# Tummy aches while riding bouncy horse



## Fuddyduddy1952 (Jun 26, 2019)

You'll get better replies than me but my guess is diet. For years I've taken Omeprazole for acid reflux and that helps with stomach problems as well (but I'm 68 not 15). If I were her I would experiment with an activity that causes stomach upset like jogging, riding a bicycle, etc. then diet change. My guess is maybe too much fiber in diet...again... I'm guessing. Good luck!

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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

Yup...know a few including me who can have issues..
I find if I take and crunch up 1 - 2 antacid tablets it settles my tummy and the acids made splashing about, now churning with the extra activity.
For me that is all it takes...but I'm not a kid and not sure how you feel about OTC medications.
If this is because her body is manufacturing such strong stomach acid then that is a issue to have medical professionals check into.
But...Tums are what I actually use.
They are flavored and not so distasteful so I not gag on them swallowing.
:runninghorse2:..


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## ferricyanide (Jan 14, 2020)

So if she is riding all the time, was the ever a period when she wasn't riding and didn't have problems? Just making sure its actually the riding, causing a flare up. 

I personally dont handle legumes well, they make me bloat to a very uncomfortable level. Gas-x helps a little, but it is just easier for me to avoid legumes. Vegan is different, so idk there.


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## tinyliny (Oct 31, 2009)

living on omeprazole is not a good way to look at things. I have occasional (will, really regular) GERD. That's acid reflux. I have to then take double the over the counter dosage of Nexium. But, it isn't good for the body to be on proton pump inhibitors as a lifestyle. 



I would look at her diet, and inquire if there are things she is over consuming, or if there are foods to which she is allergic.


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## boots (Jan 16, 2012)

Nausea? Or side aches?


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## ksbowman (Oct 30, 2018)

I won't get in to my thoughts on a vegan diet. We are omnivores not herbivores. I will say the last place to look for help on a medical problem is the internet by people on a horse forum that are not trained as doctors. Go to a good doctor (gastronomical) and even at that remember that only half of all doctors graduate in the top half of their class.


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## Horsef (May 1, 2014)

@ksbowman - I went to two different doctors regarding two different riding related issues - they both told me to stop riding. So - doctors may not be as understanding of our passions if it’s impacting our health. Not saying it isn’t worth a try, but the prescribed cure may not be what we expect. (There is an old joke “Doctor, it hurts if I do this” - “Well, stop doing it”)

Anyhow, I would stop sitting trot and canter for a while to see if that helps. I am guessing it’s a combination of diet and her age, since she is still growing.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

ksbowman said:


> I won't get in to my thoughts on a vegan diet. We are omnivores not herbivores.


I think you just did.

So first, I really doubt a doctor will be of any help whatsover. As @Horsef pointed out, they have zero knowledge about riding. Don't get me wrong, I have great respect for doctors, but she doesn't have this problem while doing anything else or even while riding other horses. I wouldn't rule out a dietician, however, and we are looking at her diet in an effort to reduce the legumes she eats. Maybe go a day without eating any and see if she still gets a tummy ache.

I don't think it's acid, but something to consider. I wouldn't give her omeprazole, at least not unless we had a diagnosed condition, but I would consider a mild antacid to see if it helps. 

This is really a very specific problem related to riding Harley because of his exaggerated bounciness. He looks very elegant, like he's floating on air, but it's hard to ride. When she rides a lesson horse while jumping 2'6", she doesn't have this problem. This is why I thought others in this forum may have had a similar issue. It's kind of like riding a roller coaster for an hour. I've seen dressage horses have this amount of bounciness, and riders look quite still on them to absorb the movement, so I was wondering if anyone has had this issue before, and how they resolved it.


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

Acadianartist said:


> This is really a very specific problem related to riding Harley because of his exaggerated bounciness. He looks very elegant, like he's floating on air, but it's hard to ride. When she rides a lesson horse while jumping 2'6", she doesn't have this problem. This is why I thought others in this forum may have had a similar issue. It's kind of like riding a roller coaster for an hour. I've seen dressage horses have this amount of bounciness, and riders look quite still on them to absorb the movement, so I was wondering if anyone has had this issue before, and how they resolved it.


Your daughter being vegan is fine. :icon_rolleyes: I'd be willing to bet she has a better, more balanced diet than most other riders that I know. I bet she packs lunch for going to horse shows? I sure ate a whole let better at horse shows when I brought my own, plant-based, fresh meals!

However, is she only doing sitting trot? Because I would bet that is the problem if she hasn't been doing sitting trot very much up until this point. Sitting trot can be very hard on certain muscles.

Otherwise, are you sure it's her stomach? Could it possibly be her back muscles bothering her? Or maybe her hips? Or, because I believe she is in the age, her reproductive organs? 

My stomach gets upset after particularly tough rides, not because my stomach is upset, but because I have residual pain elsewhere - especially when my hip acts up.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

ClearDonkey said:


> Your daughter being vegan is fine. :icon_rolleyes: I'd be willing to bet she has a better, more balanced diet than most other riders that I know. I bet she packs lunch for going to horse shows? I sure ate a whole let better at horse shows when I brought my own, plant-based, fresh meals!
> 
> However, is she only doing sitting trot? Because I would bet that is the problem if she hasn't been doing sitting trot very much up until this point. Sitting trot can be very hard on certain muscles.
> 
> ...


She doesn't do a lot of sit trot so I don't think that's it. Pretty sure it's stomach, not back or hips. Ovaries, etc., possibly as it would be easy to mistake those kinds of cramps with stomach problems. But I would not expect it all the time. 

Yes, we both pack a lunch for horse shows and were doing it long before she became vegan. They only ever have junk food, hamburgers and hot dogs at those shows! I'm not vegan, or even vegetarian, but I think hot dogs are gross and had to stop eating burgers a while back because they don't agree with me.


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

Acadianartist said:


> She doesn't do a lot of sit trot so I don't think that's it. Pretty sure it's stomach, not back or hips. Ovaries, etc., possibly as it would be easy to mistake those kinds of cramps with stomach problems. But I would not expect it all the time.
> 
> Yes, we both pack a lunch for horse shows and were doing it long before she became vegan. They only ever have junk food, hamburgers and hot dogs at those shows! I'm not vegan, or even vegetarian, but I think hot dogs are gross and had to stop eating burgers a while back because they don't agree with me.


Hmm...no sitting trot. How about canter work? Lots of it? Cantering while riding dressage and cantering while riding over jumps are two different canters, totally.

Beyond that...

How much water does she drink on a regular basis? Pedialyte can also be good, stay away from Gatorade/Powerade/all of the other crap.

Has she ever had bloodwork done to look at vitamin deficiencies? Iron deficiencies are common with women, B12 deficiencies are common in vegans. 

Is her dressage coach and jumping coach two different people? If so, does the dressage coach put more pressure on her, or teach differently? Could nerves be getting at her?

There are phone apps that you can track pain with - I would start tracking it immediately. If she does happen to go to the doctor for the pain, it helps to have a record of pain, where the pain was felt, the severity and what activity caused it.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

ClearDonkey said:


> Hmm...no sitting trot. How about canter work? Lots of it? Cantering while riding dressage and cantering while riding over jumps are two different canters, totally.
> 
> Beyond that...
> 
> ...


Thanks - great ideas!

She gets it even walking Harley. I've walked him to cool him down while she rides Rusty... I know why! Harley bounces even at the walk. But he's not the only horse on the planet to do this! 

The vegan thing is very new so she would not yet have had time to develop deficiencies. She also does a lot of research about nutrition and takes a multi-vitamin. She knows which vitamins she cannot get from her diet alone and makes sure the multivitamin covers all of them. 

She just started working with a dressage coach (1 lesson), normally she does dressage with her regular coach. The only difference is the horse - with the horse she uses for jumping (because Harley's 21) doesn't do it to her because this horse is quite flat, even at a canter. Harley bounces, even at the walk. I wish I had half his energy, lol. 

But I will ask her when she starts to feel it! She may not be drinking enough water. I'll have to ask her, and encourage her to drink more.


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

Acadianartist said:


> Thanks - great ideas!
> 
> She gets it even walking Harley. I've walked him to cool him down while she rides Rusty... I know why! Harley bounces even at the walk. But he's not the only horse on the planet to do this!
> 
> ...


I've spent a lot of time on Arabs and half-Arabs to know plenty about the pep that some of them have in their step! I would have a conversation with her, and really try to figure out when her stomach starts bothering her while on Harley. What has changed to make the pain start?

If Harley constantly needs to be half-halted back with her core, I sure think her core would get sore after a long lesson! If she constantly needs to absorb his bounce and does through in her core, I'm sure that is contributing too.

Was she sore before the dressage started? Does she get sore on trail rides with Harley? Does she get sore using other saddles?

Has she tried stretching out her core muscles, along with her hips too, before riding? Maybe even just dropping her stirrups and really stretching her legs down during walk breaks?

I really hope you and her get this figured out, because pain while doing something you love just sucks.


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## Dehda01 (Jul 25, 2013)

I get nervous during shows that manifest with nausea and cramping. I find eating crackers helps soak up stomach acid. Also eating sandwiches... I try to be gluten free Because I deal with migraines, but sacrifice that during high stress events. 

I have dealt with uterine fibroids since I was a teenager, uterine cramps can be all month long...


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## Jolien (Aug 19, 2019)

@Acadianartist Hi, I know a thing or two about the vegan diet.  She probably eats a lot of food that produces gas (since you need to eat beans and soy and peas to eat a good full plant based diet.) Maybe she can try to reduce foods that make her bloat for one week and see if it makes a significant difference? It might be just that, something tiny that you oversee...  Also maybe she is allergic to certain types of food... It can build up in your system (unfortunately I know about that too...). Say she eats peas for 3 days she might not have issues the first day but it might get worse on the third day because of the building up. If she needs to see a doctor I would say go to a good dietist in a university clinic. I did that too and it made such a difference for me! My pain (I was always in tummy pain not only when sporting) went from 10+ to the occassional 1-3 on a scale of 10.


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## Jolien (Aug 19, 2019)

Dehda01 said:


> I get nervous during shows that manifest with nausea and cramping. I find eating crackers helps soak up stomach acid. Also eating sandwiches... I try to be gluten free Because I deal with migraines, but sacrifice that during high stress events.
> 
> I have dealt with uterine fibroids since I was a teenager, uterine cramps can be all month long...



just a tip here, have you tried FODMAP diet? It really helped me to weed out the food I reacted badly to.


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## Dehda01 (Jul 25, 2013)

Jolien said:


> just a tip here, have you tried FODMAP diet? It really helped me to weed out the food I reacted badly to.


Yes, thank you. We did all sort of food
Allergy elimination diets. I am allergic to all sorts of herbs and spices along with other things:/


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## Jolien (Aug 19, 2019)

Dehda01 said:


> Yes, thank you. We did all sort of food
> Allergy elimination diets. I am allergic to all sorts of herbs and spices along with other things:/



Me too. also taste enhancers and all kinds of E numbers and everything that is not 'natural'. Like prepared food.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

I really don't think this is related to allergies or digestive issues though - I'll repeat: it ONLY happens when she rides Harley because he's so bouncy. It does not happen when she jumps on a different horse who is less bouncy. It's not show nerves, or nervousness at her coach, or stress-related. This is being caused by the movement of the horse. I also do not think it's her core, but rather, her stomach. I am going to try to give her some antacids to see if that helps. Though we are also going to make an effort to reduce the legumes in her diet, because we probably went overboard with those. We both really like them, and they're such an easy protein to eat. 
@ClearDonkey, yes, it sucks for her to be feeling like this but she pushes through because she is so committed and really loves to ride. She's also pretty competitive so it's nothing for her to ride 3 hours in a day (different horses obviously). She told me this always happened, but since she is ramping up the intensity this year by leasing a jumper and doing a dressage program with Harley, it is getting worse. Hopefully we can figure it out.


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

Acadianartist said:


> I really don't think this is related to allergies or digestive issues though - I'll repeat: it ONLY happens when she rides Harley because he's so bouncy. It does not happen when she jumps on a different horse who is less bouncy. It's not show nerves, or nervousness at her coach, or stress-related. This is being caused by the movement of the horse. I also do not think it's her core, but rather, her stomach. I am going to try to give her some antacids to see if that helps. Though we are also going to make an effort to reduce the legumes in her diet, because we probably went overboard with those. We both really like them, and they're such an easy protein to eat.
> 
> @ClearDonkey, yes, it sucks for her to be feeling like this but she pushes through because she is so committed and really loves to ride. She's also pretty competitive so it's nothing for her to ride 3 hours in a day (different horses obviously). She told me this always happened, but since she is ramping up the intensity this year by leasing a jumper and doing a dressage program with Harley, it is getting worse. Hopefully we can figure it out.


I did some quick research into stomach issues with cyclists - figure it is among the closest thing we can get to actual medical advice with issues while riding. Gastrointestinal issues are apparently an issue for many cyclists.

"When [bike] riding, physiological changes occur in the digestive tract as a result of reduced blood flow...There’s also a lot of hormones circulating, like adrenalin, noradrenalin and cortisol (stress hormones). These impact gastrointestinal motility too...The movement of food through it will not be regular, which can lead to irritation and inflammation of the digestive tract." from a totalwomenscycling website.

Maybe with Harley's bounceyness, and her ability to ride it well, is contributing. I'd be willing to bet she works a lot harder on Harley to ride his gaits that other horses, and maybe that increased effort is causing real digestion issues.

I know you don't want to go to the doctor, but it could be worth seeing what a professional has to say, even if it is a dietician (vegan friendly of course!!). They could have recommendations to help ease whatever discomfort she is feeling, and have suggestions of what to eat before to minimize the pain.


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## planete (May 19, 2020)

I once did a two week horseback trip which meant 6 hours a day of alternately being on a horse and walking breaks plus all the chores at each end of the day which added a good two hours a day. After a few days I found my stomach became very uncomfortable to the point I thought I would have to quit. I was very fortunate that the doctor I went to see was a specialist in sports medicine. He said it was not uncommon for physical stress to cause the digestive system to literally go on strike and gave me medicine to relax the muscles involved with digestion. It really worked, try and find a sport specialist who deals with athletes who push themselves regularly.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

planete said:


> I once did a two week horseback trip which meant 6 hours a day of alternately being on a horse and walking breaks plus all the chores at each end of the day which added a good two hours a day. After a few days I found my stomach became very uncomfortable to the point I thought I would have to quit. I was very fortunate that the doctor I went to see was a specialist in sports medicine. He said it was not uncommon for physical stress to cause the digestive system to literally go on strike and gave me medicine to relax the muscles involved with digestion. It really worked, try and find a sport specialist who deals with athletes who push themselves regularly.


Yes, I think this is going to be our best shot if we're going to address this with a health professional. Our family dr will be useless. She needs to see someone who has dealt with athletes, even if not strictly equestrians. 

Thanks for this research @ClearDonkey! I wouldn't have thought of cyclists having similar problems! I'll do some reading and print something off to take with me to see a health professional. We do have a sports medecine facility nearby - my son is a regular patient there since he's a football player who just got through cancer. They're unlikely to have a lot of experience with equestrians, but they would likely have had patients with similar problems. 

Thanks all!


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

Cyclists wouldn't bounce, though. If it is only Harley...and I haven't followed your story enough to keep your horses straight in my head - is there something about Harley beside bounce that would make her tense? Even subconsciously tense? 

When I'm on the road, for example, I am not consciously tense. I've spent a large part of my life on the road. But when I'm on the road I can go several days without a bowel movement. It eventually has to work thru, but it is a sign my body feels the stress of sleeping in strange places, eating out, etc.

Over the last 5 years, Bandit and I have gone through multiple cycles of relaxing. The amount of inner tension BOTH of us felt about riding - me from learning to ride on difficult Mia and Bandit from being raced so hard - has literally taken years to work out! I'll think we've arrived at relaxed trust, then 6 months later found we've slipped into a deeper trust and hence a deeper stage of inner calm while riding.

When Harley floats, HOW does he float? Mia had a floaty trot that could be an utter joy to ride. Big, but fluid. Bandit arrived with a huge floaty trot, but with his back braced. Not surprising, given he had been ridden at 35% or more of his body weight! But even now...he sometimes gives a relaxed floating trot, and sometimes gives a braced floating trot. The former is fun, the latter is NOT - in part because his braced floaty trot means he's feeling tense, and when he tenses, I tense.

May not be relevant, but that is what I'd look at.

PS: Given how many doctors and dieticians hate Keto diets, and given how vastly better I feel since going Keto last spring, I wouldn't put a lot of trust in diet advice from dieticians or doctors. Heck, they've spent the last 50 years giving contradictory advice on eating eggs or drinking coffee....:evil:...if they can't figure THAT out, how much do they really know?


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## ClearDonkey (Nov 27, 2016)

bsms said:


> PS: Given how many doctors and dieticians hate Keto diets, and given how vastly better I feel since going Keto last spring, I wouldn't put a lot of trust in diet advice from dieticians or doctors. Heck, they've spent the last 50 years giving contradictory advice on eating eggs or drinking coffee....:evil:...if they can't figure THAT out, how much do they really know?


Human bodies need carbs :wink: There are academic articles linking shortened lifespans to the decreased/zero consumption of carbohydrates. I'm sure there is zero way we can agree on the use of a long-term keto diet, as I believe in the science behind a well-balanced diet...

_However_

I will say that the chances of people actually eating a healthy, well-balanced diet are few and far between in many households. I believe in _intuitive eating_, where I eat how much and what my body crazes, while roughly following suggested macro-counts. I know when I haven't had enough fat because I begin craving things like butter and coconut oil. 

Just because you feel better now on a keto-based diet, doesn't mean you always will feel better, and if comes to your body needing more carbs, I sure hope you follow what your body is telling you. There is such thing as good carbs and good sugars, and your body will know when you need more.


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## bsms (Dec 31, 2010)

ClearDonkey said:


> ...Just because you feel better now on a keto-based diet, doesn't mean you always will feel better...


https://www.virtahealth.com/blog/why-dont-need-dietary-carbohydrates

40 pounds lighter and my blood pressure has dropped 40 points as well - from 155/110 to 115/70. I know one guy who has been on a strict Keto diet for 8 years and another less strict fan who has been on it since 1990. Both are doing fine. I'm a newbie, but 15 months isn't exactly insignificant. Well off topic, but a few books for any interested: "Good Calories, Bad Calories" by Gary Taubes, "The Big Fat Surprise" by Nina Teicholz and "The Obesity Code" by Jason Fung.

Although the problem this thread is about could, in theory, be diet related, the fact that the problem arises with a specific horse suggests otherwise.


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## Marthamatic (Feb 19, 2020)

My guess would be it has something to do with her diet or perhaps (less likely) lack of calcium, which is responsible in part for regulating metabolism and ph concentration. 

So that would be the first thing to have a look at!


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## JarvisMillan (Mar 25, 2020)

What is a 'Keto diet' - I have done a google search (and heard of the term before) but still - it just looks like another type of diet yet it appears to be a bit of a buzz word?


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

@bsms Harley bounces. As in, up and down motion. His canter is really big for such a small horse. It's like he is on springs. It's really pretty to look at and he gets a lot of attention in the show ring, but it's hard to ride. However, as I've said, it is not uncommon for dressage horses to be like this - you WANT that bounce in a dressage horse. They can almost trot and canter in place. Each stride, even at a walk, is up and down and you really feel it up there. I know because I have cooled him down a few times for her and it's almost like motion sickness. She isn't stressed or nervous on him. If anything, she's far more stressed about jumping on her lease horse because that's something she still finds a little intimidating. Yet she never gets a stomach ache with that horse. 

No other horse does this to her. Just Harley. 

The good news is that she rode this morning and did not get a stomach ache. She drank more water, had less legumes yesterday and had toast with sliced bananas for breakfast. That seems to help. So it looks like she'll have to reduce her legumes, and time her rides so if she's going to have a bean salad, she does so after the ride, and has a long time to digest before the next one. 

Not going to wade into the Keto diet debate, lol.


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## angelswave88 (Mar 18, 2015)

I have Crohn's disease and had a similar problem when I was first diagnosed. I used to be a hardy rider and human, but now I'm a lot more sensitive to hard exercise/heat/food. I tend to get nauseous when I'm running around or riding to moderate/heavy intensity. Come to think of it, I've slowed down a lot in my riding. Keeping it more gentle, not consciously but because I feel better taking it a little easier.
Most of my symptoms have been improved with diet/lifestyle changes. I limit high FODMAP foods and saw an improvement. I also don't eat any gluten and limit soy and dairy. It could be a lot of things causing her pain while riding, but don't rule out a true health concern. I would've been a lot better off if I hadn't dismissed my symptoms for so long.
Best of luck!


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

Thanks @angelswave88, good to know! I will certainly keep that in mind.


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## Alder (Feb 15, 2017)

It might not be a stomach issue, it could be eyes or ears. Like car sickness or sea sickness.

Ear problems can lead to nausea too.


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## horselovinguy (Oct 1, 2013)

AA... I've lost track of when this started but did onset begin around when you were approached about selling Kodak?
Could the disruption of your herd subconsciously bothered your daughter to the point of stomach pains?
I also wonder if the realization that now a stall is open home, the realization that Harley has limited time left to be her competition riding partner is putting her under hidden stresses...
You've already reduced the work-load to Harley by leasing the new horse...
But could it be all these events suddenly colliding that got her feeling lousy?
We internalize so much and your daughter might not even recognize the hidden stresses but all this happening in a relatively short time-frame does make me wonder................
I'm certainly not discounting possible diet, possible over abundance of stomach acid and over production of such...but there is a trigger cause I bet you this has been going on a long time but suddenly came to a head...like a zit it popped and is seen. :|

:runninghorse2:...


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## 4horses (Nov 26, 2012)

I'm the opposite. I get stomach problems when I skip riding. The more i ride, the better my stomach feels. The movements associated with riding help my digestive tract move properly. If i sit around and don't ride, my GI tract comes to a complete stop and I am miserable. 

When she does not ride, does she experienced bloating or gas? She may have something like irritable bowel syndrome or some sort of food sensitivity. 

I would suggest a food diary. What time each meal is? What she eats and what time she rides, outdoor temperature, and include things she drinks (juice, Gatorade) etc. Record everything and look for patterns.


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## Acadianartist (Apr 21, 2015)

@horselovinguy, not a bad theory, but she has had this for a very long time. Years. It's just getting more problematic this summer because she is working a lot harder. 
@4horses, no, there is no gas or bloating. It's more like motion sickness with a bit of cramping. It has been better lately, since she started being more careful about what she eats the day of a ride. She hasn't taken anything out of her diet altogether, she's just a little more careful about how much and when.


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## QtrBel (May 31, 2012)

IBS or something causing symptoms that she is sensitive to perhaps...
Diary is a great way to track.


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