Unfortunately, this is not the week of the horse.  At least not here in sunny Orlando, FL.  I was on my way to work a couple of days ago at 6 am and the traffic report came on the radio.  Imagine my surprise to hear that the only congestion on the roadways was a collision in south Orlando between a car and two horses. 

How does this keep happening?  Oh yes, this is the 3rd time that I’ve heard of horses being hit by cars in the same general area over the past 6 months!  I certainly hope that these horses aren’t coming from the same place each time… How tragic for all involved.  Let’s hope that bad things come in threes and horses in Osceola County will stay on their properties from now on!

In other sad news this week, I just heard from a friend that her horse has foundered.  Really shocking as there is no obvious cause.  Right now we’re hoping that she can be stabilized and kept comfortable, but she’s most unhappy about spending the next two weeks in her stall!  When I heard the news, it inspired me to start doing some research.  I must admit, in recent years I have not kept current on treatments for many horse ailments unless they have directly affected me.  It has been a long time since I’ve dealt with founder, and I realized that apart from those classic facts most of us know (pounding pulse in the heels; the stretched-out, awkward pose they adopt caused by too much grain or new grass, among other things), I have forgotten many of the nuances of diagnosing the disease and know nothing about newer treatments and prognosis.  Check back soon for a detailed article on diagnosing and treating laminitis (founder) and prognosis for affected animals.  In the meantime, check out this link for more information:  http://vet.osu.edu/assets/pdf/hospital/equineFarmAnimals/equine/articles/2008/laminitis.pdf

And please send some good juju for our girl Abby as she limps down the road to recovery over the next few weeks!