Covering Bases

One of the things that I enjoyed so much about the clinic I keep going on about was how much it encompassed. It wasn't just a riding clinic, it was a bodywork clinic too. And horse care was a big subject too. So we'd learn about where horses had bodywork issues and then how to address them undersaddle, but also how nutrition may play a role in that as well. 

The first horse was really cool, a totally different type from TC so I initially wasn't sure how much I'd learn. But as the horse was led around, I noticed that he and TC had similar hind legs in the swing phase of the walk. TC has had this weird thing going on in his hind end this last year and a half. Both of my vets think he's totally sound, and he is, but there's a way he swings his legs under him that are different from other horses. 

I'm so excited about this

A few minutes into working on the horse, the clinician and the organizer agreed that the horse probably had hind gut ulcers. The organizer then just kind of explained some of the signs. The way the horse moved behind, tracking left the horse appeared to be in a better balance but wasn't as rideable, it was hard to get the horse to bend (especially right), the horse had had foregut ulcers and was treated with omeprazole... signs of ulcers without having foregut ulcers (anymore). 

That's TC. That's all TC. We treated for stomach ulcers with omeprazole a year ago and he didn't change enough for me to feel like that was what was going on. But what about hind gut ulcers? Maybe he's had those all along? Or since the omeprazole?

I wasn't the only one thinking these things listening to them talk, Kate and I were gripping each others' arms while listening. Like that's TC! 

The idea of doing another expensive ulcer treatment with no way of knowing if it's worth it sounded like a bad time. I spent a large amount of money on 30 days of omeprazole last year... but I spoke with the organizer and the treatment is insanely affordable (Abler) in comparison to gastroguard. I ordered 60 days of treatment for $400, which included paying a little extra to have it last week. I figure I want him done with the treatment by December 1st just in case we move barns for the winter. 

Still struggling with the psoas brachiocephalicus
relationship to the right, and that's where his neck
pain is, the right side around C5-C6

The organizer also recommended an herbal gut supplement (TummyBCalm). The treatment for the ulcers is ideally given 3-4x/day at 6-8 hour increments. That's definitely somewhat more possible with TC being at the ranch because he can get at least two treatments a fair amount of time apart and I can probably do the third treatment midday depending on my work schedule. But there will be some time overnight where the treatment isn't working. The treatment only works for 6-8 hours. But she said that the gut supplement would help keep the ulcers from reforming too aggressively when the medication wears off. That plus a diet change (which TC is already on lol) helps most of her horses recover quickly and effectively. 

I figure there's no harm in treating him. The organizer says she does it with a lot of new horses coming into her barn. It's not as expensive as the gastroguard so that's a big win. And at this point it's less than what I pay a month for lessons and I didn't take any lessons in September! It's good to cover all my bases, I think we're on the right path but I will kick myself if we discover later that he's had hind gut ulcers and I didn't treat them the first moment I thought of it. 

I'll be getting more media this week hopefully!

It could explain why I didn't see a huge change after the stomach ulcer treatment, his coat has been better but it's not perfect yet, he's still not got a great topline on him... all of that could be easily explained by the fact that he's always had a little courser hair (his legs are super wiry, it's the friesian, the stallion I rode years ago never had a super soft coat) and that he's not actually been taught to engage his pecs to carry himself in a way that WILL build his topline... but it also could be that he has hind gut ulcers! So we'll see. I don't know what to hope for but it can't hurt to try!