care for her health needs. Insulin resistance cannot be swept under the rug and expect the horse to remain healthy. It takes work and it is going to take the full cooperation of the barn owner.

FWIW, the horse in my avatar is insulin resistant. He foundered really bad in 2012 (he was coming 17 years), He foundered again a few years ago and I thought I would lose him. The picture was taken late this Spring, he was 22. It took a lot of labor and $$$$ on my part to get him back to decent health.

4. Please read the article I posted in the Hoof Care section on "winter laminitis". I apologize for not remembering to get the link before I started this post --- I will lose the post if I try to go back, now

Also visit Dr. Eleanor Kellon's website on how to care for insulin resistant horses. Www.ecirhorse.org. Lots of good information as to managing these horses

 

[SilverMaple]

She looks like a nice mare, and with careful management she can do well, but it will take a lot of work and effort on your part and the part of the barn owner. I hope this mare was not expensive, and is 100% broke and sane and perfect for what you want to do with her, or you're overpaying if her price is much over a few hundred dollars.

Make sure your barn owner is on board with her care requirements. She needs a strictly controlled diet, and can't be turned out like some of the other horses will be able to be, and will need low-sugar hay that is tested so you know what you're getting. She needs a low-sugar feed and possibly a grazing muzzle. If the pasture grasses are a type high in sugar, she won't be able to be turned out, particularly at certain times of the year or day, or if she is, she will need to wear a grazing muzzle.

I wish you luck with her! There's a lot out there on managing IR conditions and laminitis, so do your reading and then make sure it's something you can deal with, particularly in a boarding situation where some things are out of your control.

 

[SilverMaple]

For instance, is there a dry lot available if she can't have any grass (some horses can't get so much as a blade) and can you provide your own hay/feed if needed? A lot of the old thoughts on laminitis are wrong, and some owners are still stuck on them--- for instance, it's pretty common to hear that a horse won't founder on grass once it's had a hard freeze, when in actuality, that's when the sugar content is extremely high in most grasses. "He'll be fine as long as he only gets grass hay" is also a falsehood-- some grass hays are very high in NSC's.

If you're lucky, your BO will be knowledgeable about the needs of such horses, and willing to do the extra work required for them, and hopefully another boarder or two has the same issues with their horses so all can be kept/fed together with a low-sugar diet, rather than trying to separate your mare from the 'normal' horses for her nutritional needs.

 

[MerlotDotOne]

Thanks for everyone?s answer but I?ve decided to pass on buy her.