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Colic, a fact of life
Photo: Power in His Prime

For most horses, colic is a fact of life. Yet, cases of colic can range from inconsequential to fatal. Any sign of Equine Colic should be taken very seriously because in its early stages, it is difficult to distinguish between a mild case and a life-threatening case.

There are many different types of colic, displacement or “twisted gut” being one of the more severe. Veterinarian Dick Richardson, of Blue Mountain Veterinary Clinic says that "“Twists”or displacements of the digestive tract are common in horses and result in more mortality than any other ailment of the horse.”

Displacements occur when part of the intestine moves to an abnormal position in the abdomen. This commonly results in a total blockage of the intestine that requires immediate surgery. If the bowel is not returned to its normal position, it begins to deteriorate and the body begins to absorb toxins from food fermenting in the intestine. A horse will not survive without correction. While surgery does correct the positioning of the bowel, it does not correct the myoneural (muscle nerve) abnormalities that caused the twisting. Diet changes are necessary and reoccurrences are common.

The Equine Research Centre provides a fact sheet, written by veterinarian Janet Douglas. A portion of the fact sheet is paraphrased below:

Most common signs of colic in horses:

  • Lying down more than usual
  • Getting up and lying down repeatedly
  • Standing stretched out
  • Standing frequently as if to urinate
  • Turning the head towards the flank
  • Repeatedly curling the upper lip
  • Pawing the ground
  • Kicking at the abdomen
  • Rolling

    • What to do:

    If your horse is acting violently, call your veterinarian immediately. This is usually a sign of severe pain and time is of the essence.

    If the signs of pain are less extreme, take time to observe your horse. Check temperature, pulse and respiration rates if possible.

    Ask yourself the following questions:
           

  • What has the horse's appetite been like in the past few days?
  • What has been the horse’s consistency and frequency of defecation?

    • Has water intake been normal?
    Are the horse’s gums a normal color?
    Has the horse had access to any unusual food recently?
    Have any medications been administered to the horse?
    Have there been any changes to the horse’s management?

  • Take all food away from the horse until your vet arrives
  • Walk the horse to help distract him/her from the pain, but don’t walk the horse to exhaustion
  • You cannot prevent your horse from rolling, if possible take him/her to a place where they cannot cause damage when they roll
  • Do not administer drugs until your vet tells you to do so.

    • Prevention of Colic:

    Stabled horses in intense training and fit horses recently injured are at a higher risk for colic. Monitor them closely.


  • Allow as much turnout as possible
  • Maintain a regular feeding schedule
  • Ensure constant access to clean water
  • Provide at least 60% of digestible energy from forage
  • Do not feed excessive digestible energy
  • Do not feed moldy hay or grain
  • Feed hay and water before grain
  • Provide access to forage for as much of the day as possible
  • Do not over-graze pastures
  • Do not feed or water horses before they have cooled out
  • Maintain a consistent exercise regime
  • Make all changes in diet, exercise level and management slowly
  • Control intestinal parasites and assess efficiency periodically.

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