return of the queen

The snow is melted, temperatures mild, and Ms Mondeuse is back in regular work — things are looking up! (Let’s just pretend the forecast for more snow storms this week is a lie. Yes? Yes.)

mare loves her some snacks <3

And true to form, after a couple wild ‘n woolly sessions wherein Doozy just like couldn’t cope… She’s right back on her A Game again, yay!!

the kids call her “the troll” bc you have to pay the toll to walk past haha

I did start giving her daily sucralfate again and honestly it’s hard to know to what degree it impacts the mare… Except she always seems to just go so well and relaxed when she’s had it recently, even if I’m imagining things it still feels worth it to keep using it for gut maintenance.

my trailer is basically a storage closet / feed room on wheels at this point

I also got all inspired by Carly’s recent post about Opie’s day to day management, and decided to pick up the Triple Crown Stress Free fortified forage she mentioned. The product markets itself as basically a gut support supplement that is particularly useful for keeping horses eating and happy in higher stress situations like while trailering and competing. For the cost of about 3 hay bales, seems like a reasonable experiment!

d’aww mare has the sweetest face!

All things being equal, I’d much rather still have Charlie and be paying board on two horses… But life is what it is, and those dollars are now earmarked for getting Doozy whatever she needs to thrive as leading lady. Hopefully at some point soon that’ll include more lessons. But for now, fancy snacks will do!

making up for lost time by playing randomly with whatever is set up in the ring

Our rides this week have been, without exception, lovely. Nothing crazy or extravagant, not really pushing too many buttons yet. Just reestablishing steady consistent working sessions at trot and canter, utilizing basic figures and ground poles. And playing with mixing up when we canter in the ride to relieve some anticipation and reaffirm that we can trot as nicely *after* a canter as before. 

short little 2 stride grid was a breeze!

I’ve also finished every ride this week with little bonus jompies over whatever was set up in the ring. Stuff is always set up, and often moving around. Usually the heights are quite low (like in the above grid), but this week there were a few days where stuff was closer to 2’ish, including that low wide oxer above.

more snacks. always with the snacks!

My confidence benefits so much from routine consistent practice. And Doozy benefits from exercises feeling boring and easy. It’s not like two or three trips over a 2’ fence is gonna run her down or anything either, right? So it’s been fun to just kinda bop around a little bit. 

had to check the empty buckets too obvi

In an ideal world, we’d do intentional jumping exercises 2x weekly… But that’s almost never really played out in real life for me. So maybe if we bop around when little opportunities arise, and then have at least one proper school with fences set intentionally etc at least every 1-1.5wks, that’d be a nice balance? Idk haha, we’ll see. It all seems to depend on ring availability anyway.

left a few forage crumbs but i’m sure they’ll be gone by morning

It’ll probably be at least a few weeks still before the outdoor is usable — it just really doesn’t hold up to any wetness whatsoever, and with more snow on the forecast… Idk. We’ll see.

fingers crossed the snow forecast is wrong bc i’m so ready for consistent bare ground!!

But spring is coming, I can definitely feel it! Last season definitely ended on a high for us, with what felt like a lot of momentum. I’m looking forward to carrying that forward into this coming year, tho am trying to be a bit more thoughtful and patient about prioritizing good confidence building experiences.

Some of this jumping stuff comes so easily to Doozy, it’s easy to feel like she ‘needs to be challenged.’ Except. Ya know. Who cares haha. She’s my horse so I get to call the shots and what I’m most excited about is having FUN eventing again. Whatever it takes, right?

first 30 days

So! We already talked about Doozy's 30 Day Performance Review, which naturally zeroed in mostly what we haven't really accomplished yet. Performance gaps, if you will. 

meeting Mondeuse -- she's cute but scruffy!

For today, let's switch gears and do a quick review of everything we have checked off the "New Horse Plan" list since Mondeuse arrived.

fairly generic senior feed + ration balancer, soaked
also, ignore the little pills, this pic was from when she was on doxy

Nutrition

First things first: new or not, the horse is gonna expect to get fed on Day 1 lol. Which means I needed a meal plan set up and ready to go as soon as Mondeuse stepped off the trailer. 

In this case, we are keeping it really simple. She's eating about ~5lbs of a local Mill branded senior feed (protein 14, fat 10, fiber 15), and 1lb of a Purina Enrich ration balancer per meal. No supplements, daily medicines or top dressings at present. 

better living thru chemistry!

We also started a daily ulcer treatment regimen on Day 1, using Ulcergard, and finished a couple weeks ago. So far, the horse looks quite comfortable and healthy from a gastric perspective. And I *think* she's even gained a little weight!! 

Last lacking detail in Doozy's nutritional profile is... grass. Unfortunately, there was some storm damage to the grass pastures that's taking a bit long to resolve. So she's stayed in a paddock for way longer than I originally anticipated. Cross your fingers that she can at least get a little grass before the season passes by entirely!

paddock turnout with a friend... it's nice, but not as nice as pasture with a herd

Routine Wellness

Next big set of checkmarks on The Plan include regularly scheduled care and wellness activities. Like, meeting the farrier! Doozy is presently in just front shoes, barefoot behind. This is likely to change eventually, but we're going to roll with it for as long as makes sense. 

Question mark around that will be Doozy's recent abscess situation. Our farm has lots of rocky gravel-y driveway, and shoes could keep her generally more comfortable if she proves to bruise easily. We'll see. For now, first shoeing appt kept her with just the fronts. 

chiro + acupuncture!!!

She also had her first dentist appt! Sadly, I didn't know the appt was happening -- apparently a lesson horse needed urgent attention, so all the horses on the running "wait list" got done too, sooner than anyone expected... So I didn't get to talk to the dentist at all. But did get a follow up report that she had some significant sharp edges, but nothing else of note. So I'll probably have her seen again in ~6mos when Charlie is next due. 

Last bit of routine care includes her first meeting with my chiro / acupuncture guru! That was actually Doozy's first "big" appt with me, meeting an important member of my practitioner "team" who I trust to help set an informed benchmark. And even better, that session didn't really uncover any big issues or red flags, so hopefully we can keep it that way. 

charlie is such a pansy about the cold water, i was legit shocked by how much doozy likes her baths!

Grooming & Tack

Y'all already got the low down on Doozy's tack situation, so I won't spend a lot of time on that. Other than to say, we're probably going to roll with this "interim" solution for the foreseeable future. Eventually she'll get her own saddle, but that's likely to be a longer term plan until we better understand the soundness landscape.

As for grooming, this is a really important element of my care plan for my horses. Mostly bc... I honestly just love grooming horses, can spend a LONG time on it, and find it to be an extremely rewarding and effective way to build that bond and relationship, to enjoy each other's company. 

most recent pic of the bunch, from yesterday. fat leg aside, she looks pretty good! 

Plus, obviously, if you all recall - Mondeuse arrived recovering from a full-body case of rain rot. The mare was crusted from ear to quite literally the tip of her tail bone in nasty cruddy scabs. She needed a LOT of help, and I'm thrilled to announce that she also seriously enjoys the attention. 

Tail attention is her #1 favorite, followed closely by belly curries. And face rubs. And wither scritchies. And haunch scrubs, and neck kneading, and leg brushes. Basically, ALL of it. There isn't a single aspect of grooming, including actual bathing (despite our cold-only water situation), that seems to bug her.

gif from her first week lol...
she still doesn't love being alone in the barn, but she can #cope

Handling & Management

Last main detail in our first month together, separate from actual under saddle training, is how the horse is in the barn and to handle. 

She has so far conquered all the important details, including cross ties, the wash stall, leading in pairs for turn in / turn out... Probably all stuff she experienced on the track too, let's be real. Her pressure response seems excellent already, even when she wants to be fussy (like when the barn is empty and her paddock mate is screaming for her). 

developing that #SharedVocabulary

We still did a ground work session anyway with my local go-to guru, just again to start establishing baselines. And to remind me that I have responsibilities on my side of the rope too --- that whole "two way communication" dealio. 

All in all, tho, all reports indicate that Mondeuse is easy and uncomplicated for the various members of barn staff to handle and deal with in day to day barn management. Tho, not gonna lie, she's still a bit suspicious of the pig LOL.

one way or another, lady, important parts of your future involve the inside of this box!

The Next 60 Days

Overall, aside from the aforementioned "flunked performance review," Doozy is moving through The Checklist pretty quickly. Which, ya know, she should lol. She's young, generally healthy, and has an exceedingly pleasant disposition. 

Obvi there are still a lot of unknowns around the cellulitis situation, but, eh, for now let's just assume that it eventually resolves in a normal way. 

My hope is to have the next big "check in" on her general progress -- to include soundness and training under saddle -- around November. By that point, ideally, we'll have addressed a few more big items from The Plan, including: 

- Fall shots + dewormer

- Nutrition - any adjustments needed?

- Body clip, tbd based on training intensity

- Trailer training

~~~~~

What about you, any big to-do items in your plan ahead of winter?

Charlie's Great Hoof Year

I went into 2021 determined to reframe my overall goals and ambitions relating to horses and riding. The objectives didn't necessarily change -- I want to enjoy my horsey experiences to the absolute fullest, while striving to be the best rider and horse person I can be. The methods, tho. My attitude and approach -- that's shifted. 

pictured: possibly the single most important puzzle piece in charlie's stellar 2021

Put simply: my intention going into this year was to be ready for tomorrow, whatever may come, but not ruled by it. 

In practice, this means avoiding situations where it seems like any given thing has to happen RIGHT NOW in order for LATER to be possible — even (and especially) if NOW is not ideal.

march 2021 -- last cycle before going into leather pads for the season

A specific example is feeling like we *need* an important schooling or lesson to be ready for a show, even if that meant working hard on bad ground. Instead, this year, I aimed to capitalize on good ground whenever possible, while avoiding heavy pounding during the driest hottest months.

 

flashback picture (you can tell bc there aren't stud holes drilled) -- but representative of the leather pads 

Obviously it helped sticking to all things Novice -- where we're experienced, comfortable and don't need a lot of "prep." Bc ya know.... if we really *needed* that last practice to be ready, despite bad conditions.... well, eh, maybe that meant we just weren't ready, right? 

flashback to Nov 2019 when we pulled a shoe while xc schooling with Martin Douzant -- but a good view of the leather pad side profile, and the considerable cushion it adds

Anyway, possibly as a result of this new approach - combined with other maintenance aspects I’ll get into - Charlie had his absolute BEST hoof year with me yet. 

We didn't lose a single shoe!! And Charlie was very sound all year long! Sure, we did our routine maintenance, including joint injections and a box of Adequan. But... That was it. Considering the hoof struggles we've had before (including necessitating coffin injections in 2019), this was kiiiiinda a big deal haha.

flashback to May 2019: charlie's front hoof condition by late spring with no pads. pretty hard to bounce back after this sort of chipping -- esp so early in the year

Because the hoof care reality is... The toothpaste just won't go back into the tube. Literally — inflammation and effusion are expansive forces that can compound soreness significantly when trapped within a rigid hoof capsule. 

It’s MUCH better to prevent it altogether rather than deal with resolving it once it’s begun.

compare to May 2021: charlie's front hooves at 5 weeks with pads, shoo fly boots, and near-daily keratex

Charlie has fairly normal thoroughbred feet -- they're proportionally a little small for his big body, and they tend toward being shelly and crumbly. His soles can also be thinner than is ideal.

flashback to June 2020 : still no pads, looking really shelly and crumbly, with older nail holes chipping out completely

His hooves spurt into growth nearly instantaneously at the earliest signs of spring. But they grow out soft and crumbly -- and as seen in the 'flashback' photos in this post, they usually chip and crack excessively around the shoe clips and nail holes by May or June. 

In past years, we've transitioned Charlie into full leather pads up front around June-ish. But.... ya know.... The thing with hooves, at least for me, is that by the time I'd recognize a problem, it was usually too late.  

compare to August 2021 : charlie's front hooves looking solid at 5 wks in August, despite drought 

Once the hoof wall gets so compromised, the only solution is to grow it out. Except those existing cracks and holes obviously aren't particularly stable, tending to spread and create new vulnerabilities even as the hoof grows. 

So we'd walk this fine line between 1) long enough shoeing cycles to grow more new wall between new and old nail holes; or 2) risk Charlie losing a shoe, possibly along with big chunks of hoof -- thus setting us even further back. 

Sept 2021: charlie's hind hooves at 5 wks. he doesn't wear pads behind, so you can see more advanced crumbling here -- tho near-daily keratex helped keep the walls intact

This year we got Charlie into full leather pads up front starting in March 2021 -- months earlier than normal. Which... I'm now convinced had two main advantages: the pads substantially reduced all that early spring chipping and cracking; plus we got the pads on *before* Charlie had a chance to get sore on hard ground. Yessssss!

Oct 2021: a good looking hoof growing out an old defect. leather pad is clearly visible here

My farrier also suggested applying Keratex as close to daily as possible. He said polymers in the compound accumulate with repeated applications, giving the hoof wall the strength and flexibility necessary to resist cracking or chipping.

Nov 2021: transitioned to leather rim pads in time for wet pre-freeze ground conditions. he'll wear the rim pads for a cycle or two, before ditching pads altogether for winter.

I also added fly boots to the mix -- tho he mostly just wore them up front. Ideally, fly boots reduce stomping on hard summer ground. Charlie's Shoo Fly boots work great -- they're easy to get on and off, loose enough to not cause restriction or harbor leg funk, and brightly colored so they're easy to find if one falls off in the field. 

flashback to June 2017, when charlie went into rim pads for the first time

It's impossible to know what made the biggest difference for Charlie this year. If I had to pick *just one* practice to carry forward, it'd be the leather pads. But the keratex and fly boots seem effective enough to justify the cost. For those curious -- we went through 5 keratex bottles this year, costing about $200 total.

Also notable -- Charlie discontinued ALL feed through supplements last year. Bc, eh, he already has a great diet, and IMO the supplements were the least effective and most expensive part of Charlie's hoof care. 

whatever it takes, buddy!

So. Long story short: We made some big changes this year. I was more selective about footing and ground conditions for our training, and Charlie got into hoof pads ~3 months earlier than past years. Plus we continued basic mitigation efforts like keratex and fly boots. 

And gosh.... It's made ALL the difference for Charlie. Not one lost shoe. A very sound horse. And *ZERO* comments from dressage judges about irregular or uneven steps. Yessssss! 

Obviously I'm tempting fate writing it all out like this. And lord knows Charlie could go step on a nail (or a bit of mulch, ahem) tomorrow lol (plz don't tho, buddy!). But, eh, as a first-time horse owner, it feels like we finally got it right this year with Charlie's hoof care. 

Here's hoping I can keep it up, haha, and not have to learn any more lessons the hard way -- at least on this one subject LOL. Bc damn... hooves really are the epitome of the "long game" with horses, it seems. Please tell me I'm not the only one who has taken a couple tries to figure out the secret sauce for their horse? 

feeding Charlie

Equine nutrition is kinda an enormous area of study. Especially if you have a special-needs horse, it can end up being pretty complicated too. There are so many companies promising magical results with their concentrated feeds, supplements, top dressings, nutra-ceuticals... you name it, it's out there.

I'm not much of an expert on this area, to be honest, and generally have a philosophy of, "Don't mess with it if it ain't broke!"

 

supplement cups -- slightly more sustainable than baggies, but takes up way more space

Charlie is not a special-needs horse when it comes to nutrition -- he doesn't have any restrictions, sensitivities or limitations or anything like that. No metabolic issues etc. 

And, somehow, somewhat luckily perhaps, once we got him over the hump of his initial let down from the track, he's generally done quite well with a fairly simple meal plan that's remained virtually unchanged for 4 years. 

nutrena pro force fuel is charlie's base feed

We made the decision early on at the recommendation of a vet to switch Charlie from Triple Crown Senior to Nutrena's Pro Force Fuel (12% protein, 10% fiber, 13% fat). 

It was that vet's opinion that because of Charlie's sheer size, we'd possibly need to balance between feeding enough calories for his weight while not risking too-large meal sizes. And she felt that the Fuel is a denser feed per pound than some other stuff on the market.

it's comparable to a lot of senior feeds on the market, but packs a little more 'bounce per ounce'

That made sense to me, plus I'd already seen a number of thoroughbreds (and Isabel) do extremely well on this particular feed previously. So we made the switch and never looked back. 

Actually, tho, these days Charlie's eating a little less of it daily -- about 2.5ish lbs per meal, twice daily (roughly amounts to three 50lb bags every four weeks). He seems to really love it and looks great, so barring any sort of shift in his general health I don't see this changing any time soon.

run of the mill alfalfa pellets added to every meal (soaked)

Similarly, Charlie also gets ~1lb of soaked alfalfa pellets with every meal. Alfalfa is 100% not a solution for every horse (esp horses that tend toward getting too hot or fizzy) but imo it's generally pretty good stuff. Seems to work well for supporting gastric and muscular health. 

Charlie doesn't love the taste of the alfalfa pellets on their own, but will almost always lick his bucket clean when it's mixed with the Fuel. 

One note about the alfalfa pellets tho: I've been told that it's critical to wet the pellets and give them at least a few minutes to soften before feeding to the horse to avoid risking a choke. 

really would love an alternative to disposable baggies for daily supplements, but haven't found the right storage fix yet

Honestly, Charlie probably gets most of everything he needs from just those two components. But.... For most months out of the year, I like to add in a couple supplements too. Mostly with an eye toward hoof health, plus some seasonal additives like electrolytes.

platinum performance -- charlie gets one full scoop per feeding

I first starting supplementing Charlie's feed with Platinum Performance wayyyy back in the early days in 2016. The stuff is basically glorified expensive flax, as far as I can tell, but honestly Charlie always seems to do super well on it. It's also a nice catch-all to make sure Charlie isn't missing out on any important vitamins or minerals. 

Various different farriers, vets, and trainers have all independently recommended this stuff and it's just a solid supplement for general wellness. It's a little pricey -- one 25lb/5gal bucket is about $150+ -- but it lasts a long time. 

farrier's formula -- charlie get's 2/3 cups per feeding

The other mainstay in Charlie's supplement packs is Farrier's Formula, also something he's been on for almost the whole time I've owned him (with just a few gaps here and there). 

Lots of people tend to swear by this particular supplement. It's basic purpose is to help ensure the horse is growing a good hoof. There's only so much you can do to promote good hoof health for the hoof that's already grown, ya know? Like, topical treatments like Keratex can only go so far if the horse doesn't have the nutrition and ingredients necessary at the point of growth. 

And... Yea, that's basically it. It's kinda a simple meal plan --- bolstered in no small part by absolutely phenomenal grazing during the summer months, and plenty of free choice hay in the winter. 

plus obvi all the free choice forage he likes during turnout (and in his stall -- he has two hay nets that i keep full)

I've also experimented with various other additives over the years -- electrolytes during the summer months, MSM every now and then when I remember, various oil-based top dressings, other muscle- or topline-related supplements.... 

But, mostly I just keep coming back to what I've written above. Possibly bc mixing out supplement baggies in advance is absolutely my least favorite task omg kill me, so anything not 100% mission critical gets cut out LOL. 

Also tho... Honestly, I try to take my cues from Charlie about what he needs. And ya know. The horse is, by all appearances, well fed lol. 

He's got a soft shiny coat - even when absolutely covered in dust and shedding, like below. He grows good hair and hoof, only really suffering in the hoof department in conjunction with seasonal changes (sugary wet grass; hard ground). He holds muscling well, and generally appears "well upholstered" haha. 

imho i think he's doing pretty well with this nutrition plan!

So that's basically good enough for me. Every now and then I'll talk through his nutrition and supplements with various members of his team (vets, trainers, farriers, wellness practitioners, etc) and they all seem to sorta agree that his bases are covered. 

Tho ya know, as always -- I'm not ruling out any changes in the future. It's possible we'll experiment more with feed through joint support at some point. I also know of folks who feed supplements intended to repel biting insects and pests and stuff. Or maybe I'll try another top-line builder again eventually (I liked that it made Charlie run a little hotter LOL). 

So in that vein, I'm always curious to hear what other people like to use as supplements. Obvi every horse reacts to things slightly differently and nutritional needs can vary greatly by region... But. yea, always curious. Is there anything that you always make sure to add to your horse's diet? Does your horse also get concentrated grain, or maybe you're able to avoid that all together? I've often thought about adding a ration balancer too (if only I had more storage space!) -- have you used one in your feeding program?

Or, unrelated to the feed itself... I'm also always super curious how people manage storage solutions for this stuff. My barn requires we premeasure our own supplements and I honestly loathe that task haha. Plus have first world guilt about using disposable thin-film plastic baggies for the job. But the plastic tubs I use don't fit nicely into the 5gal bucket I have for storage -- I can only make about a week's worth at a time. Maybe I need to find some sort of square drawer or square tupperwares?? Lmk if you have a more elegant solution LOL!

how what why: Charlie + Ulcers

It is a truth universally acknowledged, that should you and your horse ever struggle in some inconsistent, hard-to-pin-down manner, the Greek chorus of internet horse forums will unfailingly reply with some sing-song variation of the following mantra:

Saddle fit!

Teeth or Dentist!!

Ulcers!!!

Plus, frequent bonus armchair diagnosis:

Hoof angles and/or something to do with shoeing!!

Tho of course, depending on where you live, you're also just as likely to hear tell of various common tick-borne illnesses like Lyme! or Anaplasmosis!

it was recently brought to my attention that this property's owners permit riders on the driveway. helllll yesssss!!

On one hand, it's almost become a joke. Or like you could create some devilish sort of drinking game by guessing how long it takes before somebody suggests one of the above in response to anyone even so much as whispering about horse struggles.

On the other hand, tho, there are very real reasons for that, right? Like, there are reasons why these ailments often top the list of suggested pain points whenever owners run into problems.

Mostly, it's because these comprise most of the lowest hanging fruit. Common issues that can cause low grade but persistent nagging problems without the obvious acute indicator of a head bob or tree trunk leg. (Well, except anaplasmosis haha.... if your horse busts out with lethargy, a big fever, and four swollen legs outta nowhere, well... call a vet LOL).

And the symptoms are often easy to miss bc they can be as generic or general as "not wanting to go on the bit," or "won't go forward," or "kinda more pissy / spooky / grouchy / fussy than usual." Really, symptoms can be even minor deviations in behavior, soundness, or even general condition.

So.... I figured I'd talk a little more about one of those ailments - Ulcers.

This is by no means intended to be a substitute for talking to an expert or professional - I am (obviously) neither. Nor is this intended to be a thorough, comprehensive or definitive medical guide on the subject of gastric ulcers in equines. I am not offering advice here, or suggesting ways to diagnose your horse.

the passage through to the driveway is unbelievably softy and cushy despite our intense drought

Rather, I want to talk about my own approach -- the choices I've made, my experiences, and my plan for Charlie.

And, in the meantime, if anything I say here makes you feel unsure about your own horse's behavior (under saddle or otherwise), soundness, or general overall wellness, by all means - talk to someone about it. Your vet, coach, trainer, other vet, barn manager, riding buddy, working student, slightly scary but veteran older boarder, invisible friend, emotional support toaster, .... whoever, right? Ask around, phone a friend. See what people say.

Honestly, my experiences with horses have impressed upon me the idea that... there are many right ways to go about horse care and maintenance, and generally very few truly wrong ways.

Sure, there are some horse people who are blessed with knowing exactly the correct way of doing literally anything and everything. And who will judge you for deviating even slightly from their prescient prescriptions. It's true! I can tell you for a fact that there are regular readers here who check in for no reason other than to see if I've managed to murder, maim or otherwise mess Charlie up yet (shout out to my girl Denise!!).

And, ya know. To those folks, may you always feel smug and secure in your convictions. For the rest of y'all... Well. It turns out there are actually a shit ton of different options if you think your horse's particular woe stems from gastric ulcers.

tho ya know, there's a certain amount of charm to our normal pasture lanes <3

If y'all are worried about ulcers, again, best bet is to talk to somebody about it (even if that somebody is the google). When I'm thinking about horsey symptoms, my thoughts range across the following (in no particular order):

- has my horse's attitude or behavior changed?
- is he more spooky and/or grouchy? girthy?
- is he nervous or unsettled on the ground and/or under saddle?
- having trouble holding weight or coat looking dull?
- reactive and/or reluctant to go forward under saddle?

Which... Well. Charlie is a sleek glossy fatass dadbod panther on his post-lunch nap break. So.... Hm.

BUT! Beyond superficial symptoms, there are other indicators -- specifically revolving around lifestyle!! Any of the following lifestyles can make an otherwise sturdy horse vulnerable or prone to ulcers (in no particular order):

- not enough turnout
- not enough forage and/or grazing
- stall rest or prolonged confinement
- solo / individual turnout
- travel in the trailer
- competitions and/or intense training sessions

We're getting closer here. I'm more or less satisfied with Charlie's amount of turnout (would prefer more particularly in winter) and forage. And he's out in a big herd that he absolutely loves, but in a secure and confident way that doesn't leave him buddy sour.

this is charlie trying to look sad after i tubed him. tho ya know, try to ignore the giant grass stalks stuck up in his snackamore after what was an unabashedly indulgent gallop/graze through the woods lol

The travel tho? Yeeeaahhhhh that's kinda the biggie. I do everything in my power to try to always have two horses on board when I go places, bc I feel pretty strongly that being alone on the trailer is harder on Charlie than when he has a friend. But research shows that actually any amount of travel (esp if it involves crowded horse shows, even if the horse isn't actually competing at said show) can increase a horse's vulnerability to ulcers.

So.... Charlie travels, right? According to my budget workbook where I track lessons, clinics, shows, etc, we've averaged 2 trips/month this year. Realistically tho that number is higher in summer and lower in winter. Meaning we've been closer to 3x per month more recently. And actually, we had 3 trips in an 8 day period last week... So. Yea. The travel.

For this reason alone, knowing that any horse I manage - be it Charlie or Isabel - will travel frequently... My approach has been to just plan on treating for ulcers annually.

Obviously Charlie was fresh off the track when I bought him, so treatment was a priority and happened in the first ~2 months. A year later, he was coming off surgery and stall rest and it made sense for another dose. I'm about 90% sure I did a treatment last summer too after the whole Plantation fiasco, but I didn't tag it in any blog posts and can't find it in my paypal payments (thank god for modern vets LOL) so maybe I didn't.

Regardless, I'm pretty much all aboard the "treat first and ask questions later" train here.

apparently liquid fucking gold

Essentially, there are two different tracks you can take when it comes to ulcers: treatment and prevention / maintenance.

The most common treatment drug is omeprazole - an inhibitor. I'm pretty sure this is one of the only FDA approved treatments (tho sucralfate I believe is commonly used in instances where there are hind gut ulcers?? idk, see above "not an expert" comment LOL). As an inhibitor, this drug is not generally recommended for long term (daily) usage.

For prevention, there are loads more options. Generally, in this case we're talking about barriers or blockers, rather than inhibitors. Ranitidine (yes the same shit you can buy in bulk at Costco, your horse just eats like 15 at a time lol). Calcium. Magnesium oxide. Purina Outlast. Slippery elm bark. Aloe juice. Alfalfa. Tums haha.

The prevention stuff is good on a daily basis, especially in the period immediately following a treatment since the absolute last thing you want after inhibiting acid production for a month is to have a giant wave come splashing through when the drug suddenly vanishes from the horse's system (taper, yo!!!!).

There are a couple different varieties of omeprazole available on the market. For use in horses, the most common are the Gastrogard / Ulcergard tubes. They're also the most jesus-christ-this-shit-is-expensive option. Liquid fucking gold, apparently.

The Canadian company Abler has a really nice selection of omeprazole products too, including their unique "pop rocks." I ordered from them a few times for Isabel and was generally pretty happy with the service (they also threw in a few free packets of sucralfate).

MUCH more reasonably priced, dear god

I've also read of bloggers using Nexium, with the idea being: it's maybe easier/cheaper to get a hold of, and if the horse responds positively to it then that's a good indicator to invest more heavily in treatment.

I personally tend to do some combination of the above. One of my vets sells 30 day supply jars of generic omeprazole for $95. Compared to a 4 day tube of Ulcergard that sells for $37.... Well, that's a no fucking brainer haha.

Except.... I've been told by more than one vet that there's something about Ulcergard / Gastrogard's proprietary formula that seems more effective than the generic, including the Abler products. It's not really clear why.

So Charlie's plan involves a few days of the proprietary Ulcergard, half tube per day, at the same time we introduce the generic omeprazole to his 2x daily supplement cups. Then we'll downgrade the Ulcergard to a standard dose, while maintaining the full treatment dose of generic omeprazole powder for a couple days.

Then, when the Ulcergard is finished (I bought two total tubes that should last about 6ish days per my plan), Charlie will just be on 2x daily doses of the omeprazole powder. I measure out his supplement cups every 8 days so I have some options for fine-tuning the amount per day based on whether (or not) I see any changes in the horse. This will continue for about 30 days, at which point we'll taper off.

charlie's supplements are getting out of control these days. farriers formula per usual (forever and ever, amen), some electrolytes to finish out the year, and also a top line muscle supp, since multiple vets have said over the years that he's predominantly a muscular case vs joint case. right now we're doing this pro elite stuff, but i'm probably gonna switch back to purina's supersport once this is done. i felt like it made charlie run a little hotter, a definite advantage LOL

To be honest... I don't expect changes tho. Like. Charlie is just not an ulcery type TB. I've treated him multiple times before and it never made any iota of a difference. And generally speaking, he's the friggin King of the Dings -- stoic he is not.

But... We do it anyway. Maybe I'm just a little liberal with the drugs. Or a little risk averse. Or maybe this will be the time when Charlie says, "Actually, thanks - I needed that!" Whatever, right?

For some horses tho, this treatment is the actual literal manna from heaven, the silver bullet. It can be a life changing difference maker. In the off chance that Charlie shows big changes with treatment, I'd probably proceed to scoping his guts for actual confirmation of the existence of ulcers.

This is important for a few reasons, first bc it would tell us where the ulcers are located. For instance, hind gut ulcers require more involved treatment to actually fully heal than what I've described above - tho symptoms could be soothed at least in this plan.

Likewise, I believe if a horse is insured, diagnosis confirmation is required via scoping in order to get the cost of treatment reimbursed.

i've been using 1lb deli tubs for supplements as a way to assuage my first world environmental guilt. they're working out great and the barn staff are happy with them!!

Generally speaking, tho, the plan I've laid out for Charlie will tell me a few things. If he responds in a big way, I will know it's worth investing more to look more closely. If he doesn't really respond, I'll still feel like I've done my due diligence in ensuring he's thriving in the lifestyle I offer him.

In that same vein, it'll give me confidence in my training with him when things get tough. Which, let's be real, that's mostly what this is all about. Making sure that I've got all my i's dotted and t's crossed so that when push comes to shove, I'll do my goddamn job in the saddle haha. Riding is hard enough already, ain't none of us need to be preoccupied by wondering if our horses are actually uncomfortable or in pain.

So. That's the plan. I'll let you know how it goes LOL.

What do you think, tho? Have you wondered about your horse and ulcers? Or treated?

Charlie isn't particularly ulcery, tho Isabel was, but seemed easily managed. Maybe you have had similar experiences? Or maybe you have a horse that's way less easily managed? Or experiences that were completely different from what I described above? Anything you'd like to share with the community of horse people who are curious about how folks have approached this issue?