Pennythetank
Well-Known Member
I'm currently riding a cob at the moment for someone and need a little advice at the moment. He is displaying some symptoms that seem to point me, the owner and vet towards ulcers but we were wondering if anybody had any experiences that might help us pin point the issue.
We are working with a very good vet at the moment but am asking on here in case anyone has ideas that might help us speed up the diagnosis.
Cob is 13 and a hunter (I'm only riding him to give him extra exercise) He is out at grass 24/7 and during the winter got a hoof supplement in a handful of coarse mix. He has been off that since late February. Nothing else has changed in his management for the last 12 months, same fields (rotated) and same companions(he is lowest on the pecking order)
Around early summer he began mild head shaking when ridden by anyone other than his regular riders but that progressed to him head shaking mildly for everyone. Saddle and back was checked and teeth were done.
Around a month after he first started head shaking he stopped for a good 2/3 weeks. He then got 4 weeks off (he gets a holiday like this every year at the end of summer) and has been coming back into work.
He began head shaking again, and again saddle, back and teeth were looked at. All came back clear and he was continued to be worked very lightly under vets advice in order to continue to exaime and assess symptoms (owner was advised that unless any more symptoms presented themselves it was going to be hard to pinpoint problem as there was no clear area in which to start)
In the last few days he has begun to not bite at girth area when ridden but look back at it. Vet is coming out in the next few days to scope for ulcers and cob will not be ridden again until that result comes back.
No other symptoms have presented themselves other than the mild head shaking and now the looking back whilst being ridden, cob is happy to be tacked up etc, and unless ulcers comes back the next step will be full nerve blocks, x rays and scans. Owner just wants to do the best by the horse and has fully followed vets advice in all steps.
Anyone have any idea about these symptoms? Do they sound like ulcers? Or do these point to a totally different thing that we are missing? Obviously everything will be checked out but ideas welcome.
Can't offer anything other than a half empty can of coke to anyone who managed to read that whole ramble but thanks 😊
PTT
We are working with a very good vet at the moment but am asking on here in case anyone has ideas that might help us speed up the diagnosis.
Cob is 13 and a hunter (I'm only riding him to give him extra exercise) He is out at grass 24/7 and during the winter got a hoof supplement in a handful of coarse mix. He has been off that since late February. Nothing else has changed in his management for the last 12 months, same fields (rotated) and same companions(he is lowest on the pecking order)
Around early summer he began mild head shaking when ridden by anyone other than his regular riders but that progressed to him head shaking mildly for everyone. Saddle and back was checked and teeth were done.
Around a month after he first started head shaking he stopped for a good 2/3 weeks. He then got 4 weeks off (he gets a holiday like this every year at the end of summer) and has been coming back into work.
He began head shaking again, and again saddle, back and teeth were looked at. All came back clear and he was continued to be worked very lightly under vets advice in order to continue to exaime and assess symptoms (owner was advised that unless any more symptoms presented themselves it was going to be hard to pinpoint problem as there was no clear area in which to start)
In the last few days he has begun to not bite at girth area when ridden but look back at it. Vet is coming out in the next few days to scope for ulcers and cob will not be ridden again until that result comes back.
No other symptoms have presented themselves other than the mild head shaking and now the looking back whilst being ridden, cob is happy to be tacked up etc, and unless ulcers comes back the next step will be full nerve blocks, x rays and scans. Owner just wants to do the best by the horse and has fully followed vets advice in all steps.
Anyone have any idea about these symptoms? Do they sound like ulcers? Or do these point to a totally different thing that we are missing? Obviously everything will be checked out but ideas welcome.
Can't offer anything other than a half empty can of coke to anyone who managed to read that whole ramble but thanks 😊
PTT