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Colic in Horses: A Brief History with a Prominent Researcher

Despite voluminous research on its causes, colic remains a health threat to even the best managed horses. The gastrointestinal tract of the horse is long, windy, and precision built to turn forages and feed into the energy required for all manner of sport and leisure. Set against this efficiency, however, is the foil of fragility. A kink in an intestinal coil, a collection of gas with no means of escape, an obstruction at any point along the pipeline—all can injure the tract, sometimes irreparably.

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 Colic is Not a Disease

I’ve written a few articles about colic – myths, when to go to surgery, and such – and, with all that”s been said, by me, and by many other folks, I think that there’s something really important that hasn’t been emphasized. Of course, colic is almost certainly be the great medical problem of the horse, accounting for something like 50% of all medicine cases that an equine veterinarian has to see. It’s a subject about which much is written, and a over which many gray hairs are created. It has its own products market. But I think it’s worth reminding horse owners of something about colic: something that I think ends up confusing people.

 The Walking and Colic Thing

While I’m sort of used to it, one of the articles that I posted not so long ago generated a whole lot of controversy. It was about Colic Myths. And one of the myths that was particularly objectionable, at least to some people, was the myth – and it is a myth – that you should walk a horse with colic no matter what.

Articles of Interest

Colic Myths

Medical myths often get started with reasonable observations. However, whether those observations reflect anything that’s actually going on with the horse is a different question entirely. In fact, nonsensical information has a remarkable ability to stick around, even after there’s good proof that the information is nonsensical. Many myths about colic persist today – so let’s see if we can take on some of the more common ones, just for fun. You never know – it might give someone some peace of mind.

Calculate Your Horse’s Colic Risk

EQUUS' 7-question survey can tell you your horse's chances of developing colic, as well as what you can do to protect his health.

Colic Comes in Many Forms

Gas colic is the simplest and most common type. Just as in other animals, excess gas production in horses can cause mild to moderate discomfort. Luckily this problem can be resolved medically fairly easily, and it carries a positive prognosis. Obstructive lesions are a bit more complicated.

How Do You Know Your Horse Needs Colic Sugery?

Colic (pain coming from the abdomen) is the number one medical problem of the horse. In my experience, it’s also the number one medical concern of horse owners, which is completely unsurprising. Even though the vast majority of horses that experience an episode of colic will not need surgery, if your horse has colic, you might be worried sick, regardless (and understandably so).

Impaction colic in horses

Three common types of colic include gas colic, spasmodic colic, and impaction colic. While this lesson will focus on impaction colic, we will start with a definition of gas and spasmodic colic.

Living “Life On The Edge” The Chronic Colic Horse

Colic is the most common disease of the horse, it is the most troubling and nerve racking disease for both the horse owner and the veterinarian. More disturbing than the horse that occasionally goes through a bout of colic is the horse that colics on a regular basis. Many times the veterinary practitioner cannot diagnose what is causing each of the repetitive colic episodes. Once a horse has coliced several times the list of causes most commonly thought to be responsible becomes rather short. The most likely causes for recurrent colic are...

Reasons Not to Not Take Your Horse to Colic Surgery

Even though most horses that have an episode of colic do just fine, unfortunately, some don’t. That’s why it’s important that you try to figure out which ones aren’t doing just fine as fast as you can. Those horses that aren’t doing fine are most likely going to need a surgery to correct some sort of problem with their intestines, and the fact of the matter is that the faster that a horse who needs colic surgery gets it, the more likely it is that the horse is going to make it.

Recognizing and preventing colic in horses

Like humans, dogs, pigs and many other species, horses are monogastrics, meaning they have only one simple, single-chambered stomach. However, unlike most of their fellow monogastrics, horses are non-emetic, meaning they lack the ability to vomit. With digestive systems designed as a one-way street, if horses overeat, have excess gas, or consume something harmful, they have no way to rid themselves of the discomfort other than through defecation or — in severe cases — surgical intervention.

The Truth About Colic

Most often, horses showing signs of colic have “gas” colic. Large amounts of gas have built up in the gastrointestinal tract and the intestine begins to spasm, or squeeze down, around that gas. Think of it like stomach cramps; they can be fairly uncomfortable but are easily treated.

What Do I Do If My Horse Colics?

This article would suggest how you can tackle most cases of colic. However, if your horse is in distress, perhaps rolling and thrashing, or visibly in pain, your first step should be to call your veterinarian.

What You Should Know About Colic in Horses

Colic is a frightening word for horse owners, and rightly so. One of the most common causes of death in horses, colic can strike without warning and progress so rapidly that treatment—even surgery—may not be effective.

When to R.E.A.C.T.: Signs of colic in horses

Not all horses with colic present telltale signs of the disease (pawing the ground, kicking at the belly and rolling) but more subtle signs that can often be attributed to another issue. Colic can be more complicated than veterinary clients think...