Horses can't tell us in words when something feels wrong on the inside. Often, the first clue comes out in how they behave, under saddle, on the ground, or simply in their general mood. Digestive discomfort is one possible cause that's frequently overlooked.

Has your normally settled horse become more reactive, tense or easily startled?

This often shows up as a horse who startles at things they'd normally ignore, feels "buzzy" or unable to settle even after work, or holds their breath and tenses through the back when asked to go forward.

It's a low-grade, constant tension rather than a single spooky moment.

Look for pawing or door-kicking that specifically intensifies in the 10 to 15 minutes before feed arrives, or circling and calling that doesn't settle once feed is in sight.

This is different from a horse who's simply food-motivated and calms down as soon as they see you coming.

The stomach produces acid more or less continuously, whether or not there's food present. After several hours without forage, there may be less food and saliva available to help buffer that acid, which may contribute to discomfort in some horses.

Balancers such as Ulsa-Cool are built around supporting a healthy digestive environment, with natural marine minerals alongside prebiotics (MOS), live yeast and beta-glucans to support the gut microbiome further along the digestive tract.

A horse who has suddenly become girthy is worth paying attention to.

Watch for tension when the girth is tightened, pinning their ears, biting, threatening to kick, moving away from the girth or generally seeming uncomfortable when being tacked up.

There can be several reasons for this behaviour. The girth sits over the front part of the abdomen, and if a horse is experiencing gastric discomfort, normal pressure in this area may feel uncomfortable.

Saddle fit, back or muscle soreness and digestive discomfort are all worth considering if girthiness develops or worsens.

Changes under saddle can be another clue.

Watch for resistance to downward transitions, a hollow, tense back rather than a soft, swinging one, reluctance to go forward, or bucking that tends to appear after a harder piece of work rather than at the start.

Ridden work can alter abdominal pressure and movement, which may be uncomfortable for a horse experiencing gastric discomfort. This may explain why some resistance appears around transitions, collection or more effortful work rather than being constant throughout a session.

Weaving that increases specifically around feed times or when other horses are turned out, or crib-biting that intensifies around feeding, can be a clue that the behaviour is at least partly linked to stress or discomfort rather than boredom alone.

Crib-biting has a particularly interesting physiological link: it increases saliva production, and saliva contains bicarbonate that helps buffer stomach acid. Some researchers have therefore explored whether horses may crib-bite partly as a way of self-soothing gastric discomfort, alongside the more familiar stress-related explanations.

Sometimes the biggest clue is simply that your horse isn't behaving like themselves.

Teeth grinding (bruxism) when not eating, unusual amounts of yawning, or a horse who seems withdrawn and reluctant to interact even at grooming or feeding time are all worth noting alongside a general change in mood.

Ongoing discomfort can affect a horse's behaviour, making them more reactive, less tolerant and quicker to react to things that wouldn't normally bother them.

A calming, palatable botanical blend, such as the alfalfa, spearmint, eucalyptus, rosemary, garlic and menthol found in Ulsa-Cool, is designed to support a settled, comfortable horse alongside a healthy gut.

Sometimes there isn't one obvious sign, just a general sense that your horse isn't quite themselves.

They might seem quieter than usual, more irritable, less interested in their surroundings or simply different from the horse you know.

Some owners also notice their horse curling their top lip (a flehmen response) after eating or during work, which can be linked to abdominal discomfort, although it has other causes too.

Trust your instincts. You know your horse's normal behaviour better than anyone, and a subtle change can be worth investigating.