George was saved from going to the kill pens. George is an older lovable pony. He has suffered a severe case of laminitis from founder. George arrived at AHHR in a lame condition.
Laminitis is a common hoof disorder that typically causes a lot of pain to the horse. It is a malfunction of the attachment of the pedal bone and the inner hoof wall. Durable connective tissues are responsible for connecting the pedal bone to the hoof wall. If these tissues are damaged, inflamed or experiences a lack of blood supply, the connection between the laminae fails. Eventually, the pedal bone will start to have excessive wear and tear from the hoof wall.
Laminitis is also known as founder. It is basically characterized by a sore inflammation of the foot. It can affect both the front and back feet. In severe cases, there can be permanent damage to the laminae and the connection of the coffin bone to the hoof wall collapses. Body weight eventually imposes a lot of pressure on the coffin bone, and the bone may end up rotating downward, sometimes through the sole. George’s laminitis has been concentrated to his two front feet. Unfortunately the bones in both his front feet have already rotated downward. George got to the point that he couldn’t even stand up and just laid in his stall. With our care and much assistance from our veterinarian, and special ongoing care from an equine specialist whom specializes in horse hoof and soft tissue rehab., George is doing better, and is able to walk again without dragging his feet. George has and continues to undergo x-rays for followup to assure his new hoof growth aligns with his coffin bone rotation in his feet. He receives supplements daily to support his hoof health, and will most likely be on a special food diet the remainder of his life. George is a true gem with a very pleasant personality and is a must meet for anyone that visits AHHR. George is a full time resident at AHHR.