Equestrian Product

Laminitis & Founder are both terms that refer to rotation of the coffin bone and/or swelling and inflammation of the hoof capsule. The common cause of this disease is excess sugar in the diet. Because horses are classified as non-ruminant herbivores, their digestive tract is adapted to digesting small, high fiber meals. The horse digests its food through continuous fermentation in the cecum and colon. Horses have no gall bladder to aid in digestion of food like humans. The gall bladder dumps digestive fluids into the stomach to help breakdown food faster. That means the horse may have difficulty completely and properly digesting large meals of hay and grains. When the digestive tract is overloaded and becomes out of naturally intended balance, that is when laminitis and other hoof ailments can occur.