Pasture change - negative reaction?

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SaddleUpSin

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Recently we moved off winter grazing to the rested spring paddocks (Saturday). The night before he came in with a medium size cut on the inside of his hind leg, very touchy, wouldn't let me near it or touch it.

I think the change in conditions has upset his system as I can barely touch his sides without being bitten at (just warning, still gets told off) even at the lightest touch through his cooler. He's fairly new to me and this has been the first instance I've seen him in discomfort so its hard to assess whats normal, but judging by how he's been with his leg, he's quick to be defensive when in pain. don't want to dismiss it entirely, just monitoring.

In over night, out in single turnout in the day, eating and drinking normally. Leg seems to be healing okay, hard to see through the fur! Trying not to interfere with it too much, aside from the fact I cleansed with salt water and purple sprayed.

Anyone else's horses been in discomfort from the grass?
 
The hooligan has an allergy to certain sugars in grass, so struggles at certain times of year or in certain pastures.

He's having a troublesome few weeks- gurgly, mild colicky symptoms and more tense than normal. He is on Brewers yeast permanently and I try to restrict his grazing at certain times of year.
 
scats said:
The hooligan has an allergy to certain sugars in grass, so struggles at certain times of year or in certain pastures.

He's having a troublesome few weeks- gurgly, mild colicky symptoms and more tense than normal. He is on Brewers yeast permanently and I try to restrict his grazing at certain times of year.
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Does brewers yeast help? :)
 
SaddleUpSin said:
Does brewers yeast help? :)
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To be honest, nothing we've tried ever really makes a difference to his outward behaviour. He just gets notably more uncomfortable at certain times of the year. Spring and autumn are the gurgly, very mild colicky months and summer is the elephant-man hives time.

Even when we assumed he had ulcers- couldn't scope as he very nearly killed a vet when they tried- he never exhibited any changed behaviour after a course of gastroguard.
 
Someone I know had a horse displaying the same behaviour and she had ulcers you couldn't touch her sides at all she would lash out with teeth and legs, it could be the change of field but if his showing that much discomfort over the next few days I think I would get a vet out, hopefully it's nothing too serious they do like to scare the life out of you at times!
 
After a mild colic bout I started mine on feedmark bio pro. It is supposed to support the digestive system around changes in routine, pasture etc. I have noticed (apart from few high jinks) he has transitioned onto new pasture well with no sloppy poos or general touchiness.
 
I was going to recommend the bio pro. My pony is a bit of an escape artist and got into a rested area he over indulged and got gassy colic. I then decided to put him on the bio pro, interestingly he also seems to have stop getting cast as well. He moves fields every few months to a rested paddock and sometimes gets out on the rested areas even when he is not meant to be there!
 
Mine went onto new grazing last weekend but literally an hour first day, couple of hours the next and the day after, then half a day and now as of last night I left them on it and they will stay on it now. I always introduce these things slowly like I would a new feed to help the gut cope better.
 
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Antw23uk said:
Mine went onto new grazing last weekend but literally an hour first day, couple of hours the next and the day after, then half a day and now as of last night I left them on it and they will stay on it now. I always introduce these things slowly like I would a new feed to help the gut cope better.
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I'm glad you just posted this! Rather than recommend all sorts of products to ease the gut, it is better to introduce the horse gradually to new grazing over the course of a few days. Putting a horse straight out on lush rested 'summer' grazing at this time of year is asking for colic or laminitis.
 
Tiddlypom said:
I'm glad you just posted this! Rather than recommend all sorts of products to ease the gut, it is better to introduce the horse gradually to new grazing over the course of a few days. Putting a horse straight out on lush rested 'summer' grazing at this time of year is asking for colic or laminitis.
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Yes indeed, but in my case the horse has been on the same grazing and struggles when the grass changes at certain times of year, in that same pasture.
Current field he has been on for 4 months, but only in the last 2 weeks has he started struggling.

When he is moved to a 'new' field he is turned out for 30 minutes then built up.
 
Unfortunately, I don't have the option to do the gradual introduction, as he's in the same routine as the other horses and would not take too well to being left in alone :(

Thank you all for the suggestions so far, hopefully something will help as he's really in discomfort
 
scats said:
Yes indeed, but in my case the horse has been on the same grazing and struggles when the grass changes at certain times of year, in that same pasture.
Current field he has been on for 4 months, but only in the last 2 weeks has he started struggling.

When he is moved to a 'new' field he is turned out for 30 minutes then built up.
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Fair enough, some horses do have exceptionally sensitive guts (my late maxicob being one :(), and they need very careful managing, and some supplements can really help.

SaddleUpSin said:
Unfortunately, I don't have the option to do the gradual introduction, as he's in the same routine as the other horses and would not take too well to being left in alone :(

Thank you all for the suggestions so far, hopefully something will help as he's really in discomfort
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He's new to you, isn't he, and is this your first horse? I'd get him off the new grass and get the vet to check him out. This could be boiling over into a colic attack, which trust me is the last thing you need. Get him comfortable again, and then build up the new grazing gradually.

Good luck.
 
Tiddlypom said:
He's new to you, isn't he, and is this your first horse? I'd get him off the new grass and get the vet to check him out. This could be boiling over into a colic attack, which trust me is the last thing you need. Get him comfortable again, and then build up the new grazing gradually.

Good luck.
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Just had a thought, theres a turnout paddock on arena surfacing which I may be able to turn him out onto with hay instead of being on grass (normally out 7-4) then have him on the grass for short intervals of say an hour or so whenever possible? Have bought some of the biopro to help hopefully
 
If he's in that much discomfort I would get the vet out to check him over. Last year J had colic, I'd had him about 6 months then and it was scary. It was only gas colic and the vet gave him some painkillers and stuff and it passed but it was worrying.

I put him on a gut balancer for a while, and now he's on a general balancer and he seems fine with the spring grass this year (touch wood) but if he showed any colicky signs again I would get the vet out as it was horrible seeing him last time.

Not trying to scare you!! Just saying, as the horse is new to you, i would just get the vet to double check if he's show real signs of discomfort.
 
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