I really did think we were over and done with being frightened to get on Ace, but I'm right back where I was last October, and it's really depressing. The ranitidine are not (yet) working. He blew out his stomach when I did up the girth today, which he has never done before, so I knew we had problems. I took him indoors because it was raining. I put my foot in the stirrup but as I put my weight into it to mount, he grunted and hunched his back. I went and got my air vest, and for the first time ever I attached it before I mounted. Of course it risks losing a 20 pound cannister if he moves away, but I figured that was better than risking a broken neck.
He was very twitchy as I sat in the saddle and then reared twice, not spectacularly high, before attempting to spin and buck. I managed to stop him bucking and we did some work. He was OK in walk and we did some shoulder in and some travers and a walk half pass in each direction. I tried a little trot and again he bucked but we pushed on through and he trotted a circuit on each rein.
The rain had stopped outside by then so I went out onto the arena and walked him round. He was very calm and relaxed. I tried to trot circles but again he bucked, though I was able to stop him and get him to work properly. I had no intention of cantering but he popped into right canter really easily. He bucked to the left, but again ended with a nice relaxed circle. We stopped then with me feeling lucky to have survived without hitting the floor again.
I can't carry on like this, it is too frightening. I really did not want to get on him this morning. I have doubled the ranitidine and will talk to the vet about putting him on omeprazole. This is so clearly diet related, it came on with a vengenance right after the first two proper days of sunshine.
Radar was vintage radaR. Forty minutes of dash-forward-shrink-back and then some really lovely long and relaxed swinging walk. The boy can do it, he just doesn't want to :-)
C
That certainly doesn't sound like fun. Is it possible to keep him off the grass altogether with your setup so you can keep his diet stable year round?
ReplyDeleteThat's my next option if omeprazole doesn't work, Lynda. It will be a last resort because of the difficulty of keeping two horses on completely different regimes. I would hope that it would only be for the spring though, otherwise I don't think I can cope.
DeleteWhen you keep horses at home, the time when they can be out and don't need feeding twice a day and rug changing is a relief from the stress of winter. I sold Scooby because he was in all the time and I think I would probably make the same decision for Ace.
This is a really severe and sudden reaction and given his introverted and worrier nature I am hopeful that he is simply one of the enormous proportion of horses which have ulcers and the change to his gut with spring grass is hurting them. If I'm lucky, stopping that will stop this behaviour, and then next year I will know to get him on to ulcer meds for the spring as a preventative.
C
I know what you mean, l'm having this problem with Jensen at present he can only tolerate half an hour without getting pulses. Thankfully I rent my own yard so can accommodate it but the extra work and stress is killing me at present. I do hope the omeprazole does the trick
Deletethat would be a plan...
ReplyDeleteI'd be tearing my hair out if I couldn't see a way forward Claire.
DeleteC
Doubt if you read my blog the other day, but I had to get off Tucker and lead him home near the end of a trail ride. He never did really buck, but all the threat and energy was there. I totally understand your predicament. It's downright scary when you know what can happen, even if it doesn't.
ReplyDeleteHopefully Ace's problem will be cured with the proper tummy treatment. Glad you managed to get at least a little work out of him so he doesn't think bad behavior--for whatever the reason--allows him to get out of his responsibilities.
Same with Tucker. After I got back home, I remounted and gave him a good, short but hard session in the arena.
I hate the feeling of having to gather my courage just to mount up. Sending you understanding hugs and all the support I can offer from afar.
I'm sorry Jean I really am bad about reading other blogs at the best of times but without broadband I'm sunk. We are in the local nursery today wondering why nine vans yesterday with teams of men up poles and down holes can't fix some simple bits of wire in more than two weeks.
DeleteDo you keep Tucker on a maintenance dose of omeprazole? I know how much his behaviour improved when you treated him for ulcers.
C
I do not do a maintenance dose, but I am thinking of doing another round of pills with him. He did have a colic episode a couple weeks back and it may have affected him. But he's been good in the arena, so I'm not sure there is an issue.
DeleteThere are many people I've read about on the Internet and a number I've spoken to who swear by keeping their horses on maintenance doses. They say it makes all the difference in the world.
I have much better news today but I can't post it because the editor won't load. I'm going to try again one more time.
DeleteC