And please share his input with me. In fact, I understand there is not yet definitive answers to the exact nature of grass founder. But we have found and read some new studies on the subject, and the problem is better understood now than in years past. Let s first describe what founder is. Laminitis itself is not founder, but is a precursor to founder.
Founder occurs when the coffin bone has actually fallen.
The underlying cause of this separation of the lamina is very poor or no circulation of blood in the legs and feet. Whenever a horse s digestive system is overloaded or otherwise asked to do a job for which it is not prepared, the system will summon all available blood to attempt to digest whatever is causing the problem. Blood that would otherwise be in the legs and hooves is suddenly called to the gut, which results in poor or no circulation to the extremities, soon to be followed by a breakdown of the lamina, and, if unchecked, eventually founder. This condition is extremely painful to a horse, and he will do everything he can to take weight off of his very sore feet. The classic pose of a foundered horse involves the horse stretching his front feet forward as far as he can, which of course causes his hind feet to also project somewhat out behind.