I heard from so many of you.  Thank  you.

The vet did come back out today and locked her in her stall.  He said to limit her movement.  He is coming back tomorrow and we will talk about our game plan.

Included in that game plan may be some of the suggestions I received today…

Here are several quick excerpts of ideas sent my way today.  Some kinda wacky (Hey, I’ll try almost anything at this point) and some very intriguing.

SUGGESTIONS TO HELP WITH FOUNDER (in no particular order)

(Some of these emails were sent with phones or devices… spelling errors and all.)

1)

Essiac Tea do you know ties  herbal  product.  We use it here  for ay reasons mostly  fitness.  I s all round  for all life.   But with horses   we see a healing  and   it can help detox  ..Piton feed to moisten syringe  in mouth   I have one  injured  tendons  that  drinks her share without asking and after  month of steady dosing she  appears to improve  no meds administered.    Milk Thistle s only other herb used .    This  tea is a known for  detox and  for blood sugar  balance as well.  Which we see the sugar imbalance  as a precursor for  founder  cases
I write not to worry you just ideas as I know how very  focused you stay.  No need to answer  either. Take care.

2)

I love your blog and am so sorry to hear about your struggle with Mama Tess. You may have heard of it, but I would really urge you to check out the website http://ecirhorse.org/ and sister group http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/EquineCushings/ even if you don’t think Mama Tess has PPID or IR. There is life saving information there for laminitic horses, and my horse, and many others, would not be here now if not for the help of this group.

I had a situation similar to yours and tried all the appliances and approaches recommended by my very trusted vet, but nothing worked until I found this group. It’s not just an internet chat room or listserve: It’s the largest field trial in the world for these horses and is veterinarian guided. My horse was a rescue and foundered when he was 7, with significant rotation and sinking, but is happy and comfortable today. Because it’s cutting edge information based on science, many vets and farriers, especially if they have thriving practices that keep them busy in the field, aren’t aware of this latest information.

If you haven’t already, please check it out. You and Mama Tess will be in my prayers from down here in Texas.

All the best,

3)

Dear Dawn, bless your heart.  You must be just aching over your Tess’s pain.  Please know that prayers and positive thoughts and virtual hugs are on their way to you both.
Shannon Carner of Carner Equine Podiatry in Virginia is the best in the business (after Pete Ramey and Jaime Jackson), and is willing to travel anywhere.  She has clients as far as China aand Australia, and her success rate with founder is phenomenal.  She has a very good page on founder.  Also, I highly recommend reading the article “Distal Descent of P3” by Pete Ramey.   Both websites are easily found on Google, both articles are written for us laymen, and you will be extremely knowledgeable about founder afterward.

Keep your hopes up, God answers prayer :)

4)

Dear Dawn,

I am so sorry to hear about your Tess.  You must be just heartbroken over her condition.  Please know that prayers and positive thoughts and virtual hugs are on their way to you both.

An old friend of mine in Virginia, Shannon Carner of Carner Equine Podiatry, is the best in the business (after Pete Ramey and Jaime Jackson, who no longer make house calls, unfortunately), and her success rate with founder is phenomenal.  She has clients as far away as China and Australia, and she’s willing to travel.  She has a good page on founder:

http://www.naturalfarrier.com/founder%20&%20laminits.html

Pete Ramey is THE foremost hoof expert worldwide, and he has a fantastic article on founder called “Reversal of P3 Distal Descent” here:

http://www.hoofrehab.com/hoof%20articles%20by%20Pete%20Ramey.htm

Both Shannon and Pete write specifically for us laymen, and while I can’t guarantee positive results for Tess, and I can absolutely guarantee you will be very knowledgeable about founder after reading their articles.

Knowledge is power, my friend, so keep your hopes up!   And God answers prayer :)

Kindest regards,

5)

Yarrow is a great anti-inflammatory. I just have another resource. Her name is Carolyn Libby and she follows a line of homeopathic-like care. Actually she would yell at me for saying homeopathic…She is promotes something called “remedies.” They support healing in a way I have never experienced before..  when I learn about horses who are suffering I tell them about Carolyn.

She can be found at www.purplechanges.com

6)

I hope for the best for Tess.  Read this month’s Equus magazine – there’s a whole section on canon and trims and rotations.  My 10 yr old mare has been getting stiffer and stiffer.  I called in my vet who wanted her on bute before riding her and keeping her on trails and fields for the softer ground and minimize the turning in the same direction.  I called in a different farrier because of the article and he trained and specialized in barefoot trimming.  He said the stiffness was caused by the sugar content in the grass which would cause her to founder later on.  He also showed me these shoes that are used on mustangs that actually support the frog and allow growth and self trimming over the top.  He said he glued a pad on then used racehorse shoe nails to put these shoes on so they don’t damage the hoof.  He also said to muzzle her to keep her off the grass and give her a feed supplement that has 32% protein (Purina).  If you want, I can send you the farrier’s name and number?

7)

Just wanted to let you know that Tess is in my prayers. This product is one we use at the rescue. We had a Tennuvian, Granny Jewels with very bad rotation. This product , http://www.appliedequinepodiatry.org/Perfect_Hoof_Wear.html; helped her as it has helped many others at the rescue. I have copied Theresa on this e-mail in hopes that she can also shed some advice about it.

http://www.equicast.us/hoofwearsystem.html
another company with the same concept…but worth the read

 

8)

Dawn:  Rotation is not a big deal.  The horse can grow out a totally normal foot within a year.  You have to eliminate the causes of the laminitis and continually lower the heels and take back the toe.   It is scary to see them lie down, but actually it is beneficial.  If they are in pain, it is natures signal to get off the feet.  I just got through trimming my foundered/rotated gelding.  It is best to do frequent micro-trims with a foundered horse. I trim him once a week.  I can’t use shoes b/c I trim too often.  I have used casting.  But again.  it prevents constant trimming.  I don’t trim the outer sole callus at all.  ( the outer 2/3 of the hoof).  I just trim around the frog, lower the heels and take back the toe from the top.  The hardest thing for owners to do is nothing.  If you do nothing except trimming and Laminox from Uckele the hoof will heel itself.  My horse Sparky has chronic laminitis because he is Insulin Resistant.  I have him on magnesium, chromium, jiagulan, and
trace minerals to balance the hay.  I also alternate between omega horseshine for vitamin E and Equine Chia from Horsetech.   Mamma Tess will heal.  I am sure of it.  Hang in there.  I know all about the mood swings that correlate with my horses ouchy feet.  I wish I just had a normal horse like everybody else.  One that has no health issues.  HAH!

9)

Dawn, I am so sorry to hear about Tess and the bad trim. We use the remission on our horses and it seems to do a good job keeping the hind gut working and the DSMO should help with the inflammation and subsequently the pain. We were lucky not to get any rotation so didn’t have to deal with that. We did have to stop a vet in his tracks once when Maya foundered because he took out a hoof knife and was going to start cutting without even asking or explaining (very scary). I must say that the trim that you describe is certainly not a wild horse barefoot trim at all. It is the kind of trim that gives barefoot a bad name. We have been using a wild horse trim studied and developed by Jamie Jackson for years and I can attest as many others can that the trimming method that Jamie developed will never cause harm to a hoof. This is a trim developed out of studies that Jamie did of the wild horses of the great basin. If you want to learn more please go to this website aanhcp.net (association for the advancement of natural horse care practices). I do know that you are in pain and under a lot of stress now with your girl Tess because I have been there before with mine and I wish for Tess a great recovery. It sounds like the vet you have on the job knows his stuff. I do hope that when things are better and you have some time you will look into the AANHCP and their horse keeping methods. Nothing that they recommend would ever cause harm to a horse and the trim methods have been a saving grace in the lives or our beautiful horses. I should say that my only affiliation is that I use the wild horse trim on my horses. My best to you and all of yours

 

10)

Fran Jurga`s Hoof Blog: News from Hoofcare + Lameness Journal: Leeches for Laminitis: Can an Old Idea Work on Today’s Horses?

http://hoofcare.blogspot.com/2013/06/leeches-for-laminitis-can-old-idea-work.html#more

 

THANK YOU ALL FOR YOUR IDEAS AND THOUGHTS… KEEP ‘EM COMING.

MAMA TESS STARTED THIS BLOG 3 YEARS AGO WHEN WE FINALLY CURED HER CANKER.

HOPEFULLY, THIS IS ANOTHER OPPORTUNITY FOR TESS TO BRING MORE LIGHT TO THE HORSE COMMUNITY.

TOMORROW IS ANOTHER DAY!

HORSE AND MAN is a blog in growth… if you like this, please pass it around!