The new shoes did make a little bit of a difference in Reiss, but not enough. So I am thinking that maybe his stomach is bothering him. When I put the girth on and need to tighten it he has been reacting more than usual.
Reiss is already on supplements for his stomach and gut to help prevent colic but it could still be bothering him. So, for the next week I am going to give him a dose of Ulcergard each day.
Ulcergard issued to help prevent and treat ulcers in horses. It comes in paste form and has four doses per tube of paste. A lot of people give it to their horses during high stress situations and when showing. A change to a horse’s schedule can cause them to colic. Colic is very serious and can lead to death.
Colic is defined by any stomach or abdominal pain. Unlike people, horses and cannot vomit because of the length of their esophagus. So, if something bothers their stomach,they have no other option than to poop it out. Colic is very painful and it is a terrible thing to watch. A horses gastrointestinal system becomes swollen and the organs get shifted around and sometimes the organs with twist around each other. Some horses need surgery and some do not. But once your horse colic’s they are more prone to colic again.
My trainer uses Ulcergard for her horses too and she suggested try it for a full week. She agrees that it makes a difference in a horse’s stomach. I have used it in the past for my other horse because he had trouble with ulcers and stomach pain when we first got him. After Reiss had his first colic with me the vet suggested we use one dose a week or a double dose every two weeks.
The location of where our leg sits when we ride and the need to squeeze our legs to get them to move if their stomach is bothering them, they will react to increased leg pressure.
Horse Sense 