Encouraging a horse to neigh ..

[HorseHolist]

@bambam

I will skip the cuing to neigh part and address you ulcer question- the absence of the things you mentioned (losing weight, manure color, acting colicky) does not mean your horse does not have ulcers and unless your horse has been recently scoped there is no way to definitively say he does not have ulcers. Ulcer symptoms manifest themselves in many different ways that make it non-obvious that that is a problem. I had one vet say that any time a horse shows odd behavior at feeding time (whether odd in general or odd for the particular horse) he suspects ulcers and I think this is pretty good rule of thumb.
I have one horse whose only sign of ulcers was acting weird when he was brought in for breakfast (his herd walked up a chute as a herd and then they were led to the barn individually and his only sign was that he would not come up the chute with the rest of the herd like he used to and would wait in the field and then run up a few minutes later). He showed no other signs- ate well, was in good weight and had a healthy coat, normal manure and was otherwise not showing any signs of stress or discomfort- but he started a new behavior at feeding time. The sign my other one gives when he has ulcers is that his spookiness increases exponentially- no other sign.
I forget the actual percentages but studies have consistently found that more than half of riding horses have ulcers when scoped so I would never assume mine don’t.
Also, my horses know that they are not allowed to crowd me when I am dumping their feed in their bucket. I have never hit them or used “violence” as you put it (growling “back up” and/or the evil eye has been sufficient to get the point across), but they have to take a step back from the bucket until I move out of the way. So the fact that he backs off when feed is dumped doesn’t necessarily mean he was abused or that something is wrong.

Pleae understand this I was trying to learn when I asked about the change so don’t just get mad at me
anyway he was checked and nothing wrong with him. So, in summary, when the horse have ucler it’s only sign that you saw was shying from food and abnormal spooking?
Thanks again for the help

[HorseHolist]

@babecakes

Regarding OPs original question it’s probably like trying to teach a cat to be a lap cat that doesn’t want to be one.

Well for me nothing wrong with trying… all we have is time

[HorseHolist]

@WildandWickedWarmbloods

I reward my horses for talking to me. They also talk to each other. It’s just like training a dog. You reward when a dog barks on command. I ask my horses to speak, just as I was taught in doggie obedience school.

Somestimes I do get complaints from my horses, but I encourage them to be vocal, whether friendly or complaining.

Thanks a lot I will try that that when I hear him

[HorseHolist]

@Color of Light

A vet cannot tell if there are ulcers by doing an external exam. A special camera (scope) must be put into their mouth and down their throat to look at their stomach lining. On that lady’s horse with the ulcers, he did not have change in poop color, no weight loss, no dull coat, no behavior changes while being ridden. She said he has always been a very quiet horse who does not show outward signs when something is bothering him. Like what bambam said, the new and odd behavior at feeding time was the dead giveaway. When his feed time behavior suddenly changed after being shipped and moving to a new place, it made sense that it was probably ulcers.

What bambam said about ulcers manifesting in all different ways. Looking at the stomach can be a warning sign of colic, impaction (not drinking enough water, rough hay too stemy), or other GI distress . Every horse is different and ulcers can effect each horse differently. If there is lots of bleeding from the ulcers, the poop can turn almost black. There might be other color changes or poop consistency changes if there is a lot of stomach acid present.

What you are describing sounds completely like a normal horse to me. Is this is the behavior that makes you think he was abused? This is normal behavior and your horse sounds like a normal horse. It’s to be expected that he is trusting of you more than anyone else. Strangers are unpredictable in movement and behavior. If some stranger suddenly came up to one of my horses torturing it by waving or popping open an umbrella at it, they’d high tail it out of there too. If I took the umbrella, they’d just stand there. Some horses build trust much faster than others and some breeds are more sensitive than others. Just like people. Your horse is a TB. They are known for being a hotter and more sensitive breed, not that all are that way.

Has the vet examined your horse’s eye sight?

Well now I just wrote that he was examined by a vet to bambam, but the vet didn’t put anything in his mouth nor a special camera. All what he did was see him at food and looked at his belly and couple of scratch and he said it’s a training thing there is nothing wrong with the way he moved from food, he was trained good thats all. Should i call someone else ??

[HorseHolist]

@TWH Girl

A vet sees your horse every 2-3 weeks when one comes to the barn?? Idk…this one’s a head scratcher for me

I dont see the problem here??

[HorseHolist]

@tazycat

Seriously vet checks your horse every 2 to 3 weeks. I have vet at most maybe 2 times a year,sometimes have a horse colic that requires the vet. But sure not having vet check my horse every 2 to 3 weeks. That’s a bit excessive and costly at that. Like now horse needs teeth floated guess what isn’t gonna happen,anytime soon.

It’s not excessive nor a costly… i don’t know about you but it’s usually not a big deal if the horse has nothing wrong with him and no xrays no anything else. No vet charged me to take a look at my horse. I really don’t see whats the problem here and also person who commented above i guess he agree with you

[bambam]

@HorseHolist

Pleae understand this I was trying to learn when I asked about the change so don’t just get mad at me
anyway he was checked and nothing wrong with him. So, in summary, when the horse have ucler it’s only sign that you saw was shying from food and abnormal spooking?
Thanks again for the help

Not mad- was just providing information
Yes, the only sign with one horse was his weird behavior coming up the chute for breakfast and with the other one one the only sign was an increase in spookiness (which is not an uncommon sign actually). In every other way they acted normally and looked healthy.
If your vet didn’t scope your horse as Color of Light described, he does not know if he has ulcers or not. Examining his belly externally or looking at how he eats is not going to tell you whether he has ulcers. Asking about behavior, observing him and an exam might give some indication but any vet who says definitively your horse does not have ulcers without doing a scope is not a vet I would use. Now if the vet said nothing you told him makes him think he might have ulcers, that is different. But if he said after observing your horse “he doesn’t have ulcers” I would not have much confidence in him.

[TWH_Girl]

This entire thread is just strange. Just really strange…I am befuzzled at this entire topic and OP’s responses.

[tazycat]

@TWH Girl

This entire thread is just strange. Just really strange…I am befuzzled at this entire topic and OP’s responses.

Sure is a strange thread, glad i’m not only one who thought that. Guessing it’s a young kid reponses sound immature.

[candyappy]

@TWH Girl

This entire thread is just strange. Just really strange…I am befuzzled at this entire topic and OP’s responses.

So am I. OP is very good about quoting and responding to every post though…

[candyappy]

@tazycat

Like now horse needs teeth floated guess what isn’t gonna happen,anytime soon.

Why??

[Abbie.S]

@TWH Girl

This entire thread is just strange. Just really strange…I am befuzzled at this entire topic and OP’s responses.

I am going to venture a guess that this OP is young and not from the United States.

OP, yes, you need to have someone else come out if this vet comes and looks at your horse, watches him eat and declares he couldn’t possibly have ulcers and there is nothing wrong with him. Watching a horse eat is not a diagnostic test for ulcers.

Like people, horses with ulcers can act in all sorts of ways. The symptoms can vary greatly between individuals.

As an aside, I think people are confused and baffled by the “my horse is seen by a vet every couple weeks” comment because to do that in the United States would be expensive. Very few vets would look at a horse without a farm call or consult fee. No need to see a horse every month, or more, unless something is actively wrong.

[HorseHolist]

@TWH Girl

This entire thread is just strange. Just really strange…I am befuzzled at this entire topic and OP’s responses.

Yeah all i asked for was I wanted to teach my horse to neigh on cue

[HorseHolist]

@tazycat

Sure is a strange thread, glad i’m not only one who thought that. Guessing it’s a young kid reponses sound immature.

Well, i don’t need to argue with everyone to show how mature i am i came to learn from mature people like you

[HorseHolist]

@Abbie.S

I am going to venture a guess that this OP is young and not from the United States.

OP, yes, you need to have someone else come out if this vet comes and looks at your horse, watches him eat and declares he couldn’t possibly have ulcers and there is nothing wrong with him. Watching a horse eat is not a diagnostic test for ulcers.

Like people, horses with ulcers can act in all sorts of ways. The symptoms can vary greatly between individuals.

As an aside, I think people are confused and baffled by the “my horse is seen by a vet every couple weeks” comment because to do that in the United States would be expensive. Very few vets would look at a horse without a farm call or consult fee. No need to see a horse every month, or more, unless something is actively wrong.

I understand that now. No it only cost me some chit chat and a beer sometimes or an espresso from the machine for a farrier to check the feet… Sure thing what you are saying is correct but there is nothing wrong if the vet is hanging out with us and he take 5 10 minutes looking at our horses troting and walking or eyes and teeth pretty much just someone more experienced than me looking at my horse. When there is something wrong thats another case though. And yes I know, teeth = dentist before someone jump on me and kills me i do it once a year.
For uclers, I took an appointment next Thursday, anyway thanks for the new information and time.

[HorseHolist]

@bambam

Not mad- was just providing information
Yes, the only sign with one horse was his weird behavior coming up the chute for breakfast and with the other one one the only sign was an increase in spookiness (which is not an uncommon sign actually). In every other way they acted normally and looked healthy.
If your vet didn’t scope your horse as Color of Light described, he does not know if he has ulcers or not. Examining his belly externally or looking at how he eats is not going to tell you whether he has ulcers. Asking about behavior, observing him and an exam might give some indication but any vet who says definitively your horse does not have ulcers without doing a scope is not a vet I would use. Now if the vet said nothing you told him makes him think he might have ulcers, that is different. But if he said after observing your horse “he doesn’t have ulcers” I would not have much confidence in him.

Well, now thanks to you I don’t either. I already called someone else for that. I wanted to change him long time ago when he offered to do his teeth but now I will try to do some extra research about uclers with horses if everything mentioned above is correct for sure I will not deal with him at all.
thank you for the uclers info, it’s a new thing that I never know before…

[Color_of_Light]

@HorseHolist

Well, now thanks to you I don’t either. I already called someone else for that. I wanted to change him long time ago when he offered to do his teeth but now I will try to do some extra research about uclers with horses if everything mentioned above is correct for sure I will not deal with him at all.
thank you for the uclers info, it’s a new thing that I never know before…

You’re welcome. Thanks bambam for helping explain it. The vet will be using a scope, right, not just tinkering around and looking at him from the outside? I’m surprised the vet that looks at him every 2-3 weeks he didn’t think of the obvious possibility of ulcers, or that other horse people didn’t know about ulcers either.

[Scribbler]

@HorseHolist

I understand that now. No it only cost me some chit chat and a beer sometimes or an espresso from the machine for a farrier to check the feet… Sure thing what you are saying is correct but there is nothing wrong if the vet is hanging out with us and he take 5 10 minutes looking at our horses troting and walking or eyes and teeth pretty much just someone more experienced than me looking at my horse. When there is something wrong thats another case though. And yes I know, teeth = dentist before someone jump on me and kills me i do it once a year.
For uclers, I took an appointment next Thursday, anyway thanks for the new information and time.

If I ask my vet a question while he is down visiting another horse and he actually enters my stall to see the horse guaranteed I get a bill for consultation!

[eclipse]

I don’t think they can yet scope for ulcers without being in the clinic can they? I didn’t think they have small enough machines as of yet, so op, you should call and ask as you may have to trailer your horse in! When my guy was under treatment with monthly scopes, it was a trip to the vets every time with no feed for 12 to 24 hours prior to the scope. They have to have an empty stomach for the scope so I preferred to take him a day early so they could monitor him as well as it’s not easy on them!

[bambam]

Can be done at the barn if the vet has the equipment.