Tummy ache?

["C Eyler" <eyler@mindspring.com>]

Had my gelding out for about six miles today.  Nothing unusual.  Lots of
walking, stretches of trotting.  He seemed a bit less winded from the work
than he's been previously.   Temp in the 60's with a good breeze.  Two
strenuous, but short, hill climbs.

Returned to the farm, untacked him and led him onto the lawn for his usual
after-work picnic.  My chowhound WAS NOT INTERESTED.  He rolled a couple of
times (not usual for him right after a ride -- food is a much higher
priority) and then lay there like a dog on his haunches.

Got him up and checked him over.  Rectal temp and pulse fine, gut sounds
good (had pooped twice on the trail), not dehydrated.  Called the vet,
though I only got to talk with an employee who relayed my info and then gave
me back the vet's responses (this did not make me happy).  At first, she
tried to blow me off.  Chuckling, she said, "Your horse sounds fine."  "My
horse is NOT fine.  This boy never passes up a blade of grass."  Final
advice was to keep an eye on him tonight, no evening grain or beet pulp, hay
only.

At first he wasn't very interested in the hay, but that changed after an
hour or so.  He certainly wasn't happy at being kept in.

So I guess he had a belly ache, though I don't know why.  Have had him for
3.5 years, and nothing like this has ever happened before.  Where do I go
from here?  How soon can we go out again?

Cindy