Ulcer?

Clouds sat on the top of the coastal mountains today which means we were smack in the middle of them, all day.  It was cold and being in the clouds meant that fog drifted around as well.  When the sun is out and it's cold, it seems warmer than the thermometer  reads.  But when the days are like today, the fog and cold creep up the cuffs of your jacket and down your neck...  it's just not inviting at all.  But I did get up the energy to ride Jackson.  He wasn't overly thrilled and when I tacked him up he was downright grouchy.  Tightening the girth was a slow painful process.  He's not a prima dona by any stretch of the imagination and is actually too stoic sometimes.  So, I knew he wasn't feeling great.  That and the fact that I just can't seem to get him to "normal" manure has me worried.  He has had the squirts on and off since last May.  I've changed his feed around so he's getting free choice grass hay. He gets a small scoop of vitamins to balance out the hay.  He also gets a joint support supplement (for the arthritis in his hocks) and an ulcer preventative/protective supplement.  His morning bucket is pretty pathetic.  No grain to cause irritation.  He was good when I rode him but I just felt like he wasn't totally comfortable.  He complied, he was obedient, but he wasn't enthusiastic.  So, I put in another call to my vet.  We've been discussing this off and on and I'm at the point where I want to give him ulcer meds.  I'm waiting to hear back from her on when she will be up to our community next.  I want him to be comfortable -- and I'm so dang tired of washing his legs, his butt and his tail everyday. 

Tonight we had Mushroom Wellington, salad, bread with goat butter (a recent discovery) and a BIG glass of the wine we opened last night.  The Wellington was fun to make - a big portabello mushroom cap topped with a mix of more chopped mushrooms, Roquefort cheese, thyme, leeks and walnuts.  Then the whole thing was enclosed in puff pastry.  Brett didn't care that it was a meatless meal.  Bon appetit!