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Circling, Pacing or Weaving in Stall
Summary
Pacing or weaving is often short-lived, a reaction to anxiety associated with change in management or a new stimulus, but it can also be a stereotypical (or habitual) behavior common in horses that spend much of their lives in stalls. A horse will also circle and may pace in a stall when it is in abdominal pain (colic) and rarely when it is affected by certain brain disorders.
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Code Red
Call Your Vet Immediately, Even Outside Business Hours- If you notice signs of colic, along with this sign.
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Code Yellow
Contact Your Vet at Your Convenience for an Appointment- If the horse's appetite and attitude are normal and you see nothing else wrong.
- If the results of the Whole Horse Exam (WHE) suggest the horse is otherwise normal.
your role
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What To Do
Try to differentiate between this behavior as a stall vice and as a sign of an underlying physical problem. Assess your horse's general health using the Whole Horse Exam (WHE), and always look for signs of abdominal pain. Assess appetite by offering a small amount of feed.If you believe this is a stall vice, you can try to solve this problem with improvements or changes in management. Provide long-stem grass hay in larger quantities. Provide consistent exercise, and maximize turnout or contact with other horses. Your vet can advise you. If you are concerned that circling behavior is a sign of underlying abdominal pain or other disease, the best course is to contact your vet immediately.
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Skills you may need
Procedures that you may need to perform on your horse.
your vet's role
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- When did you first notice this?
- How is the horse stabled or managed?
- How long has the horse been stabled this way?
- What do you do with the horse?
- What is the horse's exercise regimen?
- Are you seeing other signs of abdominal pain (colic)?
- What are the results of the Whole Horse Exam (WHE)?
- What changes in management have you tried so far?
- How is your horse's health otherwise?
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Diagnostics Your Vet May Perform
Figuring out the cause of the problem. These are tests or procedures used by your vet to determine what’s wrong.
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Diagnoses Your Vet May Consider
The cause of the problem. These are conditions or ailments that are the cause of the observations you make.
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Treatments Your Vet May Recommend
A way to resolve the condition or diagnosis. Resolving the underlying cause or treating the signs of disease (symptomatic treatment)