Michen
Well-Known Member
Hi all,
I have a little ex racer who I got straight from training at the beginning of November. He's had time off since then doing lots of ground work, leading off other horses, long lining etc. He's an absolute poppet to handle.
I have suspicions he has ulcers to a degree (and indeed most out of racing do). He has one or two explosions whilst long reining and lunging and he's chiro/physio very, very regularly since he arrived to sort out various soreness. Of course this could just be typical TB behaviour, he was very fit and is only in light work now. I did ride him a little when I first got him but it was a nightmare fitting a saddle to him so I decided to work on his shape and look at it again in feb. Despite the explosions when being worked on the ground, he never ever did anything under saddle in the few times I rode him. Actually, I hopped on him bareback and in a headcollar when I got back from a 2 week holiday (where he had not been worked at all) this week and hacked him round the block- he's that good.
Anyway explosions aside, he chews wood. Mostly when I'm not looking (never if I'm grooming him or anything) but he will go for the fence of the school, poles whilst im putting them out etc. Doesn't do it in the field. He is girthy with his roller unless I do it VERY slowly and he can be a BIT crabby when grooming his belly. Ever so slightly flinchy with heavy turnout rugs but that's improving and may well be because he's used to less noisy stable ones etc.
His coat is shiny and healthy, he is a perfect weight now (though admittedly he hasn't put on quite as much as I would have expected given the ad lib hay and lack of work) and is fed an ulcer friendly diet aka ad lib hay, healthy tummy, Saracen super fibre pencils, speedibeet, turnout 12 hours a day.
I put him on Gastric Comfort (feedmark, formally called ulcer calm) and he is less grumpy with his belly but the wood chewing hasn't stopped. At 45 quid a month, this isn't really feasible long term especially given his fondness for bi weekly chiro at the moment!
If a horse with ulcers is fed an ulcer friendly diet etc, does this give them the chance to heal themselves eventually? Equally, does this sound like gastric ulcers or hind gut ulcers? Given his symptoms are mild and the supplement hasn't made that much difference, I'm tempted to just take him off it and give him a few months to see if everything else settles down. I'd be worried if he was thin and dull coat and grumpy etc but he's not at all and his symptoms seem so mild?
I don't know what to do, whether to just carry on with supplement or not. He's insured but I highly doubt they would pay out for gastroguard on something they would probably class as "pre existing".
I want the best for the chap but equally he's getting about 90% of my paycheck currently!!!
I have a little ex racer who I got straight from training at the beginning of November. He's had time off since then doing lots of ground work, leading off other horses, long lining etc. He's an absolute poppet to handle.
I have suspicions he has ulcers to a degree (and indeed most out of racing do). He has one or two explosions whilst long reining and lunging and he's chiro/physio very, very regularly since he arrived to sort out various soreness. Of course this could just be typical TB behaviour, he was very fit and is only in light work now. I did ride him a little when I first got him but it was a nightmare fitting a saddle to him so I decided to work on his shape and look at it again in feb. Despite the explosions when being worked on the ground, he never ever did anything under saddle in the few times I rode him. Actually, I hopped on him bareback and in a headcollar when I got back from a 2 week holiday (where he had not been worked at all) this week and hacked him round the block- he's that good.
Anyway explosions aside, he chews wood. Mostly when I'm not looking (never if I'm grooming him or anything) but he will go for the fence of the school, poles whilst im putting them out etc. Doesn't do it in the field. He is girthy with his roller unless I do it VERY slowly and he can be a BIT crabby when grooming his belly. Ever so slightly flinchy with heavy turnout rugs but that's improving and may well be because he's used to less noisy stable ones etc.
His coat is shiny and healthy, he is a perfect weight now (though admittedly he hasn't put on quite as much as I would have expected given the ad lib hay and lack of work) and is fed an ulcer friendly diet aka ad lib hay, healthy tummy, Saracen super fibre pencils, speedibeet, turnout 12 hours a day.
I put him on Gastric Comfort (feedmark, formally called ulcer calm) and he is less grumpy with his belly but the wood chewing hasn't stopped. At 45 quid a month, this isn't really feasible long term especially given his fondness for bi weekly chiro at the moment!
If a horse with ulcers is fed an ulcer friendly diet etc, does this give them the chance to heal themselves eventually? Equally, does this sound like gastric ulcers or hind gut ulcers? Given his symptoms are mild and the supplement hasn't made that much difference, I'm tempted to just take him off it and give him a few months to see if everything else settles down. I'd be worried if he was thin and dull coat and grumpy etc but he's not at all and his symptoms seem so mild?
I don't know what to do, whether to just carry on with supplement or not. He's insured but I highly doubt they would pay out for gastroguard on something they would probably class as "pre existing".
I want the best for the chap but equally he's getting about 90% of my paycheck currently!!!
