HorseIllustrated.com readers cast their vote in the weekly poll on “Has your horse ever had colic?” Catch the results on this page, along with more resources on the topic.
Unfortunately, if you poll horse owners, too many can say their horse has had colic.As horse owners, one of the most universally dreaded situations we all fear is colic. Your horse comes in for his evening dinner but is clearly not right. Some colicking horses are simply not interested in eating; some lie quietly on the ground looking at their abdomen. Others are more dramatic about their pain—stretching, pawing, getting up and down, and rolling.
- Any horse can colic, even if they are otherwise healthy and receive good care.
- Modifying a horse’s diet, or feeding a diet that has too much starch or insufficient fiber, can increase a horse’s colic risk.
- Leaky gut in horses can lead to colic and other systemic problems ranging from dull coat and poor hoof quality to muscle wasting and laminitis.
It’s a helpless feeling to watch a horse experience abdominal pain while you await your veterinarian’s arrival. An often-asked question is, “Why is my horse colicking?”
Continue reading Colic Threat Level in Our Horses to learn more about the causes of colic, the rate of passage, sand colic and enteroliths, leaky gut, and how these conditions can impact your horse’s health. The Further Reading resources below provide a ton of additional information about colic and its prevention so that you can keep your horse healthy and safe from this devastating condition.
Further Reading on Colic
- In Case of Colic: What is Colic in Horses and How Do You Treat and Prevent It?
- Preventing Horse Colic Away from Home
- Ask the Vet: Colic Surgery Aftercare
- Is There a Connection Between Grain and Colic?
