Reduce the Risk of Colic
October 2, 2008
Help your horse avoid this painful ailment.
Avoid tummy trouble.
Management plays a key role in the prevention of colic.
The following tips can reduce the risk of colic in your horse:
- Stick to a daily routine, including feeding and exercise schedules.
- Feed a high-quality diet of free-choice roughage.
- Avoid feeding excessive grain and energy-dense supplements.
- Because horses were designed by nature to eat several small meals, divide the daily ration into two or three feedings.
- Follow a regular deworming program with your vet’s help.
- Provide exercise daily. Change the intensity/duration of an exercise routine gradually.
- Provide fresh, clean water. Exception: when a horse is excessively hot, give him small sips of lukewarm water until he has recovered.
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- Avoid medications unless they are prescribed by your vet.
- Check hay, bedding, pasture and environment for potentially toxic substances: blister beetles, noxious weeds, plastics, etc.
- Avoid putting feed on the ground, especially in sandy soils.
- Make dietary and other management changes gradually.
- Reduce stress. Horses experiencing changes in environment or workloads are at high risk of intestinal dysfunction.
- Pay special attention to animals when transporting them or changing their surroundings, such as at shows.
- Observe foaling mares pre- and post-partum for any signs of colic. Watch any horses that have had a previous bout with colic. They may be at greater risk.
- Maintain accurate records of management, feeding practices and health.
To learn more about colic, check out America’s Horse TV.
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Comments
17 Comments on “Reduce the Risk of Colic”
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October 7th, 2008 at 7:17 pm
This is a great article. Something I’d like to say is that where I live, certain individuals do not stress the importance of fresh, clean water. I’ve even heard comments that if horses drink pond water then it does not matter if their water buckets are full of greenish black sludge. Wrong! Just once, I would love to give one of these clueless horsepeople a big drink of that stuff:)
In the hot, humid summer you can have a terrible problem with impaction colics if your equine bud does not get enough fluids. In the winter, you can have a problem with impaction colic if they do not drink enough.
If we are going to spend the money and the time to have horses, then we ought to be sure they are taken care of properly. It’s at times, difficult enough to keep one healthy and sound.
Happy trails!
October 7th, 2008 at 8:22 pm
catherine, amen to your comments
October 8th, 2008 at 6:59 am
We’ve lost 2 friends to colic over the years and it is painful to watch.It is so importantt o follow all of the suggestions noted. Our hourses cannot do this without our help.
October 8th, 2008 at 8:04 am
As a new horse owner, how would I recognize a horse with Colic?
October 8th, 2008 at 9:07 am
Most of the time when you realize your horse has colic, he is laying down and trying to roll. Some times he will get up and take a few steps and lay back down and try to roll again. (Don’T confuse this with normal rolling after you have given him a bath or just turned him loose after riding). You can tell if he feels bad. Keep your horse on his feet if possible and call your vet. If a vet isn’t available, load your horse into a trailer and tie he or she up short about head high and drive down the roughest road you can find. Usually this will make the horse pass what ever has him impacted. Also, if you are capable of giving shots, your vet can provide you with meds to keep on hand. Hope this was some help. I have saved several horses just by pulling them in a trailer down a rough dirt road sometimes for several hours.
October 8th, 2008 at 9:17 am
In my experience as a farm operator inCentral Ky the most significant thing that I do to reduce the risk of colic is to feed a very low cost probiotic, to all horses in my care, on a daily basis. At less than 30 cents a day, my horses experience all of the benefits of probiotic use, such as improved feed efficiency (less grain is required to maintain condition, thereby paying for itself), improved coat condition, improved lactation (higher cp, higher fat content, higher rate of production), improved appetites, and increased sense of well being (yes, this one is a very subjective observation) as well as an improved ability to resist challenges from digestive tract pathogens.
October 8th, 2008 at 9:26 am
Do you use an auto-refilling waterer? Add one of those large 5+ gallon tubs to your stall for water, and check it every day. You would be surprised how much water is gone–especially during the winter months. Just think, if you could have a long drink of water vs. little sips–when you’re thirsty, which would you prefer? Tubs allow you to see how much your horse drinks–auto-fillers don’t.
October 8th, 2008 at 10:19 am
According to my Vet it is very important, for horses to have access to daily salt block and 12/12 mineral for horses; as needed-to help prevent colic
October 8th, 2008 at 10:55 am
The most important thing that a horse owner can do is get to know their horse and what is normal for that individual. Some of the signs may be a little stronger in one horse than another. Some horses may show signs during weather changes and if you catch it quickly, you can do things to get their insides moving and reduce the shock to the system. If something isn’t right, trust your instincts and get a second set of eyes.
One of the signs that something is wrong (typically a pre-colic symptom) that our barn owner watches is that when a horse gets up from rolling, he or she should shake, at least a little. It may take a moment, but there should be some shake. The horse may drop and roll again after a shake, but they should shake between.
Gut sounds are another indicator. If the horse seems “not himself” or sluggish and wants to lay down at times that aren’t normal for him, watch and listen for some noise. Our vet explained that both very slow and a noisier, excessively active gut sounds can signal problems.
One of the other prevention strategies that is helpful is turnout. Not having a human dictate the terms of movement allows the horse to keep thing moving and work out the kinks. My horse has gone from 2 hours a day to times when he stays out all night when it’s above 45 degrees and the bugs aren’t eating him. In the winter and rain, he goes in the arena. Since we started this 2 years ago, he doesn’t get the colicky symptoms in the fall with the first major drop in temps.
October 8th, 2008 at 4:44 pm
I just read that instead of putting out a salt block and not knowing how much they are eating, if at all, put 2 ozs of salt in their grain at night. My gelding loves his salt block but my mare could care less. Now I know she is getting salt and is drinking plenty.
October 8th, 2008 at 8:53 pm
Interesting that you would show a horse standing in front of blooming Canadian Thistle! Good grief, we do everything we can to keep it out of our pastures in Star Valley, WY
October 9th, 2008 at 3:40 pm
I am from Arizona. It is very dry here. I have never had my horse’s colic. The reason I think is simply this. I drench my hay in water in a wheel barrow before I feed it. Then tip the wheel barrow to get the water out before putting it in their feeder. Both Alfalfa and Bermuda does great when watered up to a half an hour before feeding. The Bermuda actually turns green like it was just cut. It also rinsing a lot of the dirt and dust out too. Do not water Timothy I don’t like what it does to it.
If you think about it, it is not natural for horses to eat dried out condensed hay. In nature they would eat from live pastures when the grasses have moisture in them. In Arizona we have a lot of colic in horses and I think it is because it is so dry.
I also do just the opposite with my horses and feed them a Varity of different feeds (which the vets say be careful of), plus pasture them. I feed Bermuda, Timothy, Alfalfa, Pellets, Sweet feed and a processed grain. I also give them bran mixed with WATER several times a week.
I highly agree having your horses turned out (preferably all the time) verses stuck in a stall. It really helps not only their health, but their minds as well. All my horses are turned out 24/7 with the option to walk into their stall at night or in the day to get out of the summer heat (in Arizona). Misters and fans are on in the summer. I had one mare for 23 years and she never colic once here.
I have always been told that if a horse is lying down to get them up, that is until the last two years. The vets out here are now saying if they are not rolling; it is OK to leave them down. But I prefer to get them up and moving. I have even got on them bareback and trotted them a bit. You can also give them a enema by putting a hose up their Butt to try to loosen the impaction. I also keep Banimine on hand just in case for our property up north very remotely located from any vets.
October 9th, 2008 at 9:17 pm
I just lost my most expensive, best producing broodmare to colic less than 30 days ago. I owned her for several years and she never colicked prior to that. Her intestines were twisted so badly the vet could not get inside to examine her from the rear. I worm the horses, keep them comfortable, free forage, little grain, blanket when needed, etc. But there is one thing I can’t control, mother nature.
I live in a fairly arid climate. When the weather turns cold and damp, kind of misty wet after a long dry spell, it usually makes someone here colicky, either minor or major. A good rainy downpour doesn’t do it, just a damp, misty, cool day. When those days arrive, I just cringe. So, keep in mind the weather changes can be a factor in colic, too.
October 11th, 2008 at 12:47 pm
I live in Arizona also and one thing we do for weather changes or even extended cold spells is the loose salt because the horses won’t drink enough without it. (We do salt blocks as well.) A damp misty cool day or a windy cold day needs a handful of loose salt!
February 25th, 2009 at 7:48 pm
Many domestic horses colic because they pick up dirt or sand from short pastures and from just being in small pastures and pens. Did you ever notice how a horse will graze on the very short grass even when there is longer grass? They will eat it right at the dirt because it is more tender and the sugar content is higher.
There is a product called psyillium that helps horses clean that sand and dirt out of their system(i may not have spelled psyilliun exactly right) but vets and most feed stores know what it is. And our mare that coliced often hasn’t coliced in about a year. It was suggested by our vet.
June 14th, 2009 at 6:42 pm
I live in San Antonio, Texas today heat index is 108. I have a 7 year old gelding, that got colic 11 days ago 9 days after the vet trip he had a relaspe due to the heat. I have strictly limited him to coastal hay. Today he seems alot more ennergetic but the heat worries me. He is consuming mineral/salt blocks like there won’t be one tomorrow. I have never seen this horse sick a day in his life and I have owned him from the get go. Nothing changed but the weather. Same pastures same hay same feed etc…. So the question is? Good luck to all with horses and this horrible disease with all who have to deal with it.
August 12th, 2010 at 4:01 am
[...] Just like their human counterparts, horses are living longer. Advances in equine health care and nutrition mean that horses are also able to have active, useful lives well into their advanced years. With the increase in longevity comes an increase in the opportunity for colic. [...]