My gelding is extremely sensitive to the touch and we've ruled out most suggestions..

[Malter]

[QUOTE=Angela Freda;8536612]
Previcoxx?[/QUOTE]

My current vet wont prescribe something for anything that hasn’t been diagnosed. No chance of getting Previcoxx since the vet can’t seem to come up with a reason as to why he’s like this. Bute test can be done without an prescription since I’ve already got it. Still, I haven’t even decided if I’m going to do the bute trial. I have been waiting to hear back from my flaky I-dont-know-whats-wrong vet, and am looking into an alternative vet, frankly as we speak.

digihorse–
Hind gut was one of the things I wondered at the beginning of this thread, and is still a valid possibility. He does receive ample amounts of hay, always has it in front of him. (but I do know that if he is having issues that often hay can cause pain to the hind gut as it passes through)

He tried MagRestore for about a month after I heard through the grape vine here, and per the company’s directions, we stopped after a month because there was absolutely no difference.

This horse doesn’t really care to go anywhere fast. His skin jumpy issue does not correlate to his temperament under saddle or on the ground in any other way. He prefers the slow and steady life these days. He has ample opportunities to open himself up during turnout, and has also been asked to move out into a hand gallop under saddle. While he willingly allows it, it’s not his favorite gait, and it certainly doesn’t help with his sensitivity, sadly! I’ve been taught thanks to Thoroughbreds past, that a hand gallop is a nice little release and reward for an OTTB, so I don’t discredit your advice on that, but it doesn’t do much for him in terms of sensitivity or resistance.

[digihorse]

You can’t get a result on the MagRestore in a month. Takes at least 3, and I would give it 6. And if you were giving any ulcer meds at the same time, you were defeating yourself.

Yes… if their hind gut is angry, then they tend to not eat as well. The getting them moving isn’t about the sensitivity… its about getting their bodies to a “happy” place. Mine doesn’t move at first either. It used to take about 20 minutes of pushing to get him to just trot on. Once he gets the diesel engine going, THEN he starts to run and really play. Other wise… no… he just hangs hangs out.

Oat Flour contains the betaglucan that is used in Succeed at a much cheaper price. You can get 50lbs from Honeyville for about $55. It stores for a year or more in a plastic container. I find that if I don’t give it, after about 3 weeks the pony starts to get more “reactive” in his responses. Does your horse have a noisey right side? If mine gets soy, or beet pulp or any processed feeds, his hindgut sounds like it has a grizzly bear trapped in there… and his pissyness goes up accordingly. Quite gut (normal sounds only)… happy pony.

[IPEsq]

A test for hind gut ulcers is to do a week or two trial of Sucralfate. Fairly cheap and doesn’t require a diet change. It does require a prescription.

[Malter]

[QUOTE=digihorse;8536797]
You can’t get a result on the MagRestore in a month. Takes at least 3, and I would give it 6. And if you were giving any ulcer meds at the same time, you were defeating yourself.

Yes… if their hind gut is angry, then they tend to not eat as well. The getting them moving isn’t about the sensitivity… its about getting their bodies to a “happy” place. Mine doesn’t move at first either. It used to take about 20 minutes of pushing to get him to just trot on. Once he gets the diesel engine going, THEN he starts to run and really play. Other wise… no… he just hangs hangs out.

Oat Flour contains the betaglucan that is used in Succeed at a much cheaper price. You can get 50lbs from Honeyville for about $55. It stores for a year or more in a plastic container. I find that if I don’t give it, after about 3 weeks the pony starts to get more “reactive” in his responses. Does your horse have a noisey right side? If mine gets soy, or beet pulp or any processed feeds, his hindgut sounds like it has a grizzly bear trapped in there… and his pissyness goes up accordingly. Quite gut (normal sounds only)… happy pony.[/QUOTE]

Happy Dance now I feel like I’m getting somewhere. If you check my OP, hind gut was one of the thoughts I had, but other people chimed in with some very reasonable other ideas. Now I’m starting to get back on the hind gut train again. It’s funny you mention the noisy right side. Very noisy. Sounds like he’s been starving all day long and he’s got a grumbling angry something going on in there. I’d be happy to try oat flour for him. Adding onto what IPEsq said, I believe Abler sells granules similar to those blue pop rocks in Sucralfate form now. If my vet refuses, I could always go that route. Of course, I’d rather the vet just be on board. I keep knocking him, but he’s just clueless more than he is against me. Still waiting for a call back from him. I’m probably going to make my next call to the receptionist to have my horse’s records sent to me so that I can get in with a different vet who is maybe more cut out for these types of issues.

I’d be happy to put him back on mag for a few months. I got concerned when the website was saying that if no noticeable improvement appeared after 30 days, to discontinue use or risk over supplementing. IN the same paragraph it does say some horses require a much larger dose. I didn’t know how to process that information and just chose to stop using it. Perhaps I need to reconsider.

[Angela_Freda]

[QUOTE=Malter;8536671]
My current vet wont prescribe something for anything that hasn’t been diagnosed. No chance of getting Previcoxx since the vet can’t seem to come up with a reason as to why he’s like this. Bute test can be done without an prescription since I’ve already got it. Still, I haven’t even decided if I’m going to do the bute trial. I have been waiting to hear back from my flaky I-dont-know-whats-wrong vet, and am looking into an alternative vet, frankly as we speak. .[/QUOTE]

Wow, I guess I will thank my Vets for understanding, diagnosed or not, pain needs treating, sometimes with an Rx med.

[poltroon]

After reading this thread about Onchocerca and seeing that you’re in South Florida, for something as slippery yet clearly bothersome as this, I’d suggest trying two doses of ivermectin a month apart with your vet’s OK. It shouldn’t hurt him, it’s inexpensive, and maybe there’s some sort of inapparent parasite issue that it can resolve (not necessarily/only onchocerca).

[digihorse]

I’ll bet he also doesn’t like the girth so much either… or to be groomed in the right girth groove?

That extreme noise in the gut is not a good thing. And most of what was recommended didn’t help. Pulling him off all of the processed feeds and going to straight whole oats and alfalfa and as much grass hay as he will eat was the ticket. He gets the oats and oat flour and some brewer’s yeast with good alfalfa pellets. No other supplements or fillers. Once I got the hind gut under complete control, I could remove the MagRestore.

My guy also does not like short girths. So I use a long one instead. I think these horses are just always going to be a bit more sensitive to hindgut issues. It seem manageable. You just have to pay attention.

[IPEsq]

Now you’ve added gas rumbles in the gut, go with Sucralfate and something like EquiShure. Sucralfate soothes irritation but EquiShure helps with the digestive aspect behind the hind gut issues. I will note, however, that while EquiShure makes a big difference in my horse’s digestion and helps cut down on that gassiness, it made no change in his touch sensitivity, although since he has been on stall rest, he enjoys some massaging type touch around the flanks which helps him pass that gas he has and can’t pass as easily as if he was getting normal daily activity.

I think it is still going to take time to work through his grooming issues even after you make him as comfortable as possible. I’ve groomed a lot of OTTBs!

[NMK]

I had an OTTB that would become hot and sensitive when he ate alfalfa hay. I sold him, and it got worse, until he broke out in hives one day. He was returned to me. After a serious of deductions we figured it out–he was fed Safe Choice, which had alfalfa meal. Take him off all the alfalfa and check your grain to be sure it’s not there too. Horse went on to become a nice little packer for someone who doesn’t feed him alfalfa of any sort.

[Palm_Beach]

OP, you seemed to have exhausted every physical cause for your horse’s behavior which makes me think that he has your number and is playing you. Stop making excuses for him and teach him some manners. You try to touch him, he acts out, you back off. Sometimes you punish him, but it is not working to extinguish the undesired behavior. Personally, I don’t think “getting after” a horse does much to teach them anything.

Have you gone through a program of ground work to include sacking out and touching him all over with a rope and plastic bag? I’d progress to a curry comb after that. I had a mare who was super sensitive about touching, and would kick out when tacking up. Now she loves being groomed, belly flanks and all.

[Joziegirl]

I just came across this thread, does the OP have an update? Would love to know if you figured it out.

[foxhunter419]

Bless your heart, OP. I too have a sensitive OTTB. I’ve had him for 2 years and even thought it’s vacillates between meh and OMG, don’t touch me, it’s never really gone away. Had him scoped (beautiful belly), treated for possible EMP (33% likelyhood), treated for some darn tick born illness that was not Lyme, changed saddles to a great fit, got a thinline pad, had the chiropractics done, been on Magrestore for months …still touchy. LOL. I am now overhauling diet and adding Vit E. If this doesn’t work, he’s going for a full scale eval at some freaking college or something in the next few weeks.

[silverdog]

Interesting. My horse is on and off sensitive but mostly to left side. Violent today at a show. I live 15 minutes from the show grounds so take him home each day when he is finished showing to help reduce his stress. He has suspected hind gut issues due to noisy gut and being off his grass hay. Has been on Succeed which I don’t think helped much, just started Equishure and has been on UlcerGard for a few months. Stopping that next week long taper). I have tried MagRestore with no improvement. He is also on U7 for the transition off the ulcergard. He does not object to being girthed. Does have Kissing Spine which was surgically corrected. His massage therapist subscribes to the nerve end sensitivity theory and thinks it would be interesting to try Neurontin on him. Has a show next weekend (should be a less stressful environment for him than this past one) and will see about starting that after that. Is there anyone out there that has actual experience with Neurontin on horses and nerve pain? Going to vet today so will ask about some blood work including Selenium and Vit. E. Glad I am not the only one.

[Palm_Beach]

[QUOTE=Malter;8534240]
I did try MagRestore at recommended loading dose for 30 days with absolutely no change.

He’s been off the track since April 2015 and I’ve had him since then as well. The issue has been there since day 1. He was treated with gastroguard for 30 days with a taper off at that time, and again I treated him with another round a few weeks ago. No change on the treatment or after. He’s got mildly loose manure, not balls of poop as normal, but is on a high alfalfa diet. (The alfalfa doesn’t make a difference to his skin jumpiness either. He’s been on both full grain and full alfalfa and a mix in between diet and the symptoms have always been there).

The chircopractor was out last night, and says he’s fine as far as she can feel, see, tell. His back was very mildly out, but nothing to write home about. She thinks it’s his “quirky personality” but I just don’t buy that he should naturally be this sensitive.[/QUOTE]

Yes, he has your number. It’s behavioral.

[Palm_Beach]

[QUOTE=Angela Freda;8537015]
Wow, I guess I will thank my Vets for understanding, diagnosed or not, pain needs treating, sometimes with an Rx med.[/QUOTE]

Wrong, that is not an accepted medical practice. I think the vet can see that the horse has her number and just needs training.

[Palm_Beach]

Here is the thread on hind gut ulcers where Dr. Kellon states that touchiness is not a symptom of hind gut ulcers.

http://www.chronofhorse.com/forum/showthread.php?488767-No-such-thing-as-hind-gut-ulcer-syndrome

“Despite all this, even horses on predominantly or entirely hay diets are being diagnosed with hind gut ulcers based on vague and totally nonspecific symptoms such as not liking their flanks touched or dragging their toes. They are being treated with the goal of neutralizing acidity in their hind gut. Some are even given medications used to stop acid secretion in the stomach despite the fact there are no acid secreting cells in the hind gut. One extremely pricey supplement contains only low doses of ingredients that would be digested and absorbed before they reached the hind gut.”