Colicking Horses are occurring much more frequently
What is colic?
Colic is a broad term referring to abdominal pain in the horse and can be caused by a variety of different disease processes. Signs of colic include reduced appetite, pawing, flank watching, lying down, rolling and even posturing to urinate.
It is important to recognize that horses are naturally grazing animals. In the wild, they generally graze for approximately 16 hours per day, on native forages that change in composition gradually throughout the seasons. Their domestication has caused dramatic changes in their diet and overall management. Through increasing the energy density of feeds and reducing grazing time, the risk of gastrointestinal disturbance and colic is intensified.
Recognizing these factors is a key part of understanding how we can reduce the chance of our horses having an episode of colic.
Practical recommendations to avoid colic:
- Always provide free access to high-quality water sources
- Maximize time spent grazing or on pasture turnout. If pasture access is not possible, provide good quality roughage continually or in multiple feeds throughout the day to simulate natural grazing habits.
- Avoid abrupt changes to diet. When changing feeds or forage types, do so gradually over a period of no less than 2 weeks.
- Minimize the amount of grain and concentrated feeds offered. (Horse’s fed greater than 2.5 kg of grain are at an increased risk of developing colic).
What to do if you notice signs of colic in your horse or pony?
- Keep calm and call your local veterinarian. Early intervention improves the likelihood of a good outcome.
- If safe to do so, put the horse in an environment free of hazards that they might be injured on whilst down or rolling.
- Keep the horse off all feed, water can be offered..
- Keep a close watch for any poo and if seen, take note of the amount and its consistency.
If you have any concerns about your horse, or questions about how to manage colic, please don’t hesitate to call the clinic on 03 5725 1464.
