Antacid Question (long, sorry!)

[FigJam]

Hi all,

I was wondering if anyone would be able to suggest a short term solution for my gredy mare?

She has recently gone from a well-grazed paddock into her winter field which (at the moment) is full of lovely, fresh grass. She seems to think it is her mission to spend all day with her nose to the ground guzzling as much grass as is possible.

This means that when she comes in for the evening, she is absolutely stuffed and has been looking really uncomfortable. The first time it happened, she was really sorry for herself and I had the vet out who put a tube down her nose into her stomach and relieved excess gas.

However, I can't afford this on a daily basis until she calms down and learns not to over-indulge. (hopefully sooner rather than later!) I was thinking that if it's a slight build up of gas and just being really full up, would an antacid (gaviscon, rennies etc) help in the short term? If so, would I feed that when I bring her in? How much is a horse dose compared to a human dose?! (go by relative weight?)

I think she gets "Christmas dinner" syndrome where she's so full, she just wants to snooze. She comes round to eating her dinner and her hay after 2-3hrs of being in from the field and is more than desperate for her breakfast in the morning.

She doesn't try to roll, so I'm happy it's not dangerous (colic etc), she's just quieter than normal.

Thanks!

 

[amandathepanda]

What about restricting her grazing with electric fencing or limited turnout periods? Or borrowing some sheep/cows from a farm to graze it down a bit?

 

[FigJam]

She was in a "fatties" paddock for the last wee while, but YO seems insistent that she goes in with the other mares onto the new field. She does need to put weight on for the winter, but preferably more gradually!

Not sure she's keen on topping the field as she wants as much grass as possible for over the winter and most other horses seem fine on it.

Have just spoken with a vet from the practice she's registered with and he reckons the same, that she just needs to go back into a shorter field until winter's really kicked in and the grass has been grazed down by the other horses.

I was hoping she might calm down after a couple of days and adjust to the new field, but he says in his experience, greedy horses will remain greedy.

She's such a pain. Now I need to go try get the YO to agree to letting her back into "fattie" field!

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

Will she wear a grazing muzzle for a few days?

 

[Llwyncwn]

When our livery horses are turned out on winter grazing I always advise to restrict their grazing for the first few days - otherwise, like your mare they stuff themselves and get belly ache or even full blown colic.

The grass with us is still growing which means that there is still much goodness to be had! My vet has seen quite a few lami cases this month after horses are turned onto lush winter grazing.

 

[FigJam]

Thanks for all the replies!

I tried a grazing muzzle on her (£40!!!) but she was not happy at all wearing it.

I went up to the yard last night all ready to speak to the YO about putting her back in the "fattie" field and guess what? She came in perfectly fine and wolfed her dinner down as she normally would!! So typical! She must have heard me plotting to take her out of the field!

So she's back out again for another day and hopefully she'll be fine again. Maybe it was just the first couple of days. I'll be extra vigilant of course and at first sign of trouble, I'm going to ask to get her out of the field, but for now, she seems ok.

Thanks again!

 

[H's mum]

Have PM'd you.
Kate x