Ulcers and dangerous behaviour

[horseowner13]

Hi,

This is my first time posting and english is not my first language, so sorry for any grammar mistakes!

Have your horse’s behaviour become dangerous because of ulcers? My horse is being treated for ulcers, he has his second medication round going now. He was getting better but a few days ago he started acting agressively. He has now tried to attack me ~10 times while i’ve handled him on the ground. He is normally very sweet so im pretty shaken up by the situation.

He will be scoped again next week, but im pretty scared for my own safety until then.

 

[Parrotperson]

are you very experienced? I ask because you probably need some help until the ulcers disappear. he's obviously in pain poor horse but that should get better with treatment.

may also be best to check with your vet about the behaviour just in case it's something else.

 

[horseowner13]

are you very experienced? I ask because you probably need some help until the ulcers disappear. he's obviously in pain poor horse but that should get better with treatment.

may also be best to check with your vet about the behaviour just in case it's something else.

I have had him for 7 years and we have worked through previous behaviour or training problems well, he is a very nervous horse by nature but he has never ever been agressive to humans, so in agressive behaviour I am inexperienced with him because this is all new behaviour from him.

He is just fine in the stable but if i go walk him in hand he will get agressive. So should I just leave him be and just brush&spend time with him until the scoping? He hasn’t been worked hard (just walking) since the ulcers were found, so it’s not that I’ve overworked him or anything of that sort. But he is a 16 year old and he has previous injuries (all healed now) in his legs that would benefit from daily walking.

Im just a bit confused because he hasn’t been agressive this whole healing period so could his ulcers have gotten worse maybe? Surely he is in pain, i don’t think he would ever act this way otherwise.

And also i texted the vet today, she hasn’t answered yet…

Thanks for your reply!

 

[Parrotperson]

Can he be turned out? he might be in pain but also frustrated at being in.

I don't think it's a good idea to leave him in all day and night (Is that what you would need to do?) he'll get worse I think if you do that

In what way is he aggressive?

There's a few thing you could do but it would be good to know exactly what he's doing.

 

[horseowner13]

Can he be turned out? he might be in pain but also frustrated at being in.

I don't think it's a good idea to leave him in all day and night (Is that what you would need to do?) he'll get worse I think if you do that

In what way is he aggressive?

There's a few thing you could do but it would be good to know exactly what he's doing.

Oh he is turned out everyday with a buddy of course! So it shouldn’t affect his well being other than his back legs collect fluid because of the old injuries, if he doesn’t walk enough.

He is spookier than normal, which is fine that i can handle really well. But if i ask him to go back even a few steps he will first refuse and pin his ears and when i ask again he will try to attack me. So far i’ve managed these situations and both of us have survived and we’ve always been able to end the walks on a good note, but im scared his behaviour will only get worse, because surely the meds are not working properly, if he’s showing this behaviour all of a sudden.

So when nothing is asked of him he is fine, but if i ask something his response is agressive behaviour varying from pinning his ears to pawing, trying to bite and lunge at me.

 

[Parrotperson]

yes he's in pain bless him. Get hold of your vet as soon as possible for advice. In the meantime don't do anything with him that might cause the behaviour and be guided by your vet. Good luck.

 

[rextherobber]

Ulcers are believed to be a secondary thing. so he will have the ulcers as a result of being in pain from something else, so you need to fix the original source of the pain, as well as fixing the ulcers. As Parrotperson says, get the vet, and avoid handling him in the meantime. My mare became suddenly extremely aggressive, not like her at all, she had Kissing Spine. Injected the back, treated the ulcers, she's back to normal, (at least until the back injection wears off)

 

[lauragreen85]

Have a look at ponease, find it amazing for keeping ulcers away. Find the cause and they wont return. Found ponease quite helpful i hadnt a clue what caused mine