hot sore feet

Question
We have a thorough bred and he seems to have gotten sore on his front end and there is some heat.  He is my main rope horse who has never had problems before.  To me it seems like founder, do you agree?

Answer
Hi Jay -
Was out of town for the MLK Holiday here in the US and just returned.  Sorry to hear your horse is painful.  Of course it's impossible to say it's founder from here, there are some signs to look for that might help figure it out and x-rays will be able to confirm it for sure.  Your horse could be experiencing laminitis which is actual inflammation of the lamenae which is the lining inside the hoof wall.  Founder is actual rotation of the coffin bone inside the hoof.  These two conditions are commonly thought to be the same.

First of all, in addition to heat and soreness, signs of laminitis typically includes an identifiable stance where the horse will "park" their front end out in front of them ... sort of rocked back on their back end to transfer weight off of their front feet.  Also, you might be able to feel what's called a digital pulse if you squat down beside your horse's foot and place your thumb and forefinger on either side of the horses fetlock joint.  You may have to move your hand around until you find it but the horse gets blood flow to their hooves by two rather large blood vessels that run on either side of the fetlock joint. It's a little tricky not to apply too much pressure which will cut off the blood supply, or too little pressure which won't allow you to feel it at all.  Also, a healthy hoof won't always have a palpable pulse to feel so you can try to check this but don't get discouraged if you can't seem to find it. I recommend that you have your vet come do a thorough exam in order to let you know exactly what's going on and while they are there, they can show you how to check it so be sure to ask.  The vet exam will most likely include pressure tests as well as nerve blocks to help with the diagnosis.

I hope this helps a little Jay - I hope it goes well and your horse ends up okay.  Would love to know what your vet finds.

Thank you!