Possibly Ulcers ?

[hkatie]

My horse showed signs of what I thought was colic but isn’t ! She’s laying down a lot/flat out and getting up and going down again which isn’t like her . She’s also very unhappy about being touched near the flanks (will kick out at a person ) . She’s eating hay and feed like normal but very much so not herself .Her poo was jet black . I thought it may be possibly ulcers ? Vet is called and will be coming out but would just like to know what other people think !

 

[Birker2020]

Black poo means that she is not drinking enough fluids although if it is very black occasionally this can indicate a more serious condition but this is very usual so try not to worry. Its more likely she is dehydrated. When my mare's poo goes this colour particularly if it is hard I will always wet her nets really well and give her a sloppy feed and sometimes I will dilute mints or liquorice into boiling water and wait until its cool to give her to encourage her to drink.

I would check she has enough water in her stable or field and make sure the buckets are well scrubbed out or this can deter them from drinking.

It sounds like she might have colic and you touching her flanks is just because she has belly ache. She could have spasmodic colic which is why she's getting up and down again to try and make herself more comfortable or she might have a small impaction. You need to remove all food from the stable until the vet arrives. If she has an impaction for example stuffing more food down her throat will only make it worse.

Good luck with the vet x