Is this something to worry about!??

RubyFrench

RubyFrench

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Looking to see if anyone can lend some advice?

Everytime I let my horse back out into his paddock he rolls, then does a rocking motion as if he is struggling to get back onto his legs, then when he is up, kicks his stomach a few times. After this he is fine and continues to graze.

I'm petrified it could be colic/grass sickness??? but wouldn't he display more symptoms? Should I speak to the vet?

The only other thing I can think of is his sheath is a bit dirty and could be irritating him (the kicking, rather than the rolling). The first time he did it i looked and there was a fly buzzing around it.

He has also been a bit sensitive to when i'm grooming his stomach, but has no objections to his girth.

Any advice???
 
Rolling after riding is perfectly normal. Is he trying to itch his midline do you think? Or sometimes horses stamp when they roll, he may be thinking about rolling again but then doesnt.
 
My little falabella x does a funny rocking motion getting up from a roll almost like he is scratching his bottom or as you suggest maybe his sheath, which a horse cannot of course actually reach but when they are down I suspect it gets scratched by their hind hooves as they get up?

Lots of horses are sensitive on theor stomachs and ticklish there.
Good Luck!
 
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Lots of horses do te rocking thing before getting up. It's nothing to worry about. Kickingthe belly is usually in response to flies. Maybe there's bits of dust etc on there after rolling and he thinks it's a fly?
 
I had one that used to do that.... turned out his favourite scratchy place was his "belly button". Try scratching him around there and see what reaction you get - mine looked like he'd died and gone to heaven when we found it, and made for a nice "treat" for him.

ETA - oops, just seen you said he is a bit sensitive when you groom him.... Many horses seem to do that so unless its gotten more violent or frequent I wouldn't worry. Maybe give his sheath a bit of a clean anyway just in case?
 
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Hiya. I think you should talk to the vet just in case. Probably nothing to worry about. But its free to talk to them. One week last month my horse actually got grass sickness. He did not have many signs leading up to it. He was just seen lying down a little more than normal and dribbled a couple of times. Then one day he went from being fine and normal to REALLY bad grass sickness symptoms (within an hour). All horses react differently to grass sickness.

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There's a mare on the yard where I am who is very sensitive to flies etc and she will sit up after rolling and prop her front legs up a bit and rock herself forwards and backwards to give her belly a good old rub on the grass for quite a while.
 
My horse used to do this all the time, she had sweetitch and the midges bit her tummy. My shetland also does it, he does not have sweetitch, but I guess his tummy itches too.
 
Thankyou Rachel, I haven't seem him do it in a while but he has has got a bit of a runny nose, so 'll keep an extra close eye on him.

And thanks everyone for your replies. I think I'll just buy some fly spray for him tummy ( the garlic I put in his tea seems to have done the trick for the majority of them )
 
Diamond does this sometimes what she is doing is using her fetlock to rub her tummy were her belly button was biting insects go there as no hair so she rubbing it
 
How long has he been doing this for? Grass sickness is highly unlikely if he has been doing this for quite a while (more than a week or so). My fiancee's horse had grass sickness (acute) and the syptoms were sweating, loosing weight dramatically (within 3 days), tucked up and having muscle tremors. He was put to sleep within a week of developing these so if he isn't showing any signs of these then I highly doubt he has it. Like most people have said I don't think there is anything to worry about, most horses roll and have a kick of the belly when they get up, but just keep an eye on him for piece of mind. Don't worry :)
 
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