My Soapbox for Equestrian Writings
As Zelda and I continue to keep her ulcers at bay, I’m always looking for more information to add to my understanding of 1) what causes ulcers and 2) how to prevent them from occurring. This Masterclass from Feed XL is chock full of information. I’ve only just started listening to it, but wanted to […]
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Earlier I wrote about the fear of Zelda’s ulcers re-occurring and how I monitor her behavior based on whether or not it is being caused by ulcers. I’ve never been a big buyer of supplements. Until now. I don’t give my horses joint supplements, which have very little documented success. I don’t give calming supplements. […]
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As Zelda and start preparing for the spring hunt season, the specter of ulcers looms over us. Zelda has been pissy — sometimes kicking out when I asked her to move forward, sometimes flattening her ears at me, sometimes refusing to leg yield, but only to the left. It leaves me wondering if she is […]
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As if COVID-19 wasn’t enough, now the equestrian community is dealing with EHV-1 breakouts in multiple US states and several European countries. So, what is EHV-1 and why is it so serious? Equine Herpesvirus-1 (EHV-1) Equine herpesviruses are DNA viruses that are found all over the world. Almost all horses have been infected with the […]
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After 28 days of force-feeding Zelda her ulcer meds, I’m happy to report that the latest endoscopic exam showed that healing is happening. In fact, she is able to taper off the Omeprazole over the next week, and will finish off the container of Sucralfate. Zelda has been a very good girl but she is […]
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Treating ulcers is only the first step of fixing the problem; preventing them from recurring is the tricky part. For the last few weeks, as I use medication to heal Zelda’s ulcers, I’ve been thinking about feeding to prevent ulcers in the future. The tricky part for me is that Zelda doesn’t fit the mold […]
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Zelda has always been a good girl about accepting oral meds. The occasional wormer, the odd tube of Banamine, none of those have caused a problem. Same with the first dose of omeprazole. The problem is, this isn’t a one-dose situation. Or even two doses. It’s once a day for 28 days. We have just […]
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Research has shown that among racehorses and performance horses, ulcers are very common. More than 90% of racehorses (thoroughbreds and standardbreds), more than 60% of endurance competitors (in season) and more than 50% of show horses typically have ulcers. The risk factors include limited turnout, prolonged period without feed, and stress — including competition, trailering […]
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