Looks tucked up...

[shadowboy]

Sometimes when I bring mare in the evening and she eats she loooks really tucked up. Not a little tucked up but really tucked up. But only while eating hard feed, its as though she has suckind in her stomach and flanks, its really wierd. After eating she returns to normal, i've never seen a horse do anything like it- shes doesnt do it when eating her hay from her haybar. Any ideas anyone why shes doing it? Thanks in advance.

 

[MizElz]

Never seen a horse do it, but it sounds exactly like what my black Labrador does when she eats! It's out of pure greediness; she doesnt necessarily eat fast, but she holds her tummy right in, to the point that she looks half starved! As soon as she's finished her dinner (and scrounging for more!) the fat tum returns! Sounds just like your mare!

 

[lucemoose]

Maybe she is uncomfortable eating the hard feed ie cramp, ulcers. A friends mare did this and she put her on Settlex for her tummy.

 

[the watcher]

If you pad the hard feed out with more fibre (I mean lots more fibre) does she still do this?

 

[shadowboy]

I dont know- this is her current feed- 1 x scoop of Hifi Lite, Half x scoop of Horse and Pony Cubes, 1x Mini scoop of Supercalm, Hal of scoop of RediGrass and water. WHat do you think- more fibre? I also wondered about stomach ulcers but she doesn get much mix anyway.... I really want her to be a happy comfortable mare.