Why the Small Signs Matter Most

Horses are prey animals, and their instinct is to mask discomfort for as long as they can. A horse that looks obviously unwell in the field has usually been struggling quietly for hours, sometimes days. Colic and gastric ulcers rarely announce themselves with a dramatic scene; they creep in through small changes — a slightly picked-at feed, a grumpier attitude when girthed, one fewer dropping pile overnight. The most valuable skill any owner can develop is knowing what is normal for their own horse, so that a subtle shift stands out immediately.

Spend a few minutes each day simply watching and counting. It costs nothing and it is often the difference between catching a mild bout of gas colic early and dealing with a surgical emergency.

Appetite, Drinking and Chewing

A horse with mild gastric discomfort often still eats — just differently. Watch for:

• Leaving part of a hard feed, or eating it far more slowly than usual
• Quidding: dropping half-chewed wads of hay or grass from the mouth
• Dunking hay in the water bucket, or dunking the muzzle repeatedly
• Sudden fussiness about a feed they normally lick clean
• Drinking noticeably more or less than their usual amount
• Hanging back from the haynet while the others tuck in

Quidding can point to sharp enamel points or a loose tooth as easily as to ulcers, so a dental check at least annually is money well spent. Reduced drinking is a genuine concern, particularly in winter when horses often drink less from icy buckets; soaked hay, mashes and warm water can all encourage intake, and good hydration keeps the gut contents moving.

Behaviour and Comfort Cues

Ulcers and low-grade colic frequently show up as irritability rather than obvious pain. Keep an eye out for:

• Flank watching, curling the upper lip, or turning to look at the belly
• Pawing, stamping, or kicking out at the abdomen
• Stretching out as if to urinate but passing nothing
• Lying down more than usual, or repeatedly getting up and lying down
• Yawning, teeth grinding, or tail swishing while standing at rest
• Grouchiness when girthed or rugged — a classic sign of gastric pain
• Reluctance to go forward under saddle, or a sour, hollow-feeling way of going

Some horses become dull and withdrawn instead of restless. If your forward-going hunter suddenly needs constant leg, or your usually sweet-natured pony starts pinning its ears at the saddle, the gut is worth considering alongside the back and the teeth.

Droppings: The Daily Audit

Most horses pass roughly six to ten piles in twenty-four hours. Learn your horse's pattern, then note both the number and the appearance. Healthy droppings are moist, well formed and brownish-green, with a faint grassy smell and no whole grain.

• Fewer piles than usual or none for several hours — always significant
• Small, hard, dry droppings — often a sign of dehydration or reduced gut motility
• Loose or watery droppings — stress, diet change, or a gut upset
• Mucus or slime on the surface — irritation somewhere in the tract
• Whole grain or long fibrous strands — inefficient chewing or digestion

If your horse is stabled, muck out with half an eye on what you are removing. A skipped morning pile is one of the earliest alerts you will get.

The Physical Checks Worth Learning

Knowing a few normal values transforms guesswork into useful information for your vet. At rest, an adult horse's heart rate is around 28 to 44 beats per minute, breathing 8 to 16 breaths per minute, and temperature 37.5 to 38.5°C. Gums should be pale pink and moist, with colour returning within two seconds of pressing a fingertip against them.

Gut sounds are worth listening to as well. Place a stethoscope, or simply an ear, against the flank low down on both sides. You should hear gentle gurgles and rumbles every minute or so. Silence, or the opposite — loud, tinkling, tinny sounds — both warrant a call. Record your horse's baseline figures somewhere handy, because a heart rate of 60 means something very different in a fit eventer than in a pony who is always on the sharper side.

When to Ring the Vet

Call for advice the same day if your horse has eaten less, passed fewer droppings, or seems mildly uncomfortable but is still bright and interested. Call immediately if you see violent rolling, sweating, a bloated or tight abdomen, continuous pawing, no droppings for twelve hours, a heart rate above 60, or pain that does not ease when the horse is walked gently.

Do not give painkillers from the cupboard before speaking to your vet. Bute and similar drugs can mask the signs a vet needs to assess, and some can aggravate gastric ulcers. Walking a mildly colicky horse can be helpful, but never force a horse that wants to lie down. Ring for guidance and follow it.

Prevention is largely about routine: forage first and plenty of it, small frequent meals rather than a couple of large ones, generous turnout, constant access to clean water, feed changes made gradually over seven to ten days, regular worming and dentistry, and as little stress as you can manage. Horses thrive on sameness. The more consistent the day, the calmer the gut.