Dr Tim Brazil came to see Chancer this morning to carry out a gastroscopy. Life had been a bit complicated by the fact that thunderstorms were threatened last night and I didn't feel that was a good time to be keeping Chancer in a building with a metal structure. This meant he couldn't be starved properly for the requisite number of hours prior to the procedure. Nevertheless, I limited his intake by turning him into the pen. By this morning he was quite cross and hungry and doing some very interesting gymnastics. Bless his cotton socks because he then led quietly around to Fabia's where we had borrowed her stable and electric socket. He also stood like an angel while the horrid tube was poked up his nose and down into his stomach under very light sedation. The brilliant news is that his stomach is the pinkest, beautifullest, most perfect stomach in the whole wide world and I can at last relax that there is nothing other than more grass and protein needed to keep him right - he already looks a stack better than a couple of weeks ago; in fact he looks extremely well now. When you are told that over 90% of racehorses have gastric ulcers there is always a vague nagging feeling that your horse may have them even though he has been out of training and turned out for the last 4 years. It is only now that our vet has thought that it was worth a look given his loss of condition.
Tim Brazil (European Specialist in Equine Internal Medicine) is a thoroughly pleasant and calm chap. He answered all my questions and gave us a thorough tour of Chancer's insides while we had the opportunity. Hopefully he will send me pictures when he comes back from his holidays.
