Odd behaviour...need some advice?

[monet]

Hi everyone, long time an all that, hope everyone is OK, its been a while since i came here but glad i have as its nice to see everyone getting on with their horses.

We are all OK here at the sanctuary, plodding along as best we can, busy caring for fund raising and re-homing where we can.

My problem (if its that) is the French baby that we got from ES nearly two years ago, she is still out in her field with a shelter and Cherie the other French horse (we lost her mum to a twisted gut a few months back) is showing some rather odd behavior.

three days ago she went down when i put the hay out (they had been having hay in hay nets but one broke and have not replaced it yet) on the ground and looked like she was colicing so called the vet and she got a clean bill of heath, no colic! she did the same last night but was puffing and blowing and looking round at her belly! I called the vet again but again nothing, so i have kept an eye on her all day today and she has been playing with the Shetlands grazing and being normal, have just come in and shes gone and done it again! she canters up starts to eat then goes down, rolling and rolling, then she goes flat out for a few min rolls again then gets up and stands there like she is sleeping, she then gos on to eat with everyone else!

Not sure but i think she could be tired, lots of frozen ground here but no snow, i have made a stable up for the next few days for her and Cherie as the weather is meant to turn nasty, but just wondering if anyone else's horses do this?

Many thanks in advance and again its nice to pop back in

Debbie xxx

[jill]

How did your vet rule out colic Deb, it sure sounds like it to me - did he do a rectal? Are there any gut sounds to be heard? Is she eating normal amounts and pooing normally?

[arabmania]

she does come across as being collicky from what you describe.
is she drinking enough? getting enough fibre? enough exercise? worming up to date?
deffo listen to her gut sound and observe any tail swishing and hind leg lifting.
could be 'belly aching' if everything else seems normal.

[laurac]

Hi Monet

I noticed you said this behavoir " started when you put the hay on the ground rather than in nets", could it be that as the ground is so frozen and hard she got excited at the pile of hay to roll on?
Reason I say this, when the ground has been frozen every eve my horse has come into his stable he has thrown himself on his shavings bed and had a few almighty rolls...now his field is no longer frozen or icy and he can roll in it he has stopped
Maybe see if introducing the haynets stops the behaviour
Good luck keep us posted
Fingers crossed shes not colicy x

[Lulu]

A youngster at work colicked today, after having hay put out in field. Had vet out, given buscopan, and is in stable now. Also had rectal, had we had to walk her round to move the gas pocket inside and she seems happy enough now. We can also monitor how much she drinks overnight when stabled. Poor thing....

[monet]

yes to all Jill...no sign of any colic, gut sounds normal pooing normally ...she just seems to do it when i put the hay out. So in tonight and will see what she does then!

thanks for youir replys x

[mandal]

I'd go for her trying to tell you something such as laurac describes if colic is definitely out. It seems she only does this after a certain sequence of events is that right? Does she live alone?

I'm not sure what rolling might mean between horses but mine do have rolling sessions and often there is quite complicated stuff (to me) going on between them.

[monet]

phew big sigh...she came in last night and went straight down in the straw, she looked such a happy bunny to be in lol

No she is out with three shetlands one other french mare, lilly our 52 year old and dolly from Carol on here so she has plenty of friends. she loved the straw, everyohne has been in all day today, horrid weather! hope everyone esle is safe xxx