Why do Horses get Colic?

Why do horses get colic?

Colic is an umbrella term for “stomach ache” in horses and can have several different causes. Here, we explain how to spot the horse colic signs and symptoms.
A horse with suspected colic is ALWAYS an emergency and a vet should be contacted for assessment.

Horse colic symptoms

Reluctance to eat
Paws ground
Looks at its abdomen
Behaves anxiously
Rolls, more or less violently
Unable to pass droppings
Stretching as if to urinate
Depression or lethargy
May have a fever and start sweating
Sometimes breathing heavily, with increased pulse and respiratory rate

A horse in severe pain will have flared nostrils, sweat, throw itself and/or roll around intensely. Consider your own safety if the horse is in severe pain.

Consult with your veterinarian

If you suspect colic, contact your horse’s vet to discuss the best course of action for your horse. Many cases can be solved by the vet in the field or stable, but sometimes the vet hospital is required. That's why it's a good idea to prepare transport.

How to make a simple assessment of colic

You can make a simple assessment of whether it is colic and how severe it is, before contacting the vet.

Assess the horse's general condition
Listen to the abdomen
You can hear the intestines best in these places: just in front of the groin on both sides and a little more than halfway up and a little more than halfway down the abdomen (see clip). The best way to listen is with a stethoscope, but you can also listen by putting your ear against the abdominal wall. Normally, it should sound quite similar to a thunderstorm from the abdomen, with various long and quiet pauses in between. A horse with colic often has almost completely silent bowels.
Examine the mucous membranes
You can assess the circulation by looking at the horse's oral mucosa, which should be light pink. If they are darker red, purple or very pale, the circulation is affected
Monitor the horse and note when it poops and drinks. Check the horse at least every 15 minutes.

What to do while you await the vet

Is the horse mostly a bit anxious, not sweaty, pawing its front hooves from time to time and maybe lying down sometimes? Then you can often try in-hand walking for 30 minutes to see if the light exercise is enough to get the bowel motor activity going. If the symptoms don't go away after the first exercise, stop and await the vet.
If the horse shows colic symptoms, all feed should be removed, both roughage and concentrates. Eating can make the problem worse.
Arrange for hot water and a towel/paper for the vet to wash off with.
For rectal exams, the vet will need a protected place to stand, such as a behind a stable door or stocks.
When probing, clean buckets and a stool may be needed, please have these ready.

What does the vet do?

When the vet comes out, they will examine your horse and check things such as circulation, intestinal motility and pain level.
In addition, your vet may perform a rectal exam to see how the intestines feel and if they are in the right place in the abdominal cavity.

To check for blockages in the gastrointestinal tract, and if the stomach is overfilled, the horse is also probed. This involves inserting a tube into the stomach via the nasal cavity, pharynx and oesophagus. Horses cannot vomit and should the stomach become overfilled, for example due to a blockage in the small intestine, the stomach may rupture. It is therefore important to check for gastric overfilling.

During the initial treatment, the vet will usually administer an analgesic and antispasmodic. Depending on the diagnosis, the next steps may be either continued treatment in the stable with fluids, laxation and exercise for a horse with constipation - or referral and surgery when the horse has a suspected faulty bowel.

Causes of colic

There are many causes of colic, but most are related to problems in the gastrointestinal tract:

Digestive disorders such as dental problems, worm burdens and gut damage (including previous colic surgery)
Poor feeding including giving soiled food, inappropriate quantities, lack of fibre and/or water, or a sudden change in diet
Stress such as hard exercise while unfit or after eating, travelling, or sudden change of routine, diet or environment
Poor and over-grazed pasture, especially if the soil is sandy

How to prevent colic

Daily outdoor exercise.
Exercise your horse regularly.
A balanced diet, based on roughage. Large amounts of concentrates increase the risk of colic.
Free access to clean water around the clock, even in the pasture when it is cold. Many winter constipations are caused by horses drinking too little.
Regular fecal sampling and appropriate deworming, depending on the results, to reduce the risk of parasitic colic.
Feed the horse smaller portions on several occasions or allow the horse free access to roughage. Four to six feedings per day may be adequate if free access is not possible. Straw can be offered as a supplement to hay/haylage, in order to provide a larger portion.
Always introduce new feeds gradually over a few weeks.
If your horse is in pastures with sand or sandy soil - be sure to feed in feed bins to reduce the risk of sand colic.