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We’re in the dog days of summer and as the travel schedules and the roads both heat up, the dreaded road founder creeps into everyone’s mind. If you’ve ever experienced a road founder with one of your horses you know it’s a scary thing that needs to be addressed immediately. In this newsletter we’ll talk a little bit about what road founder is, what can cause it, and steps we take to try to prevent it or address it once it’s happened. From eliminating road vibrations, to providing an insulative barrier from hot trailer floors with our deep gel orthotics, to reducing concussion on the asphalt at fairgrounds, Soft Ride has your horse’s best interest at heart.
The Soft Ride Team
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Road founder is a type of laminitis that occurs when a horse’s hooves are subjected to excessive concussive forces, such as from working on hard or uneven surfaces for prolonged periods. Road founder can also be caused by hoof stress during trailer travel during hot weather and on poorly maintained roads. This condition can lead to inflammation and damage in the sensitive structures within the hoof, causing severe pain and lameness. It’s most commonly seen in horses that are overworked on hard ground without proper hoof protection.
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Can road founder come from literally being on the road? Road founder can come from the road in a couple different ways. Horses that are ridden on paved surfaces, worked on excessively hard ground, or tied out on pavement for extended periods are susceptible to road founder due to the concussive force of the hoof sole against hard surfaces. Road founder is also particularly problematic when transporting horses during hot weather. Heat from paved or asphalted roads can transfer through aluminum trailer floors into the horses’ hooves. The additional heat combined with the vibrations from the road and the horse’s need to brace for balance can cause excessive strain on the hooves and legs leading to road foundering.
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How hot is full sun asphalt compared to ambient temperature:
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Is there a difference between founder and laminitis?
There is a difference between founder and laminitis, although they are closely related. Laminitis refers to the inflammation of the laminae, the tissues connecting the hoof wall to the bone. Founder is a more advanced stage of laminitis where the damage causes the hoof bone to rotate or sink. Essentially, founder is a severe outcome of chronic or untreated laminitis.
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Symptoms of road founder include:
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Reluctance to move or lameness, especially on hard surfaces.
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Heat in the hooves, often with a strong, bounding digital pulse.
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A characteristic "sawhorse" stance where the horse tries to shift weight off the affected hooves.
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Sensitivity to hoof testers applied to the sole.
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Shortened stride: The horse's stride may be shorter, especially when walking, and they may be reluctant to stretch out, especially on hard surfaces
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In severe cases, visible changes in the shape of the hoof or a dropped sole.
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Preventing road founder involves several key practices:
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Wear Soft Ride boots to provide a barrier between hot roads and trailer bottoms as well as minimize concussive force on the hooves while also reducing travel fatigue by giving the horse a comfortable surface to travel on
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Avoid working horses on hard or uneven surfaces for extended periods, especially at high speeds.
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Ensure proper hoof care, including regular trimming and shoeing to provide adequate support and protection with Soft Ride boots or SoftRider shoes depending on your horse’s needs.
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Gradually condition horses to hard work, allowing time for their hooves to toughen up.
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Monitor the horse’s weight and overall health, as excess weight can increase the risk of laminitis and founder.
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How to treat road founder?
- Immediately put the horse into Soft Ride Comfort Boots and remove the horse from hard surfaces if possible to prevent further damage.
- Administering anti-inflammatory medications to reduce pain and inflammation.
- Corrective shoeing or trimming with SoftRider shoes to realign the hoof and reduce pressure on the affected areas.
- Applying cold therapy with Soft Ride Ice Spas to the hooves during the early stages to reduce inflammation.
- Consulting a veterinarian and farrier to develop a long-term management plan, which may include dietary changes, ongoing hoof care, and controlled exercise.
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Texas Equine Veterinary Association Summer Symposium Roundup
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Last weekend we attended the Texas Equine Veterinary summer symposium. This conference will provides continuing education and wet lab opportunities for veterinarians and vet students from all over the state of Texas. Soft Ride’s sponsorship helps allow 72 students to attend the conference.
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Soft Ride Conference Schedule
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Equine Sports Medicine Symposium
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This conference will focus on understanding equestrian surfaces for the modern-day sport horses, addressing sport medicine in foot related injuries, and the role of therapeutic shoeing in relation to today’s footing surfaces. It will feature speakers Dr Raul Bras DVM, Curtis Burns, APF-I, Dr Lars Roepstorff DVM, and many others.
Event Information:
August 23 & 24
Chatham County Convention Center
Pittsboro, NC
https://equinesportsmedicinesymposium.com/register
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Opportunities in Equine Practitioners Seminar
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Opportunities in Equine Practitioners Seminar (OEPS) is the leading student forum in equine veterinary medicine, with over 4100 students attending since its inception in 2003. Third-year veterinary students attend the meeting, where they receive information about various avenues and disciplines of equine practice, employment, and practice ownership. Students gain valuable information through face-to-face encounters and presentations from current practitioners, and veterinary practice management consultants. Approximately 200 -225 veterinary students will be attending the 2024 meeting.
Event Information:
August 30 - Sept 1st
Lexington Griffin Gate Marriott Golf Resort & Spa
1800 Newtown Pike
Lexington, KY 40511
Phone: 859-231-5100
For more information please contact the seminar host:
Dr. Craig Lesser
info@oeps.com
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NAEP Sarasota Vet & Farrier Conference
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Northeast Association of Equine Practitioners annual conference will include wetlabs and lectures on lameness and podiatry from Dr. Jenny Hagen, Dr. Travis Tull, and many more.
Event Information:
September 25-28
Saratoga Springs City Center
522 Broadway Entrance
Saratoga Springs, New York 12866
info@thenaep.com
585-205-5122
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All American Quarter Horse Congress
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The AQHA Congress is the largest single-breed horse show in the world. Congress is held in Columbus, Ohio, and hosted by the Ohio Quarter Horse Association. OQHA is committed to setting the standard in the equine industry by engaging equine enthusiasts through world-class competition, recreational activities, education, and engagement of the next generation of participants and industry leaders.
Event Information:
Soft Ride Booth - 602
September 29 - October 27
Ohio Expo Center
717 East 17th Ave.
Columbus, OH 43211
info@quarterhorsecongress.com
614-505-7200
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American Association of Equine Practitioners Annual Convention
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The AAEP Annual Convention & Trade Show is the world’s largest continuing education event dedicated to equine practice, anchored by more than 100 hours of continuing education and a 300-exhibitor-strong trade show featuring the newest products and services for practice.
Event Information:
Soft Ride Booth - 955
December 7th-11th
Location:
Orange County Convention Center
9800 International Drive
Orlando, FL
800-443-0177 (U.S. and Canada)
859-233-0147
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We LOVE hearing from our customers and getting updates on how your horses are doing! Please send us your story and a photo of your horse in their Soft-Ride products for a chance to be featured on our social media, in an upcoming issue of our newsletter, and to be entered in a Soft-Ride giveaway!
Email us here: socialmedia@srboots.com
Text us photos and stories to 419-469-5293 (this number only receives texts, for questions please call our main customer service number).
Tag us:
Facebook: Soft-Ride Equine Comfort Boots
Instagram: @soft.ride
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As we continue our drive to keep your horse on his feet, we've received more than 15 patents, ship to over 50 countries, and work with more than 6,000 veterinarians around the world, as well as every veterinarian school in the United States, Canada, Europe and Australia. And with horse owners from every discipline using our products, we can safely and proudly say, "The best in the world rely on Soft-Ride."
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