Hi! I have a 16 y/o Arab Mare who has ulcers. We’ve been treating her for around a month now and she’s been eating way more hay, gaining weight, and is less girthy. So, her ulcers must be getting better, right?
However, she has been getting extremely strong during rides, which isn’t a problem, I can handle that. But, she also has been bucking…a lot. (She has bucked 13 times in our last 3 rides) She’s never had this problem, so I’ve been pondering the fact that either she’s just happy because her ulcers are no longer bothering her, or if she’s in pain because they’ve gotten worse. She only bucks when I ask her to slow down, in which she will pin her ears & buck. It’s just been really frustrating and I would like to have her back to her usual self as soon as possible.
Sorry if this thread sounds stupid…I just have no experience with ulcers and just want to make sure that this is no cause for concern, or if I need to call out the vet.
How does her saddle fit?
Some horses, no matter the ulcer arsenal thrown their way, wont improve if their maintenance isn’t adjusted: full 24/7, roundbale lifestyle is best for those horses. I had one in our care (boarder) that was on UG, GG, ranitidine, sulcralfates, and aloe vera and he got worse. Unfortunately owner doesn’t want him outside full time (it’ll bleach his coat!) so he’s still kicking along and still has ulcers…
How does her saddle fit?
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Her saddle fits well, & her teeth were just done (just for reference) But I’ve tried other saddles on her, too, and she still has the bucking problem without a saddle as well. (with a super padded bareback pad of course)
[QUOTE=iamanequestrian;8633677]
How does her saddle fit?
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Her saddle fits well, & her teeth were just done (just for reference) But I’ve tried other saddles on her, too, and she still has the bucking problem without a saddle as well. (with a super padded bareback pad of course)[/QUOTE]
When you say well: this means you had a saddle fitter come out and ascertain the fit, and it has been reflocked or adjusted in the past few months? IME repeated bucking is usually back related, more often than not the saddle. Bucking with other saddles doesn’t mean her back doesn’t hurt - if the saddle you normally ride in doesn’t fit that well she may have residual trauma and that doesn’t go away just because you switch out saddles.
The only way to know the status of the ulcers is to scope the horse’s stomach. If it’s clean, you know the problem lies elsewhere and you can focus attention and resources in other areas.
