Why is my horse stamping her back feet?

Horses stomp to indicate irritation. Usually, it's something minor, such as a fly they're trying to dislodge. However, stomping may also indicate your horse is frustrated with something you are doing, and if you don't address it, he may resort to stronger signals.
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Why is my horse kicking his back legs?

Horses may defend themselves by kicking when they feel another horse is getting too close to its food, its foal, a special herd mate, or if another horse is acting aggressively towards it. In the wild, horses use powerful kicks, often with both back legs at the same time, to ward off predators.
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What does a horse pawing the ground mean?

Your horse may paw at the ground for several reasons, including boredom, frustration, playfulness or pain. However, pawing at the ground is also a common sign of colic. If this behaviour is out of character for your horse, call your veterinarian immediately.
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How can you tell if a horse is happy?

One of the most obvious signs your horse is happy is when his nostrils are relaxed. Horses that are unhappy often have tense nostrils that appear very thin. If his nostrils are relaxed, it is a sign your horse is happy and content. Another sign of happiness is a relaxed tail.
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What are the first signs of colic in a horse?

Signs of colic in your horse
  • Frequently looking at their side.
  • Biting or kicking their flank or belly.
  • Lying down and/or rolling.
  • Little or no passing of manure.
  • Fecal balls smaller than usual.
  • Passing dry or mucus (slime)-covered manure.
  • Poor eating behavior, may not eat all their grain or hay.
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The Safe and Smart Way to Pick Up Your Horse's Back Feet



What are the symptoms of laminitis?

10 Early Warning Signs of Laminitis
  • A strong/bounding digital pulse. ...
  • A hoof that's hot for hours. ...
  • A distorted hoof shape and/or unusual rings. ...
  • An increased heart rate. ...
  • Too little—or too much—foot lifting. ...
  • Apparent stretched and/or bleeding laminae. ...
  • A shortened stride. ...
  • Increased insulin levels.
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What are the symptoms of ulcers in horses?

Initial symptoms of stomach ulcers in horses result from the pain. Many times, signs of ulcers in horses include clenching and grinding of teeth, depression, unwillingness to train, lying down more, stress at feeding time, ear flinching, or stomping hooves during girthing.
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Why do horses kick up their heels?

The scientific terminology for zoomies is Frenetic Random Activity Period. This happens when your horse holds in too much energy and can finally release it by galloping around as fast as they can with their tail in the air and they may even kick up their heels a time or two for giggles.
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Do horses kick when they're happy?

Message: “I feel good.”

You'll often see horses frolicking in a field, galloping, bucking and kicking as they go. It's a way to burn off steam and stretch their limbs. This type of kicking isn't intended to cause harm but may do so by accident. Playful kicking isn't something you need to–or even can–correct.
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Why do horses charge at you?

If you get too close to the horses and they feel threatened enough for their fight-or-flight response to be triggered. They may defend themselves by charging, kicking or biting.
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Should you walk behind a horse?

Never stand directly in front of your horse when leading or backing. Horses cannot see directly in front of them or behind them. Stand to the “near side" (left side) of the horse, between the head and shoulder, ideally at the throat latch. Standing behind a horse is also unsafe, as they have a blind spot there as well.
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How do you treat a hindgut ulcer?

Sucralfate acts to line the stomach and intestines with a buffering substance, and can be used with ranitidine for the treatment of hindgut ulcers. Sucralfate should also be given every 8 hours. Succeed is is a product that I like to use to treat a horse with ulcers.
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How are hindgut ulcers diagnosed in horses?

In order to diagnose colonic ulcers, veterinarians most often perform a transabdominal ultrasound. This involves an ultrasound examination of the abdomen, with a focus on the horse's right side in an effort to visualize the right dorsal colon.
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How do you know if your horse's back is sore?

Place your fingertips under his belly and push up firmly: If he doesn't raise his back, he may be sore. Usually, vertebral or ligament pain is accompanied by muscle pain, but the reverse isn't true: A horse with sore back muscles won't necessarily have spinal pain.
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Can horses get laminitis in back feet?

Both front feet are usually affected, but hind feet can be involved as well. Occasionally, laminitis occurs in only one foot, often as a result of excessive load bearing due to a severe lameness of the opposite leg. Affected horses show a characteristic, 'pottery' gait landing with the heel first.
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Can horses get laminitis from hay?

Feed a low energy forage

Hay is more suitable for horses and ponies at risk of laminitis than haylage. For those prone to the disease and/or overweight, feed hay that has been soaked for 12-16 hours.
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How can you tell if a horse is foundering?

Signs and Symptoms of Founder
  1. Sudden onset of lameness.
  2. Resistance to walking or moving.
  3. Feeling a pulse and heat in the foot.
  4. Shifting weight back and forth between legs.
  5. Reluctance to bend the leg.
  6. Standing with the legs camped out in front of the body or with all four legs under the body.
  7. Laying down more frequently.
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What do you feed a horse with a hindgut ulcer?

Dietary Management of Colonic ulcers

A primary goal for horses with hindgut ulceration is to reduce the amount of work the colon has to do by limiting long fiber hay consumption. Hay should be replaced with short fiber hay cubes, pellets, or chopped hay. In some cases, a complete feed is suitable.
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Does GastroGard treat hindgut ulcers?

There is only one FDA-approved drug for the treatment of ulcers of any kind in horses: Gastrogard®, specifically for treatment of gastric ulcers in horses. There are no FDA-approved drug remedies for colonic ulcers in horses.
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Do bananas help horses with ulcers?

8. Bananas can cure horse stomach ulcers (NOT PROVED). While quite a few horse owners claim that they are using bananas to cure horse stomach ulcers, there is no scientific evidence about it. They say that bananas soothe the stomach and can help prevent reoccurrence.
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What is hindgut acidosis in horses?

Hindgut acidosis is an excessive acidity in the horse's hindgut, a drastic drop of the pH value, most commonly caused by a high grain and low forage diet. More than 60% of performance horses suffer from hindgut acidosis.
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Can worms cause ulcers in horses?

Small Stomach Worm (Trichostrongylus)

These worms produce a longterm, bloody inflammation of the stomach (catarrhal gastritis), which may result in weight loss. The affected area may be rather small and irregular, or it may grow to involve much of the stomach and cause ulcers.
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Can grass cause ulcers in horses?

Horses which are in heavy to very heavy work are three times more likely to suffer from ulcers. Horses in race-training, on limited turnout or no turnout on grass have around a 80% chance of developing stomach ulcers. These can cause discomfort, minor recurring colics and lack of performance.
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Can a horse bite off your finger?

While horses bite humans very rarely, their bites are mostly associated with fatalities. Herein, we report the case of a 23-year old bitten by a domestic horse causing a crush injury to his fourth finger with fracture dislocation of the proximal interphalangeal joint.
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How do you act around a horse?

Handlers are never loud or rowdy in their behaviour when near horses. Keep your voice low when around horses as yelling can cause a horse to startle. Do not allow anyone to run, throw things, or make loud noises near the horse. Always approach the horse from his left and from the front.
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