Catching Founder or Laminitis Early

Overweight, easy keeping horses and ponies as well as horses that have had laminitis in the past are susceptible to laminitis, which is also commonly known as founder. During times when the grass is richer and fructans are higher in the grass these horses should be kept away from grazing. Grass with high amounts of sugar are large contributors to founder.
Since the timeline of treating founder is very short before permanent damage can result I would suggest that you have a record of your horses blood pressure and heart rate as one of the earliest and most telling ways of identifying laminitis in it’s early stages is that the horse will have a sharp increase in blood pressure/and or heart rate. If you find it’s heart rate or blood pressure has gone up abruptly then immediately contact your vet.