Why is my yearling windsucking?

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MILLGREENLADY

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He is turned out with his 3 year old sister they are out all the time. Have hard feed twice a day and a massive mineral lick he has grown so much and is looking scrawney and lankey he has been wormed. None of the other horses windsuck ! how could he have picked it up he has company and is in a big field ?? surgestions please do you think he will stop it do we put a colar on him already ?
 
One of the most common reasons horses windsuck is through boredom. Apparently, according to what I have read in the past anyway. Do you do any ground work etc with him? He may just need something to occupy him for a bit?
 
Sorry, no help at all....but you did make me laugh. I read this as "windsurfing" :) Now that is a lovely image!

Hope you get some sensible people on here giving you some useful replies. x
 
I'd cut out the hard feed completely. Feed adlib hay. You should see some improvement within 10 days are more improvement within a month.
 
Youngsters getting hard feed but not add lib hay? Suggests ulcers and of course if you dont knock it on the head asap you'll have a life time habit developed that is almost impossible to break.

If mine, they wouldn't be getting hard feed, they'd be getting plenty of decent quality forage and that would keep them occupied. If still bored then i'd consider doing some ground work to occupy the brain.

Of course if you have ulcers it may not be that simple and you may need the vet along with a change in diet.
I really depends on how far things have gone.
 
sounds like ulcers to me :)

Windsucking is a classic sign as it helps to soothe the pain, and the fact that he's turned out with company suggests it isn't caused by boredom. Combined with the fact he's scrawny and lacking condition this would be my bet. Also youngsters are in the high risk group for some reason.

If it is ulcers then depending on the severity he may need a course of gastroguard, then careful management. The general advice is ad lib hay if the grass is poor or they are stabled, and a high fibre diet. If you are feeding hard feed it should be split into three or if possible four feeds a day and basically just Alfa-A and a few cubes or similar.

I would get the vet out and have him scoped, if you catch it and treat it now you might prevent it becoming a life long habit :)
 
Horsesforever1 said:
I'd cut out the hard feed completely. Feed adlib hay. You should see some improvement within 10 days are more improvement within a month.
Click to expand...

Ulcers need treating to resolve if he was mine I would be looking at a gastroscope or if your vet would aggree treating with gastrguard without the scopeing and seeing if he improved.
He's unlikely to thrive with ulcers.
 
Goldenstar said:
Ulcers need treating to resolve if he was mine I would be looking at a gastroscope or if your vet would aggree treating with gastrguard without the scopeing and seeing if he improved.
He's unlikely to thrive with ulcers.
Click to expand...

according to my vet the insurance companies will no longer authorise a gastroguard trial without scoping first, so we scoped my boy. Might vary between insurers though. I'm please we did as he has been diagnosed with ulcers which are now being treated. His symptoms were pretty vague and not very obvious, I just had a 'feeling' something wasn't right so pushed the issue with the vet - glad I did! With symptoms like your boy has I'd definitely be getting him scoped. He shouldn't be underweight on two feed a day and ad lib hay.
 
Another vote for cutting out hard feed. It is worth a try at least, and better that a youngster grows too slowly than too fast.
 
was he out 24/7 over winter too? Or stabled? Either it's something he's developed from anxiety of separation from a particular field mate or the herd in general, or as others have said gastric ulcers, It maybe the hard feed he's on is causing a severe starch reaction? Don't worry too much about looking scrawny, he's a yearling, they are supposed to look like that, the more feed you pile in the more he'll use it to grow, and then you'll have growth issues too! I used saracen equijewel with some readi grass which worked for him when he looked particularly ribby. Watch out with Alfa A too as this (certainly used to unless they've changed the formula) has quite a high mollases content.

I'd get him scoped, and look at the feed you're using, speak to some feed companies and ask about low starch feeds if he really does need hard feed ontop of adlib hay, or change to adlib haylage instead?

This link is quite interesting: http://www.allenandpage.com/Healthcare-and-Advice/Articles-Gastric-Ulcers/Gastric-Ulcers.aspx
 
I'm not sure on this one, if he has ab lib hay, plenty off grass, turned out with friends I don't understand the windsucking.
Youngsters get growth spurts and will go leggy and lost weight as they shoot up so that wouldn't worry me.
Feed wise I'm going against the grain here, I personally wouldn't stop feeding, depending what breed he is? Tb or pony? I don't like feeding cereal I must say due to starch levels so we feed the tbs stud nuts but I wouldn't cut the feed out.
Sorry not much help but it does sound like ulcers but can't see how a youngster would get ulcers from ad lib hay, 24/7 turn out.
Will watch this with interest
 
The only thing I can think is the starch in the feed.
I wouldn't say from what you have said he is a typical exambple to get ulcers .
At lib hay
24/7 turn out
so he has plenty off fibre going through the stomach as he's not stabled either to run out.
Has friends to play with
I'm not covinced on ulcers but something is amiss, the windsucking is tpyical off ulcers but his life style wouldn't point to them! I will be interested for a follow up on this after u get him sorted out off interest.
 
Just a after thought,
how longs he been doing it?
How was he weaned?

Just a thought as iv seen youngsters windsuck who were weaned by just taking their mum away and found it to stressful, I know he's a yearling but how long /when did he start.
We like to wean natually, we don't take the mums away we wait until they have been pushed away from mum than we get no shouting no screaming like some studs iv worked at.
 
It could be something in the feed that is making him feel uncomfortable? Not nessecarily ulcers, but maybe irritated?
It could be worth while contacting the feed companies you use, and seeing what they think?
 
While you do need to check for ulcers and get the vet to give him the once over sometimes there is no reason for windsucking, some horses are predisposed to doing it. Certainly condition wise if the vets give him the all clear I would try a very high fibre diet with sure grow, but sometimes only grass will really pick them up.
 
my boys always done it. hes an ex racer, so the main cause he started was probably gastric ulcers, boredom and stress. id get the vet out, just to see if he has any idea. hi fibre diets are really good for windsuckers, and linseed oil, my boy has thrived on both :)
 
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