Ulcers? Or another problem?

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HeyBigSpender

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Just been doing a lot of research and kind of scaring myself I guess. I'm going to be getting the vet out but was wondering if people had any similar expirences?

I've had my horse for four years, he's now 11 and we've had problems with our eventing, after doing fab in dressage and showjumping, I've schooled him up to novice xc but we can't get around an unaffiliated 80 course, having had a lot of advice, off top riders at clinics, as well as instructors I see to be reliable and expirence the main outcome seems to be, if you want to do it you're going to have to sell him. The problem is his napping, and this only happens within a competition evniroment, I've looked at myself as a rider and got feedback off my instructor with me at competition. So please no training advice, because it's either because he doesn't want to do it or in pain.

I was wondering today, looking it up, he's sensitive in his girth area, bites my feet when were stood still in the school. Last week I had a lot of trouble with his canter, he carried on going disunited on the left rein, and a little on the right, it was hard to send him forwards, which is incredibly uncharacteristic of him. This was also happening on the lunge. For the past two times I've jumped him, we've had stops for no apparent reason, jump was s comfortable size, and I rode him no differently to normal.

Is there a chance of ulcers, something else or is it all just coincidental what do you think? (I'm going to get a vet out, I've checked back, both saddles, teeth)
 
It is well worth getting him tested for Ulcers. The test using "Succeed" faecal blood test will give you an indication. The test takes 10-15 minutes and is cheap, about £25 http://www.succeedfbt.com/

My boy, who is being scoped tomorrow, looks a picture of health, is on a fibre diet, lives out 24/7 all year and during the winter is on adlib hay.

My concern was the girthing up and he was getting more grumpy. He is an Endurance horse and although for the time of the year re training he seemed alright there were times when he was not going as well.

To treat for Ulcers is easy and it is better to get it sorted now than leave it and have more problems. It is known that in competition horse it can be as high as 60% that have Ulcers.

Try giving him a double handful of Alfa or a good Chaff about 20 minutes before you ride him. This will help the acids in the stomach. I did this on Sunday with my boy and he moved so much better.

What are you feeding your lad.
 
paulineh said:
It is well worth getting him tested for Ulcers. The test using "Succeed" faecal blood test will give you an indication. The test takes 10-15 minutes and is cheap, about £25 http://www.succeedfbt.com/

My boy, who is being scoped tomorrow, looks a picture of health, is on a fibre diet, lives out 24/7 all year and during the winter is on adlib hay.

My concern was the girthing up and he was getting more grumpy. He is an Endurance horse and although for the time of the year re training he seemed alright there were times when he was not going as well.

To treat for Ulcers is easy and it is better to get it sorted now than leave it and have more problems. It is known that in competition horse it can be as high as 60% that have Ulcers.

Try giving him a double handful of Alfa or a good Chaff about 20 minutes before you ride him. This will help the acids in the stomach. I did this on Sunday with my boy and he moved so much better.

What are you feeding your lad.
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He's on baileys no. 17 conditioning mix, hi fi and naf General supplement, I think if he has got them it's due to his hay routine at the yard, which I have never liked, which means he's being left without hay for certain periods of the day, if he does have them I'll be sure to Change it
 
HeyBigSpender said:
Just been doing a lot of research and kind of scaring myself I guess. I'm going to be getting the vet out but was wondering if people had any similar expirences?

I've had my horse for four years, he's now 11 and we've had problems with our eventing, after doing fab in dressage and showjumping, I've schooled him up to novice xc but we can't get around an unaffiliated 80 course, having had a lot of advice, off top riders at clinics, as well as instructors I see to be reliable and expirence the main outcome seems to be, if you want to do it you're going to have to sell him. The problem is his napping, and this only happens within a competition evniroment, I've looked at myself as a rider and got feedback off my instructor with me at competition. So please no training advice, because it's either because he doesn't want to do it or in pain.

I was wondering today, looking it up, he's sensitive in his girth area, bites my feet when were stood still in the school. Last week I had a lot of trouble with his canter, he carried on going disunited on the left rein, and a little on the right, it was hard to send him forwards, which is incredibly uncharacteristic of him. This was also happening on the lunge. For the past two times I've jumped him, we've had stops for no apparent reason, jump was s comfortable size, and I rode him no differently to normal.

Is there a chance of ulcers, something else or is it all just coincidental what do you think? (I'm going to get a vet out, I've checked back, both saddles, teeth)
Click to expand...

Be careful of using this succeed test that's been mentioned. I've known lots of horses scope with grade 3/4 ulcers and its not shown up on the Succeed test.

The only way you can really find out is either to scope him, or do a gastroguard trial. That's assuming they are gastric and not hind gut, as gastroguard won't work on the hind gut and a scoping won't show them there. Some horses improve within 48 hours of gastroguard (its expensive though, just under 30 quid a syringe), some need a full month before any signs of improvement show.

I guess your options are 1) Have him scoped now 2) Try and get some gastroguard from the vet and see if he improves, then scope if he does so you know exactly what grade you are dealing with and where 3) Try him on a very good gut supplement and see if it helps (this will help manage the ulcers, NOT cure them.

The thing is that the signs of ulcers can be so incredibly subtle, my vet had a horse that was just backing off the leg every so slightly. Had really severe ulcers, treated, a million times better. Another could have seriously mild ulcers but be a kicking, biting, colicky wreck.

First thing I would do immediately in the short term is start giving him a small feed before you work him, a scoop of chaff or something. It will help line the stomach and prevent acid splashing around when he's being worked.
 
Michen said:
Be careful of using this succeed test that's been mentioned. I've known lots of horses scope with grade 3/4 ulcers and its not shown up on the Succeed test.

The only way you can really find out is either to scope him, or do a gastroguard trial. That's assuming they are gastric and not hind gut, as gastroguard won't work on the hind gut and a scoping won't show them there. Some horses improve within 48 hours of gastroguard (its expensive though, jusvt under 30 quid a syringe), some need a full month before any signs of improvement show.

I guess your options are 1) Have him scoped now 2) Try and get some gastroguard from the vet and see if he improves, then scope if he does so you know exactly what grade you are dealing with and where 3) Try him on a very good gut supplement and see if it helps (this will help manage the ulcers, NOT cure them.

The thing is that the signs of ulcers can be so incredibly subtle, my vet had a horse that was just backing off the leg every so slightly. Had really severe ulcers, treated, a million times better. Another could have seriously mild ulcers but be a kicking, biting, colicky wreck.

First thing I would do immediately in the short term is start giving him a small feed before you work him, a scoop of chaff or something. It will help line the stomach and prevent acid splashing around when he's being worked.
Click to expand...

Poop test sounds good, someone else suggested to me, I don't know by the sounds of this comment if it's worth just going the whole way and to scope him, I'm looking at selling him at the moment due to his xc problems in competition, so actually if he has got them it might be a good thing if it improves? He's been stupid in his xc competitions for a few years now, Do people think it might be ulcers or learned, it'd be brill if I could just solve it and keep him!!
 
HeyBigSpender said:
Poop test sounds good, someone else suggested to me, I don't know by the sounds of this comment if it's worth just going the whole way and to scope him, I'm looking at selling him at the moment due to his xc problems in competition, so actually if he has got them it might be a good thing if it improves? He's been stupid in his xc competitions for a few years now, Do people think it might be ulcers or learned, it'd be brill if I could just solve it and keep him!!
Click to expand...

Does he chew wood/crib/bite/windsuck, is he sensitive to rugging? Is he grumpy to groom? Does he ride better when he's had hay for a few hours just before? If he schools XC at home nicely, and then is napping when he's out and in a "stressful" environment having travelled etc, I'd say its worth getting him scoped. Is he insured?

edited to say- call your vet and ask re the poo test- I think most say not to bother
 
Michen said:
Does he chew wood/crib/bite/windsuck, is he sensitive to rugging? Is he grumpy to groom? Does he ride better when he's had hay for a few hours just before? If he schools XC at home nicely, and then is napping when he's out and in a "stressful" environment having travelled etc, I'd say its worth getting him scoped. Is he insured?

edited to say- call your vet and ask re the poo test- I think most say not to bother
Click to expand...

He has been seen to crib bite a little bit, I don't want to label him as a 'crib biter' as its not frequent, he doesn't do windsucking with it, he licks a lot, (more before the general supplement) he is insured yes, okay by the sounds of it, Im going to have to ring the vet asap, I don't know what would be the better outcome, if he's got them I hope it 'solves' his xc issues, would be fab :)
 
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