# Mare showing signs of pain, any other thoughts?



## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

I have had my 9 y/o silver dapple mare, Whinney, ever since she was a 5 month old weanling. She has always been the in your face, give me a cookie, pet me all over kind of horse. Lately she is cranky, leave me alone, do not touch me anywhere other than my neck and face. When you touch her near her flank and ribs she swishes her tail and turns with beared teeth and flinches. I am honestly thinking ulcers. I have rubbed and pushed everywhere on this mare and other than some already diagnosed arthritis in a rear ankle (from a previous injury) that is being maintained on supplements and not causing her pain now, I can not find anything! I am personally down to ulcers with her being this way. Her flank is the most sensitive area when you touch her. She is still very in my face and wants a treat but prefers I not touch her other than her face and neck. Shoulders back is off limits. I am getting two horses gelded on the 19th of this month, so she will also be seeing the vet then. 

Does anyone have any other ideas? I am about to put her on a ranitidine regimine and see if she changes any cause I already have it on hand and asked the vet earlier on the phone and he said it is worth a try. Might save us some hassle by the time he comes out.


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## CLaPorte432 (Jan 3, 2012)

I'm thinking ulcers as well.


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## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

I have been out in the barn half the night fretting over this now and I kept running my fingers down her spine and hips and there is one spot, fingertip in size, that I get a reaction from *sometimes* just a little less than halfway from her withers to her hips. She will just toss her head up a tad bit, hardly noticeable, and she does not do it everytime. Might also be because I have been bugging her half the night and she wants left alone. I am going to now call the chiro tomorrow and see if they can get her in before the vet comes to geld the boys on the 19th. I would much rather find out she is out of alignment because she does like to pull some crazy moves out in the pasture with her buddies than to find out she has ulcers. I have 2 already that came to me with the ulcers and already am trying to get that taken care of. The omeprazole came today in the mail for them, so yay on that much! Honestly other than the flank and stomach areas being touchy, I do not see any other symptoms of ulcers. She is downright fat right now, actually got put on a diet this week. Easy keeper and always has been, never coliced and normal gut sounds. I am really leaning towards chiro or massage problems now.
Obviously I have probably spent way to much time thinking on this now and that is bad when there is no one to get a hold of that can come look at her.

Now I know I am not going to get any sleep, this is bugging me!


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## yourcolorfuladdiction (Feb 19, 2012)

I would suggest, if she already has bad ulcers, giving her a weeks worth of ulcergard before using the ranitidine as you may get better results. Although ulcergard is expensive, but I believe unlike gastrogard it's OTC.

That was what was suggested to me when I was worried about my pony (a week of gastrogard and then a daily ulcer feed supplement or in your case since you already have ranitidine available I'd use that). It should help quite a bit if it is ulcers and you should see drastic improvement. The only SURE way of diagnosing ulcers is to scope of course. But gastrogard or ulcergard is what the vets usually recommend, we had a horse who almost had bleeding ulcers and he was on that stuff for a month.


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## yourcolorfuladdiction (Feb 19, 2012)

Lol oh yeah, and relax, don't give yourself ulcers!!!!


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## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

I do also have the omeprazole here because I am running a treatment on the other two that came to me with them. I am going to see when the chiro can look at her and then if they find nothing, try the omeprazole until the vet can check her out.


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## yourcolorfuladdiction (Feb 19, 2012)

Sounds good  hopefully that works for them (Prilosec and I didn't get along lol) I hope your mare feels better I know how stressful it is when you horse isn't feeling well


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## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

Hoping the chiro can see her sometime this coming week. Even if I have to load her up and take her there. I will at least feel a little more at ease then. I am going to try to get some sleep. I am going to bother her some more in the morning and see if I can get her to do the same with her back again. Thanks yourcolorfuladdiction, I will probably need to give myself a dose of omeprazole paste by tomorrow morning. LOL


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## yourcolorfuladdiction (Feb 19, 2012)

Lol yeah really! You're welcome. You can also try looking at the book "beating muscle injuries for horses" it's got very good massage techniques if she's prone to partying hearty in the pasture. It migh also help keep the muscles looser longer around the chiropractic adjustment so the chiro doesn't have to visit as often if it is a chiro issue. I'd wait a week after chiro to massage though because they will be sore after adjustments and will falsely react to spots, and you also don't want to move the freshly adjusted bones back out of place  but I love that book and those techniques, they've helped my pony with things like soreness from bad fitting saddles (went through lots of those) or when she plays hard in the pasture or kicks at the boys.


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## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

I have called around and talked to several about Whinney and I have the equine massage lady coming out either later today or Sunday to work on her and see what she thinks about her being seen by the chiro. The chiro can not see her till the 31 of March and I have to take her all the way to Alexandria, KY. Oh why do horses just not learn to talk and say hey, my back hurts!


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## Rowdy Girl (Aug 1, 2011)

minihorse927 said:


> I have called around and talked to several about Whinney and I have the equine massage lady coming out either later today or Sunday to work on her and see what she thinks about her being seen by the chiro. The chiro can not see her till the 31 of March and I have to take her all the way to Alexandria, KY. Oh why do horses just not learn to talk and say hey, my back hurts!


 I was going to suggest this...and maybe some " red light " Therapy as well....

I have had great success with the above.........be looking for updates and hope Whinny is feeling better soon !


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## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

Well after all the craziness of those storms, we decided Sunday is our best option. She is coming around noon. So here's to hoping Whinney is her happy self again soon!


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I hope she's just testing her dominance with you and that there's nothing wrong. That is a possibility as she's been in with two colts whom I'm sure she's been bossing around.


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## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

She has not been in with those two colts, they do not get turned out with her at all. She does go out with the other mares though and she likes to play rough and I have seen her slip and fall in the past. Plus she likes to get into kicking matches with one of the other horses outside to prove she is boss.


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## minihorse927 (Aug 11, 2008)

Well, Whinney got her full body massage and after being able to have someone else walk her so I could see how she is tracking in the hind end, she is sore on the hind left mostly. She has some other sore spots also but we believe the majority of it is being cause by her compensation for the sore area. I can not remember all those muscle names but the entire left side from mid ribs back to her tail, below the hip is sore in varying degrees. Right in front of the hip where her flank and down under her belly is the worst. She was telling me this time of year these injuries are common from horses playing in the mud or being worked in the mud. I have not been working any horses here but she has been turned out quite a bit with the other mares and they do like to play chase and kick and buck. I am going to figure out my work schedule but we are planning for her to come back out Wednesday or Thursday to work on her again. She was telling me that typically in 3 visits there will be a lot of improvement. I will say just from walking her and having her walk her and watch how she tracked on the hind end before and after was already quite a difference. Before she was swinging the hing left way out, about 3 inches out of line. After she worked on her she had brought it in as far as only being about 1/2 hoof out of walking straight. I am thrilled and she does not believe it is a chiropractic problem at all. She said she did not feel anything that felt out of place, just a bunch of knotted up muscles and hot spots. There was not even any reaction when she massaged her from the withers to the top of her tail, it was all below the hips.

Watching Whinney while it was being done was interesting as there were times she was enjoying it so much her lip was hanging and she was drooling but those sore spots she went into kicking fits and was definitely giving the look of if you do not quit I will bite you.


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