Had a guy ask me about pulling shoes on a horse with road founder...

Was at the feed store and overheard a younger farrier talking about road founder like it was the same as laminitis from grain overload. Told him I've had better luck using a heart-bar shoe with a wide web and leaving the toe rolled back a bit for them chronic cases. Anyone else run into folks mixing up the two conditions?

3 comments

3 Comments

troy_adams1mo ago

Nah, I gotta disagree. Road founder's just laminitis triggered by concussion on hard surfaces, treating it different from grain founder is splitting hairs. Same inflammation, same hoof mechanics, same protocol.

king.ruby1mo ago

Have you tried soaking his feet in ice right after riding on pavement?

-1

holly_foster27d ago

Read somewhere that concussion from hard ground changes blood flow in the hoof, so @troy_adams's point about similar mechanics makes sense to me, same underlying issue just different triggers.