Very glad to hear you took x rays! My motto is “if you think it’s an abscess, take a view [x ray]”. My horse foundered and rotated and we wouldn’t have known if I didn’t push the vet for x rays.
(He’s now sound and jumping small fences again, so there is hope!)
If you’re able to find a farrier who will do glue-ons, that would be ideal. Putting nails in an already compromised hoof can put extra stress on it. I understand not everyone is fortunate to live in an area with awesome glue-on farriers though!
@lm1089 I’m so sorry your xrays showed that rotation. Did you see that video I shared on a founder rehab and they were riding again? You do need a year it seems (to grow a new foot) but seems possible and likely you can have a complete recovery.
Did you share your diet and your plan?
I haven’t yet but will watch! I think she will be serviceably sound eventually, but it is a bummer that I’ve only had her for 1.5 months, was just about to have her started under saddle (she is very green and was a restart project) and will likely not be riding now for a year or more. Im thankful now that I chose a horse with such a great personality that I have a good bond with, makes it all worth it 
Diet wise there will be no changes except no more treats, she was already only on Bermuda. I will be supplementing with Quiessence (mag ox and chromium) and Horse Tech High Point Grass which is a low iron vitamin supplement which I think she needs as she’s been eating her poo 
🫣 still anxiously awaiting bloodwork 
I don’t think it would take a year for your girl to get comfortable enough to ride. My guy had a worse rotation and was off for a few months and was 100% sound by month 3 and I was back to riding, and hes been sound ever since. Of course all horses are different and it could be sooner or may take longer, but I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s comfortable in a couple of months and ready for work.
My vet wanted my guy to be worked as soon as he was sound as its the #1 thing to keep insulin levels down and keeping them sound (yes diet change and farrier care as well, but work is the #1 best thing for them).
My guy is on 0 grain, just timothy hay cubes, flax, Amino Trace +, metformin (for now, to get his 92 insulin level down), W3 oil, salt and soaked 1st cut hay 3 x day. 0 treats as well (though I do give him some senior chunk grain as treats - low NSC - just a few here and there). He’s on a 5 week farrier schedule right now to bring his heels down (as they grow super fast and are long right now) and he is in work 4 x week at w/t/c and starting to jump with no issues. Super happy, sound and forward, so I’m happy as well!
Here are his xrays from Mid December 2023 (his right is much worse of course), but he was sound at this time (was unsound from mid May to mid July), even with these xrays.
You have a great attitude that is everything. Wow that you’ve only had her 1.5 months and yes, the bond you will form through this will be incredible.
The video is this one. I started a new thread on it.
Are you testing your hay? It’s inexpensive and critical information IMO. I’ve been testing my hay for 20 years.
I just sent my hay to be test a few days ago through Mad Barn. I just made sure to get the sugar/starch and wet chemistry done on it (which is what the recommend for IR/EMS horses).
It will be interesting to see the results, but I have a funny feeling my hay is high in sugar. I have been wetting it for a couple of months now as one of my other ponies was getting foot sore coming out of his stall onto the concrete (both fronts) and after a month of wetting his hay, he is totally comfortable and walking out like he normally does with 0 issues.
I just pulled blood on my EMS pony again yesterday, so it will be interesting to see if the metformin, 0 grain and wet hay has helped fingers crossed. I will post his bloodwork from Dec and then compare it to the Feb one. I plan on getting his xrays done early summer to see if his farrier care has helped. But with him being sound and comfortable right now and has been since mid July, I think he’s on the right track.
That’s all so smart. And thanks for sharing all the info. It helps others and encourages this testing.
I’ve seen both ends of the spectrum from stories I’ve read online and I’m hoping for sooner obviously but I really don’t want to set my expectations too high and be disappointed 
I sure hope so though! She seems sound at the walk right now but I don’t want to ask her for anything more than that because she suddenly doesn’t want to pick her feet up when asked which she used to be GREAT with but just will not tolerate it now. So I’m just watching and waiting and checking her feet for heat/pulse daily. She was originally supposed to be sent out for 30 days to a trainer about 1.5 hours away from me in May and now I’m not even sure about that after she gets sound, I would hate to trigger another episode from the stress of moving her back and forth 
I don’t think this would be a solution for me because I board at a small private ranch where I’m the only boarder and the owner gets hay by the month. I would have to get it retested every month.
On the other hand…I would have you consider what if for a period of time - say three months - you sample and send for analysis and if the sugar is low then you know that your hay isn’t preventing her from healing or healing faster. We know - through research that you must get the insulin down fast and it’s a huge factor.
AND, if you got a result that the hay was high in sugar you would know you must soak. Soaking is a PIA. Don’t do it if you don’t need but you MUST if you need to.
To me, given how critical this period of time is I would do it.
We can help you navigate it all.
Will talk with the BO and see if I can do it. Is this something that hay suppliers commonly do themselves? Wondering if I might be able to switch to a supplier that guarantees a certain NSC. Been buying hay for a long time and never heard of it being a thing so I’m assuming probably not.
My gelding has severe fever reactions to vaccines. In effort to minimize the reactions at one point we tried splitting them up. It didn’t work, he got the same 104-105 fever on standalone vaccines as he did the combo. IN flu doesn’t bother him and last spring we had some success with the Zoetis core.
Anyways, I share to keep in mind if your guy is similar, no sense in putting him through potentially more laminitic flare ups if you can avoid it. Hopefully splitting them up will help you. Something to discuss with your vet of course.
My understanding is hay suppliers are seeing a demand for testing but it’s still not happening in my area that I’m aware. Maybe you’ll get lucky.
It’s possible/likely your county extension agent has a hay probe you can borrow. Or, you can order one off the Dairy One site:
https://dairyone.com/shop/penn-state-hay-probe-w-drill-adapter/
This is what I have and most of us and it’s the best quality . You simply insert the end in a drill and core into the bale. There’s a good video on how to do it and we can dig that up for you if you need. It’s not difficult.
$45 to test. We’ll help you fill out the form.
@FjordBCRF- thank you for sharing! I’m glad the IN rhino/flu didn’t bother your guy and I’m hoping it won’t trigger anything with my guy either. He’s due mid May so my fingers are crossed! As for the other shots, I will split them and hope he’s ok.
I’ll look into the Zoetis core. Glad that worked for you 
I have a mini who had chronic laminitis for several years. We never put shoes on her, but we do put hoof boots on her when the ground is hard. I also found that she would founder really badly every winter (I live in a cold climate). So I started putting socks on under her boots to keep her feet warm. I also give her previcox daily during the times of year that she is prone to founder. It has been over three years since I started doing this and she hasn’t foundered once. Seeing the way she rips around the field, I’d say she’s completely sound. It takes time to find the balance, but once you find it, she may continue to be sound. Good luck!
The only way to know what you’re dealing with is to have vet out and do X-rays & bloodwork…in the meantime I would air on side of caution and treat as if it is laminitis to be safe -stall rest/deep bedding , soaked hay , emergency diet
I did get the results of her bloodwork back and her leptin was slightly high, but insulin and everything else was pretty well within the normal range. Her X-rays show that she has a history of laminitis since the coffin bone had a tip on the end that indicates it has been chronic. So maybe she just foundered in the past and was triggered by the cold, stress, who knows.
I just wanted to update on this thread incase anyone looks at it through the years and wants to know if an EMS/IR pony is still useful after laminitis etc.
My guy who was diagnosed with EMS in December and insulin at 92, then retested a month later at 60 and is due for his third test next week. I did have my hay analyzed and was surprised it was perfect to feed an EMS pony as it was 5.2% sugar/starch and low protein. So no soaking needed! He is only on hay cubes, a handful of Purina’s Integriti (less than 10% NSC), Omniety pellets, zinc/copper, natural E, magnesium oxide, 2 tbsp salt, kelp, 1 cup flax, probiotic and W3 oil (all balanced by Mad Barn and Dr. Kellon).
I was able to take him to his first hunter show this past weekend (he just turned 4 a few weeks ago) so we kept it nice and low in the long stirrup division (21" and no oxers). It was cold (in the 50’s) so he had some energy! But was very good and placed 1st, 2nd, 4th, 4th and 5th out of 10. Very sound, happy and forward. Even on a no grain diet. I would say he is a body score of 5 and is starting to lose a bit of weight with the work, so I do have to keep my eye on it. He is very tough to feed as he really doesn’t care much about food and will walk away from his hay cubes. He is on metformin 2 x day (20 x 500mg tabs) and is 14h and 730lb. Dr. Kellon suggested he may not need his metformin as it can make them less hungry (I do give him his meds in a syringe after he eats his hay cubes or he won’t eat anything if I give it to him before hand), I’m just waiting to hear back from my vet first.
He gets his rhino/flu IN next week as well as a blood pull to check his insulin. Hopefully we can stop the metformin if his numbers are down.
He’s lovely! Congratulations!!!
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