What You Should Know About Colon Ulcers

The horse might not place a front foot normally.

When a horse is lame within a hind leg or hind foot these signs may be seen:

• The mount may rest the lame leg not want to take the weight in it.


• When watched from behind, particularly with trot, the horse will improve the hip of the lame leg above the hip of this sound leg.


• The horse's hip will appear to dip when the sound leg hits the ground.


• The horse may take a shorter stride with one hind leg.


• Limb or foot placement are probably not normal.


• The horse may catch or drag a hind feet.

Hind limb lameness is more difficult to see so an additional test may be required, such as:

• Turning the horse in tight circles to both the left and the right will show whether the horse is reluctant to look at his weight on a particular hind leg.

Differential prognosis

It is said that the large proportion of all equine lameness is in the foot.?? Indeed most Vets will start at the hooves and work their way up the leg when investigating any lameness in horses.

However, when the most pronounced symptom can be a shortening of the stride length with one foreleg it is not easy to tell whether the lameness is lower leg or not, and, horse owners often mistakenly believe this being shoulder lameness.?? In the lack of a head nod, and especially when riding, a shortened stride can feel like the shoulder is stiff not swinging forwards freely.?? But, shoulder lameness in horses is fairly rare so the hoof and leg should always be investigated first.

When it comes to hind legs it is even harder to tell as four legged animals are very good at disguising hind limb lameness.

The "hip hike" or dropping of one hip is almost always confused which includes a back or pelvic issue, as is a reduced stride or dragging with the hind toes.?? But these symptoms can equally be assigned to problems in the hock, contrain, hind suspensory ligaments among others structures, as well as being related to the horse's back.?? So the first port of call should be your Vet.

As a very general rule, a back problem usually causes a modification in gait patterns and stride length, or a behavioural or equitation problem rather than a limp - however moderate.?? If your horse is actually limping or head nodding it can be probably hoof or lower leg related.

Find out more information on how to assess your horse's movement: see - maintaining your horse's back .

A colon ulcer can be a sore that appears inside lining of a person's intestinal tract. Often people who have a colon ulcer will suffer the pain of bleeding and infection and as a result of this inflammation the cells within the colon begin to deteriorate. Unfortunately a colon ulcer could be the first signs of a way more serious condition known as Ulcerative Colitis or Colon Cancer or simply Crohn's Disease (an inflammatory bowel disease).

Considering have at some time suffered from at least one colon ulcer and are starting to experience unusually severe abdominal pain, constant fevers, loss of excess weight, loss of appetite and fatigue then it becomes wise to make an appointment to see your physician. ulcers in horses symptoms, ulcers in horses symptoms