Poor old Jess

Jessey

Jessey

Well-Known Member
Dec 20, 2004
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Suffolk, UK
She's really been through it this year and it seems her run of bad juju continues. Her right fore pastern is still swelling slightly and the skin still peeling and still no idea why.

About a month ago I decided she'd dropped a little too much weight, did the normal, upped feed and also increased her protein after a chat with the vet and she's been slowly picking up but slowly and she's still flat energy wise.

Yesterday I spent all morning at the yard, then at lunchtime went to catch her to ride and she was behaving a bit oddly, stood quietly half way through a mouthful of hay with her mouth open for several minutes, I stood watching wondering if she was choking but no. I started grooming and as soon as I got to her belly she was butt tucked under and frantically kicking at her belly :( I hand walked her and she plodded behind but she was really not happy, stopped for some grass and she half heartedly pulled some and then spat it out :( she was obviously a bit colicky.
I turned her loose while I picked up all the hay, no rolling, nibbled a little grass but seemed restless for a while then pooped 3 times and settled just standing doing nothing. I warmed up some water thinking maybe she hasn't drunk enough with the cold night, chucked some grass nuts in and she slurped down half a bucket, but was still not happy :(
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I hung around for another couple of hours, then nipped home for a big thing of warm water for them, she seemed brighter when I got back so I gave her a warm sloppy feed and put hay out which she was very keen for. Hank and Dan both had big drinks of the warm water, Jess just had a sip. I went back and checked again at about 8pm and all was quiet.

So off to the shop I go this morning, I was due to FEC but I'm just going to worm now, they need doing for bots and tapes anyway. I'm also going to pick up some psyllium and run a course of that through them.
 
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Reactions: GaryB
Poor girl, and more worry for you too. I hope she's better today. My friend's pony was similar yesterday, tacked up ok to ride but very quiet and lethargic even though we were just walking, then part way round started kicking and mini bucking - most out of character. Led him home, gave him some soaked feed that he didn't eat anywhere near as fast as he normally would, watched him for a while. His gut was very noisy and he looked bloated so I'd say gassy rather than properly colicking, popped him on the lunge for a brisk trot round and that had him looking more comfortable and less bloated. Was checked last night and seemed ok then.
 
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Oh poor jess. It sounds strange. Hope its a one off.

Theres something in the air though. Chunky acted weird last weekend. I was moving and winding up there fencing Saturday ready to move them to the lower field so i let them loose on the green bit that been strip grazed and rested. He was only on it 20-30 minutes at most. I turned round to see him laying down. Not rolling, just laying so i went over to make a fuss and check, and he just layed quietly. So i walked away, carried on with the fence. After about 10 minutes Billy went charging over to him so he got up, walked across the field and laid down again. He didnt roll just laid motionless. Head was up not on the floor. So i finished the fencing, went and feed the cows, then got both horses in. Offered a small bit of food with a sachet of bute and some water on which he ate. Gave that time to start working whilst i I tacked Billy up to ride and lead Chunky. It was almost dark when i was riding, fortunate my road is resonably quiet. We walked up and down the road 3 times, so we probably covered 2.5 miles. He just plodded along, when i asked for a trot he trotted. He didnt want any hay out the haynet when we got back but still seemed a little quiet. I turned them back out and watched and he went straight out and started picking on the grass normally. I went along later that evening and he was happily munching. I cant imagine that the 20-30 minutes green grass was enough to cause colic, it wasnt like they had been on short starvation rations as i strip graze daily, but it cant have been anything else. He was fine sunday when i moved him to the long grass and has been since.
 
She seems fine this morning, 11 piles of poop from her so everything moving through normally.

I'm extra paranoid with her as when she was younger she got bad sand colic, but we didn't know that's what it was until the 3rd vet visit for the day as she was just laid quietly, when the vet realised he referred her to hospital "there's a surgery team on standby and don't stop if she goes down in the trailer!", thankfully didn't need the surgery but spent a week in being tubed 3x a day.

I've wormed them all so will just keep an eye for the next 24hrs, sand test not showing much but will start psyllium tomorrow or Monday just in case it's lodged and not coming out. Heavy rain can increase sand colic risk. I'll take them off the short grass but the choice is then leave them on bare sand or put them on very green frozen grass, risks of colic or lami, it's a tough choice.

I'm hoping it was just a little gas/spasmodic from stuffing down loose hay too fast, she's done that twice before when going from netted hay to loose, they're back on nets for now.
 
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Reactions: carthorse
So pleased that she seemed back to her normal self, always scary when they are not quite right!
 
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