My mare foundered badly 9 years ago due to metabolic AND mechanical
issues in the hoof; with her, the hoof that is worse is a bit more upright and
somewhat club footed. She's been barefoot for the past 8 1/2 years
and on a grass hay/ low carbohydrate diet and is doing very well. I tried
treating the problem with traditional veterinary methods (corrective shoeing and
high doses of bute) but she actually got WORSE; so I turned to natural
trimming methods and she is doing great. I use hoof boots to ride
her. There is lots of good info at www.thehorseshoof.com about founder and
other hoof issues and how to get healthy
hooves.
