Colt keeps rolling after eating

[Kimimerra]

I'm a bit concerned for my 5 month old colt who everytime he has some of his mother's food or any feed, he rolls. Is this a sign of colic? I'm sorry I'm not very educated on raising foals as I only found out my mare was pregnant a week before she gave birth and I was not expecting it as our fields are not suppose to have stallions in them and I didn't have any plans on ever having a foal. I have tried doing research on this but I cannot find anything. He is fine in himself and acting normal and cheeky as usual lol

Thank you.

 

[ChwaraeTeg]

I am no expert either, but if this were my foal, I would keep note of pulse, droppings, and behaviour, then if rolling still happening after meals, I would telephone the vet and explain what I was seeing. Our vet is brilliant and will freely give advice over the phone . Hope all is well Kimimerra

 

[Archangel]

I would def. just run it past the vet although my mare rolls after her feed - she is 23 now so put it down to her being a funny horse, very precise about things. She will go to exactly the same spot she was fed the previous night, even if I am feeding in another spot and everybody else is eating. Her sister also had a funny ritual round food, she would take a mouthful then roll the handle round on her bowl, take another mouthful then roll the handle round on her bowl.

 

[Kimimerra]

Okay. Thank you

 

[JillA]

If it was colic you would know before now. I suspect he may be adjusting his intestines to the sensation of eating solid food but if he loses his gut sounds or stops eating and/or pooing, call the vet.

 

[WandaMare]

One of my mares does it, particularly if she is alert about something while she is eating. She did it every time I fed her when she first arrived at my yard and I worried it was a digestive issue. Now its just occasionally. I put it down to nervousness and then settling back down again after the excitement of feeding.

I would mention it to your vet if you are worried, hopefully its just an excitement/tension thing like my mare.

 

[Kimimerra]

Thanks for your comments. I really appreciate the help

 

[DuckToller]

A colt foal I was looking after used to roll as soon as I put haylage out in the field. He would rush over, paw at it, eat some and then he would get down and roll in it. I put it down to excitement - he was easily pleased! Could it be that?

 

[Kimimerra]

Maybe! I noticed that he likes to paw at the food bowl while eating

 

[Alec Swan]

Maybe! I noticed that he likes to paw at the food bowl while eating

That's just a horse feeding on three legs and many do it. I've never seen a horse do it when eating hay, but with short feed, many do.

If your youngster seems to react to eating short feed, I'm wondering what else is available to him. If he and his mare are standing on nothing (no grass of any value) then it could be the 'rush' of a protein influx and that would be a mild colic, colic being no more than guts-ache.

So the question is, do the mare and foal have access to good grass? Another question, have you checked that the foal isn't parrot mouthed? If he is then he may find that picking at short grass is difficult, and so tends to have an empty tum. Right, that's about all the help that I can be!

Alec.

 

[GirlFriday]

Certainly in adult horses you can end up with something like a 'sugar rush' from hard feeds. I know an entire yard that gave up door kicking and various other excitable behaviours when switched to a less exciting feeding regime (higher volume/lower calorie).

 

[Kimimerra]

The grass isn't good quality and he isn't parrot mouthed. He's still feeding from his mam so I don't think his belly is empty. But he is either still hungry or very greedy lol. He's very good in weight, no ribs showing and he looks in perfect condition.
I've been watching him lately and hes rolling less often, but still sometimes does it. Its only been less since I've stopped giving him his own food, so I'm wondering if I was giving him a bit too much?