Does this sound like ulcers?

little_critter

little_critter

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My mare and I aren't seeing eye to eye at the moment.
She is off her work and shows no interest at all.
Probably once a session she stops and looks at her stomach.
The last couple of weeks she has been in a bad mood - culminating in last night she just didn't want to be groomed. I tried to continue (gently) but ended up getting a kick (not hard - just a warning leg but she managed to get me right on the kneecap!)

I'm a bit of a hypocondriact so don't want to get the vet out just to be told she's just in a bad mood.
I do ensure that if I ride in the morning she always gets some hay before I ride so she's not working on an empty stomach.
She's never been a forward going pony and is naturally laid back but is usually willing to work; this attitude seems to have gone. It's the looking at her stomach that isrining alarm bells with me - but I'm not sure if it's an evasion or real discomfort.
 
Some sort of intestinal problem I would say, what else are you feeding her, I like Dengie non molassed Hi Fi stuff [lo alfalfa one] as although it is expensive it looks the part, not a mix of the cheapest chaff with a bit of molasses added to make it palatable. My diet is fibre based, haylage can be too rich, and though alfalfa is a good feed, you need to have a plain feed if there is some doubts.
I would try one of the feed additives, personally I use Feedmark as they give you good advice, but loads of people on here like NAF pink powder.
 
Her feed is 1/4 scoop (dry volume) of A&P Fast Fibre, 4 handfulls of A&P Power & Performance and a couple of handfulls of oats (just so it has a bit of 'bite' rather than being a sloppy bowl of gruel)
The Power & Performance is in there purely as an attempt to give her a bit more 'go'.
She has a damp haynet overnight and 8 hours turnout 4 days a week (winter t/o rules).
 
That seems like a good fibre based diet, I assume she is getting a small FF feed at least an hour before work, so that should not be a problem, it will be moving though the stomach and small intestine.
As she is having a problem, try to give her something to eat for as long as possible, soaked hay is not rich but will keep her picking for a longer time, and I always use a small holed haynet for the main feed and some on the ground to let him stretch his back muscles.
Is there a correlation between grazing days and grumpy days? in which case it is more like a colic, but all these things are related anyway, and so I would opt for a strict regime for two or three weeks and if no better you may need an endoscope, but as she seems in no mortal danger, I would try the diet with supplements, and see how she goes.
My boy is on a similar diet to yours, and seemed pretty lazy until I got a young fit girl to do a bit of work with him, and he seems to have perked up a bit. My instructor did say to me he needed to learn to come off the leg, and now he does!
We have a gelding in, with a lot of problems [probably including ulcers], and even when restricted to 4 hours of grass, gets colicy, whisking tail, and sensitive flanks not to mention being a bit handy with his teeth, ouch!
 
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little_critter said:
My mare and I aren't seeing eye to eye at the moment.
She is off her work and shows no interest at all.
Probably once a session she stops and looks at her stomach.
The last couple of weeks she has been in a bad mood - culminating in last night she just didn't want to be groomed. I tried to continue (gently) but ended up getting a kick (not hard - just a warning leg but she managed to get me right on the kneecap!)

I'm a bit of a hypocondriact so don't want to get the vet out just to be told she's just in a bad mood.
I do ensure that if I ride in the morning she always gets some hay before I ride so she's not working on an empty stomach.
She's never been a forward going pony and is naturally laid back but is usually willing to work; this attitude seems to have gone. It's the looking at her stomach that isrining alarm bells with me - but I'm not sure if it's an evasion or real discomfort.
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In a word 'yes!' This is a classic sign of ulcers. We had a horse whose only symptom was a reluctance to work and stopping to look at her stomach. Vets kept telling us it was behavioural until we insisted she was scoped, and sure enough - ulcers. Now she is completely cured.
 
Thanks Wagtail - I'll get the vet then. Might solve all our 'sluggish' problems in one.

MrsD - she doesn't get a feed before work. Generally I ride in the eveings (6pm ish) so she's either been in the field or munching on her haynet.
At weekends I ride about 8am ish and always give her a small trug of hay to munch on while I groom etc so she's not working on an empty shomach. I always wait at least 1/2 hour after work before I feed her - longer if she's worked hard.
 
She's trying her best to tell you she's uncomfortable isn't she!

My mare was similar, sluggish, coat a bit staring, didn't like being groomed, looking very pointedly at her tummy and also trying to bite when girthing up. She is in week 3 of treatment for ulcers and is already a happier girl.

Have a word with your vet and if he doesn't suspect ulcers I would quietly insist that she is scoped, even if only to eliminate them. Until you know whether it's ulcers or not you can't start to treat her.
 
Thought my horse had ulcers, so I had her scoped - she didn't have them.

However what she does have is an abcess inside her somewhere, and probably liver not working quite properly. She was also very thin and had a poor, which I thought was due to ulcers, but in the most part was incorrect nutrition.
 
Just chatted to vet - she's due for follow up bloods in a month anyway so I'll bring that forward by 2 weeks and have her thoroughly checked over at the same time.
Vet says ulcers are unlikely as she's not a stressy type, she's finishing her food fine and has a good coat but we'll do a full work up and see if there's anything.
If nothing else comes up as the cause then progress with the ulcer theory.
In the meantime I might try a supplement just in case.
 
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