Hi all,
I’m hoping some of you can offer some words of wisdom. I purchased horse from previous trainer and previous trainer and vet always thought horse had ulcers of some sort. Hindgut was suspected as main issue. Horse was never scoped. For over two years, every time horse had behavioral issue (and some were legit like kicking the stall wall frequently, and some could just have been fresh horse), horse was treated aggressively for suspected ulcers. Cost a literal fortune and everything but the kitchen sink was prescribed and supplemented. Horse was living on multiple meds. Behavior was okay but we had no idea what we were treating, and whether it was actually effective in the long run. I also had no idea if meds actually treated the problem and were no longer actually necessary and he was still on them indefinitely just because.
Moved horse to new trainer/barn and her point about his stomach was a sound one: let’s wean him off everything once he settles, scope him, and see what we have. Then, we know what we’re treating definitively, have a baseline, and can manage without spending a fortune on meds that may not be needed. The vets new barn uses are excellent. Management is excellent too. New trainer thought current treatment regimen was rather unorthodox.
Fast forward and he did settle, and we had a few good rides. Now, he’s nearly off all the meds. The only thing he’s on is a stomach acid buffer. And he’s acting like he indeed has ulcers: reactive, doesn’t want your leg on him, sucking back, getting worried when asked for things under saddle, right lead canter is really rough to get and sustain, and he looks tucked up. His back is sore too, which has happened before. He had a stressful change to new barn just because he’s a sensitive soul so no doubt that contributed.
Vet is going to scope him. I have no doubt that vet knows the difference between stomach and hindgut issues and can figure it out. But I feel like I’ve broken my horse in the meantime. And guilty. But I couldn’t keep him on 1-2K worth of meds/month to treat something that I wasn’t even sure we were effectively treating in the first place. I’m also not sure how well behaved he’s going to be while we diagnose and treat this.
Tell me good vet care can fix him and that this was a decent plan?