I have an uncomfortable Mimosa

[LadyGascoyne]

Mim started to show some signs of discomfort around her girth area.

She’s out 24/7 unless the weather is very poor and she gets tons of good quality forage so ulcers would be odd. She’s sound, moving well and otherwise seems happy. But she is very protective of her girth area and the sternum area between her from legs.

Physio and saddle fitter think she might have pulled something doing silly things in the field, given the ground is quite slippery.

She’s been off for 3 weeks but I’m walking her in hand because she loves doing things. She’s otherwise her usual sparkly self, she’s just clearly telling me that she doesn’t want to be touched from just behind the elbow through to where a breastplate would sit.

How long do I give the rest/ physio approach before I start worrying that it’s something else and not a muscle strain? Saddle fitter isn’t concerned about overgirthing, and still likes the saddle. And she was better not worse the more that she was worked on by the physio and the saddle fitter. It seems less sore when she’s warmed up.

 

[SantaVera]

My friends horse is kept out fed forage 24/7 yet was found to have ulcers,worth discussing with your vet and getting scoped

 

[Barton Bounty]

Lady G its worth a try using Aloe Vera juice for a few weeks to see if there is any improvement ?

 

[stangs]

One of the many things I do with my boy is pressing into the sternum until he draws away (without stepping away). Apparently, one of the tells that his pecs are very tight is that you can barely get your fingers into the sternum area, whereas you should be able to get most of a finger in.

What you describe sounds more like muscle soreness than ulcers to me. Did the physio give you any exercises to do to see if they help?

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Thanks everyone. Scoping would be next step, I just want to give the physio some time with her because both the physio and saddle fitter thought she’d tweaked something and they saw her independently.

It’s this sort of area, between the forelegs. The physio is coming weekly and we are doing our usual stretches but haven’t got a programme to do ourselves yet.



You wouldn’t know anything was wrong if you didn’t know her, but I can tell she’s just not herself.

And everyone knows how much I adore her.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Thanks everyone. Scoping would be next step, I just want to give the physio some time with her because both the physio and saddle fitter thought she’d tweaked something and they saw her independently.

It’s this sort of area, between the forelegs. The physio is coming weekly and we are doing our usual stretches but haven’t got a programme to do ourselves yet.

View attachment 103263

You wouldn’t know anything was wrong if you didn’t know her, but I can tell she’s just not herself.

And everyone knows how much I adore her.

I am sure she probably has just tweaked something! Heres hoping ?

 

[nikicb]

I don't have experience of ulcers, but it has been so wet recently, she could easily have done the splits with her front legs if she had a bit of a hoolie in the field, even if it's not muddy. Having spent the past few months trying to unravel why my mare has been getting sore, but not lame, I know how hard it is when they aren't quite right, but you can't work out what's wrong. Fingers crossed it's nothing serious with Mim.

 

[ycbm]

Sounds like she might have done a Bambi with her front legs. She does love acrobatics, doesn't she? It doesn't sound the right place for ulcers and the only joint in that area is C6/7 of the neck. I'd give it a bit longer as long as she's not getting worse, then x ray the bottom of the neck just in case.
.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Sounds like she might have done a Bambi with her front legs. She does love acrobatics, doesn't she? It doesn't sound the right place for ulcers and the only joint in that area is C6/7 of the neck. I'd give it a bit longer as long as she's not getting worse, then x ray the bottom of the neck just in case.
.

She does love acrobatics!


She’s only protective about being poked and prodded, or doing up the girth. Physio doesn’t see any restriction in her movement or flexibility. She is very flexible and incredibly excited to show anyone her stretches off in case she gets a carrot. So hopefully no neck involvement and just a Bambi.

 

[chaps89]

Can you massage the area yourself as often as possible? Just gently but if she responded to the physio and based on how I feel after a massage(!) I’d say you’ve nothing to lose by just getting hands on and doing some daily massaging to loosen everything up a bit.
Not really the right area for ulcers and given as she loves to do gymnastics I’d say a guess that she’s done the splits and tweaked something feels fairly likely so hopefully she’s happier soon

 

[Tiddlypom]

If you know of a good chiro vet then this is right up their street. It does sound like she may have done a Bambi.

I've had mine out to similar. I ask her to assess and treat what she can, and that we'll work out what's left outstanding for the regular vet to assess at a work up.

Mostly the chiro vet can sort it, but if not she refers the horse on to my regular vet.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

I’ll give it a few weeks and maybe try giving her a massage in the evenings myself too.

If she’s not happy in a couple of weeks, a chiro vet could be a good bet. I’m always so interested in getting different perspectives on things with the horses, so it might be an interesting avenue.

 

[doodle]

Mine was uncomfortable in that area when he had ulcers. I had mentioned it to vet and he hadn’t heard of if there. But ulcers treated and it was fine again. I actually think they may be back and had forgotten about that area. I’m going to have a poke tomorrow.

 

[Birker2020]

I’ll give it a few weeks and maybe try giving her a massage in the evenings myself too.

If she’s not happy in a couple of weeks, a chiro vet could be a good bet. I’m always so interested in getting different perspectives on things with the horses, so it might be an interesting avenue.

This is a good watch. Explains by pressing the pressure points where horses will react if they have ulcers.

Lari didn't react at any of the points but I'd already booked him in to be scoped so went ahead. And guess what.... he didn't have ulcers. So all I can say is it was accurate in that sense.

Maybe worth a go. That point where you describe under the breast to the girth with a flat hand is where they react if they are ulcer positive.

 

[PurBee]

This is a good watch. Explains by pressing the pressure points where horses will react if they have ulcers.

Lari didn't react at any of the points but I'd already booked him in to be scoped so went ahead. And guess what.... he didn't have ulcers. So all I can say is it was accurate in that sense.

Maybe worth a go. That point where you describe under the breast to the girth with a flat hand is where they react if they are ulcer positive.

Thanks for posting that birker, mark’s videos are very good and clear to understand, really useful tips to know ?

My gelding when younger was sensitive at the points he describes in the video, hated being brushed underneath between front legs, and behind elbow especially. After gut soothing treatments was much better.
If Mim is suddenly sensitive there LG, sounds more like a strain than internal gut/ulcer issues, with which you’d likely notice her getting more sensitive there over time, than sudden sensitivity.

 

[maya2008]

In my experience horses do silly things in fields. Same experience tells me they are really bad at healing those injuries when left out in the field if the ground is slippery or muddy. Seems to take forever. One of mine has just done something arguing in a boggy field. Have put him on pen rest because I would like him to be better soon! If he wasn’t being sensible in the pen he would be on box rest until better. That way things resolve quickly and life goes back to normal. If not better after a couple of weeks’ pen or box rest then I call the vet.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

It sounds like a strain of some sort Arabi is good at doing the splits in front in the field, he also can get tight through his shoulders wither and girth area my physio gets me to do foreleg stretches to the front keeping the hoof very low in front, then you gently circle the leg both ways doing very small circles, I do his most days after I have ridden and I just start with a few then just increase the amount slowly.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Mim is sooo much better! The physio is happy, the saddle fitter is happy and I had the pro rider who schools her back on board today for a light hack and she felt she went wonderfully.

I’m so much happier with a happy Mim.

 

[Barton Bounty]

Very pleased for you. Glad it seems to have resolved ?

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Updating to say Mimosa came in unhappy again last week, with very sore sides.

She hasn’t been ridden at all this month as her rider has had an injury and I have been too busy.

We had the vet and physio out together, and both agreed there is something going on with her.

Off to horsepital for further investigations on Tuesday morning, to stay the night and be scoped on Wednesday.

I suspect ulcers that developed when she was on livery, and a flare up due to poor grass and stress at the moment. She absolutely adores Miri and hated her being taken away to box rest on livery. Absolutely the right thing for Miri (possibly life saving) but not for Mimosa.

I think Mim would have settled but she can smell Miri on me after I go and see her so she knows her friend is somewhere, she just can’t find her.

 

[twiggy2]

Good luck and I hope you find so etching easy to manage

 

[sbloom]

Ulcers are obviously a strong possibility. Just to cover all the bases, can you post a photo from the front of her pecs and front legs? And maybe her shoulder from the side?

Tami Elkyam probably has some good stuff on FB on this, pecs, maybe diaphragm and other areas in the lower thoracic sling and ribcage, and this may be useful https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...8GfUkqy3wGbp5R9iKmK6AuoNtl&id=271767916241418

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Ulcers are obviously a strong possibility. Just to cover all the bases, can you post a photo from the front of her pecs and front legs? And maybe her shoulder from the side?

Tami Elkyam probably has some good stuff on FB on this, pecs, maybe diaphragm and other areas in the lower thoracic sling and ribcage, and this may be useful https://m.facebook.com/story.php?st...8GfUkqy3wGbp5R9iKmK6AuoNtl&id=271767916241418

I’ll take some photos today. Vet and physio seem pretty convinced it’s something like ulcers or possibly something ovarian. Blood tests all good, worm count fine.

We are scanning ovaries, stifles, doing a full performance work up, including ridden, and then she will stay overnight to be starved and scoped.

 

[sbloom]

Do read up on opinions on scoping, many choose to treat for ulcers instead, if a positive result you know it was ulcers. I'm not sure I'd scope.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Do read up on opinions on scoping, many choose to treat for ulcers instead, if a positive result you know it was ulcers. I'm not sure I'd scope.

Do you know if insurance covers treatment without scoping? I suppose it’s probably so dependent on policy and insurer.

 

[maya2008]

Do you know if insurance covers treatment without scoping? I suppose it’s probably so dependent on policy and insurer.

I believe it does not. Hence scoping being routine unless you say you have no insurance.

 

[sbloom]

I think that's right. I know very many paraprofessionals who are anti scoping, things need to change.

 

[SantaVera]

It does sound like ulcers, hope you can get things sorted for her.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Do read up on opinions on scoping, many choose to treat for ulcers instead, if a positive result you know it was ulcers. I'm not sure I'd scope.

I believe it does not. Hence scoping being routine unless you say you have no insurance.

Two vets (regular vet and chiro vet) and me were all sure that based on her classic symptoms of discomfort that my mare had foregut ulcers.

I asked my regular vet whether to bother scoping her and instead to go straight to treatment (gastroguard?). My horses are not insured, but this was not penny pinching on my part, but wanting to save the horse from the slight discomfort of the scoping procedure.

Regular vet, who knows I'm not insured and often suggests cheaper ways to do things said no, though we are expecting to see foregut ulcers we do need to be sure. She scoped clear! It was hind ulcers instead, which are actually aggravated by gastroguard, and need a whole different approach. She is ok again now, but at best missing out the scoping and putting her straight on gastroguard would have prolonged her extreme discomfort for many weeks.

The scoping procedure isn't that bad. I left my mare overnight at the vets, as she was aleady there for the day. She was starved overnight and they scoped her first thing next morning at around 8am latest. She could eat as soon as she'd got over the dope.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Two vets (regular vet and chiro vet) and me were all sure that based on her classic symptoms of discomfort that my mare had foregut ulcers.

I asked my regular vet whether to bother scoping her and instead to go straight to treatment (gastroguard?). My horses are not insured, but this was not penny pinching on my part, but wanting to save the horse from the slight discomfort of the scoping procedure.

Regular vet, who knows I'm not insured and often suggests cheaper ways to do things said no, though we are expecting to see foregut ulcers we do need to be sure. She scoped clear! It was hind ulcers instead, which are actually aggravated by gastroguard, and need a whole different approach. She is ok again now, but at best missing out the scoping and putting her straight on gastroguard would have prolonged her extreme discomfort for many weeks.

The scoping procedure isn't that bad. I left my mare overnight at the vets, as she was aleady there for the day. She was starved overnight and they scoped her first thing next morning at around 8am latest. She could eat as soon as she'd got over the dope.

That’s really interesting, thank you for sharing.

I think I’d rather have the peace of mind knowing exactly what we are treating. Although I suspect ulcers, I could be wrong or they could be fore or hind gut, as you say.

I think given that she’s been just a little off, on and off, for about 10 months now, I need to get to the bottom of it.

She’s absolutely straightforward and very easy, so she isn’t the sort of horse who would find the whole thing completely overwhelming. She is quite a brave little thing.