| It was time for nightly feeding and all seemed well. All | | | | understand, there are some actions we can take to |
| the horses were eager for their food and dove into | | | | minimize the chances. |
| their hay as if it had been a week since the last | | | | Changing feeds is one of the easiest ways to upset |
| feeding. After eating my own dinner I returned to turn | | | | your horse's gut. The horse's gut is full of bacteria that |
| horses out when the dreaded signs of colic showed in | | | | help break down food. However, not all bacteria live on |
| my older gelding. While all others were busy looking for | | | | the same food. So when you change food the |
| the final pieces of hay, he was lying down with his | | | | present bacteria will die and it takes time for bacteria |
| nose on the ground. Trying not to panic I begin the | | | | to grow that will digest the new food. It is especially |
| process of evaluation of his condition and much to my | | | | dangerous when you change to a higher protein diet. If |
| dismay all signs pointed to gas colic. I tried in vain to | | | | you change 'cold turkey' the gas from the dying |
| contact the vet as I watched my horse writhe in pain | | | | bacteria and the body's inability to digest the new food |
| every time his bowels moved. I went to the house and | | | | is the prime stage for gas colic, founder, and laminitis. |
| collected the shot of pain killers my vet had left me | | | | The same is true from over eating of grains, high |
| too long ago for me to remember how and how much | | | | protein feed, or moldy feed. |
| to administer. Like a fool, I failed to write down the | | | | While feeds are easier to control, you may not know |
| directions and leave them with the shot. So there I | | | | your horse has ulcers until he becomes sick. If your |
| stood with help in my hand, horse on the ground, and | | | | horse has constant bouts of diarrhea, mild colic, or |
| no one to tell me how to help him. | | | | seems anxious in strange situations you may want to |
| This is an all too common event, where we are left | | | | have your horse checked for ulcers. What may |
| unprepared for an emergency situation that could cost | | | | appear to be ulcers may be your horse's inability to |
| a life. Now while it is true that an ounce of prevention | | | | digest its current feeds. Some horses do not do well |
| is worth a pound of cure, sometimes we need a cure | | | | on alfalfa, soy, or high protein diets. If your horse has |
| even with the best prevention. This is the season for | | | | repeated health issues, it would be best to have a vet |
| colic of which a lot of cases could be avoided with | | | | diagnose the problem. |
| simple steps of prevention. Especially in the dry arid | | | | Other things to help keep your horse out of the |
| regions, water consumption is vital to the horse's well | | | | hospital are maintaining a de-worming program, proper |
| being. | | | | teeth care, and if you live in a sandy area or your |
| I am no stranger to colic and every time it has hit, there | | | | horse has access to sand, a program that removes |
| has been some preventative measures that had been | | | | sand from the horse's intestine. All three of these |
| overlooked. When young I was traveling across | | | | items, if not maintained, increase the chances of |
| country and my horse had hay impaction on the road, I | | | | impaction in the horse. A horse with an obstruction |
| did not know the importance of monitoring water | | | | caused by a build up of worms, improperly chewed |
| consumption on the road, even in winter. Later I learned | | | | hay, or sand can easily become a fatal form of colic if |
| about the dangers of sand at my new home when a | | | | the horse should be allowed to roll causing the |
| horse of mine had to have surgery for a sand | | | | blockage to flip over and twist. A dehydrated horse |
| impaction. The next case was fatal when I lost a | | | | can suffer the same ends when a blockage of overly |
| horse to a twisted gut. I was unaware of the danger | | | | dry matter causes a blockage. |
| and ease of dehydration in my new desert home. And | | | | Another thing to understand is the horse is designed to |
| when the pain killers the vet gave did not help her I did | | | | eat small amounts all day. Although many of us cannot |
| not listen to the small voice that told me to haul the | | | | simulate that we can spread the horse's feedings out |
| horse straight to the equine hospital. And most recently, | | | | over the day with a minimum of two feedings. It is also |
| the story of my gelding that I shared earlier. I now | | | | important to spread out grain feedings of over a |
| understand how difficult the heat can be for an older | | | | pound to more than one feeding as well. The digestive |
| horse and how much more susceptible they get with | | | | system that is bombarded can not fully digest the feed |
| age. Each case could have been prevented with a | | | | as it will be too much too quick for it to process |
| better understanding of my horses' delicate digestive | | | | correctly. |
| system and the need to maintain the guts health and | | | | Before disaster hits, have a plan. If you do not have a |
| proper hydration. | | | | trailer, have one lined up either a friend or professional |
| Now that I have said that, there are those cases of | | | | you can call in an emergency. Talk to your vet and find |
| colic that seem to come from nowhere. One morning | | | | what they recommend you keep on stock in an |
| while warming up my horse he started moving funny | | | | emergency kit. Keep instructions, phone numbers, and |
| and then acting like he would lie down. Within five | | | | other important information with the kit. Be sure your |
| minutes he was in so much pain it was all he could do | | | | horse loads as an emergency is not the time to train. |
| to stay on his feet. Thankfully, I had a friend riding with | | | | And know where you will be going if needed. |
| me who was able to administer a shot of pain killer | | | | So, what do you do if your horse becomes 'colicy?' |
| and it was enough to allow my horse to stay on his | | | | Take your horse's vitals. Know what is normal for your |
| feet. Having learned from previous cases, I then | | | | horse for a comparison as rapid breathing and rapid |
| hooked up my trailer and took him straight to the | | | | pulse will mean something different from a high |
| equine hospital. Once there he recovered completely | | | | temperature and slow pulse and slow breathing. If the |
| and did not need any surgery. | | | | horse is lying quiet, let him be. If the horse is trying to roll |
| Let's focus on some preventative measures we can | | | | keep him on his feet and if necessary walking. An |
| all take to help our horse's transition from fall to winter | | | | already tired horse will not do well being forced to |
| and spring to summer. These tend to be the seasons | | | | walk until it is exhausted. If the horse must be walked, |
| of colic as the temperatures fluctuate, but the horse | | | | let it take breaks in a cool area as long as it will be |
| may not change his drinking habits to compensate for | | | | quiet. A colicy horse may look back at its sides when |
| his water loss. The simple remedy is to be sure your | | | | there is pain or kick at the belly, so be careful. |
| horse has free choice of clean water and salt of | | | | Check the pulse, respiration, heart rate and |
| some kind. For horses that will not lick a salt lick and | | | | temperature. Listen for gut sounds to appear every |
| those who eat salt like candy, you may need to put | | | | 3-4 seconds at the flank both high and low, both sides. |
| electrolytes in their water or grain (following | | | | Pinging sounds indicate gas, no sound indicates an |
| manufacturers directions) or put a small amount of | | | | obstruction. Check the mucus membrane at the gums. |
| loose salt in their feed (ask your vet for the correct | | | | Are they dry, sticky, normal? Are they white, pink, or |
| amount for your horse). DO NOT give your horse | | | | reddish brown? Check capillary refill by pressing the |
| common table salt that contains iodine. Be sure to start | | | | gums just above the tooth. How long does it take for |
| giving your horse salt before the season changes as it | | | | the gums to go from white to pink again? Take note |
| can take up to a week for it to make changes in their | | | | of all these items and call the vet. If the horse is in so |
| hydration. | | | | much pain you cannot check vitals, call the vet or if |
| Make a habit of checking your horse's hydration | | | | possible, load the horse and take them to a hospital. |
| before work outs. Pinch the skin where the neck and | | | | Time is of the essence when dealing with a twisted |
| shoulder come together. The skin should snap back | | | | gut as the longer it goes untreated the more gut that |
| into place when released. If it is tacky and is slow to | | | | dies from lack of circulation and chances of survival |
| return to normal, your horse is dehydrated. This test is | | | | decreases. And there is no way to see into the horse |
| especially helpful if there are unseasonably warm days | | | | to diagnose it until it may be too late. If your vet can |
| in the winter in which the horse may not be drinking | | | | get there soon enough he may be able to palpate and |
| enough water. If the horse is showing signs of | | | | feel it, but if there is one he will tell you to take it in as |
| dehydration, you may want to consider not working | | | | the only remedy is surgery. |
| the horse and placing electrolytes in his feed or | | | | There are even more ways to insure a healthy happy |
| administering paste electrolytes. If the horse is already | | | | digestive system for your horse. These are just |
| dehydrated and not accustom to the electrolytes in his | | | | guidelines and you should contact your vet for more |
| water, it may discourage him from drinking and | | | | help on this subject. What you need to do is know |
| therefore making a bad situation worse. | | | | your horse, know your climate and how to care for |
| The danger is that just like people, the horse's intestine | | | | your horses needs in that climate, and know your vet |
| needs moisture to function properly. The horse's | | | | and vet hospitals. There is a lot more to keeping a |
| digestive system is designed to process live material | | | | horse than throwing some hay, filling a water bucket |
| that contains moisture and therefore the body does | | | | and going for a ride. Please learn as much as you can |
| not use as much water to digest its food. We feed | | | | about the health and needs of your partner and friend. |
| the horse mainly dry matter that requires more | | | | A lot of frustration can be avoided with proper horse |
| moisture to digest. If the horse becomes dehydrated | | | | husbandry. |
| the body takes moisture from the gut which slows | | | | Back to my last incident, after what seems like hours I |
| digestion and in severe cases stops it as the dry | | | | finally reached a vet that could help me make my |
| material can no longer pass. In essence the horse | | | | horse comfortable. Although the vet was able to help |
| becomes constipated. So working an already | | | | over the phone, I was still left to wait and see if I would |
| dehydrated horse is a fine recipe for disaster. | | | | need to trailer him to the hospital, an option I had |
| There is also gas colic that can be brought on by | | | | because I have a trailer. I also had the help of a friend |
| changing food too quickly, over eating, worms, eating | | | | who had special equipment to help my horse to |
| poisonous plants or feed, an upsetting situation for the | | | | recover quicker and without a trip to the hospital. It is |
| horse or ulcers. Again, if the horse is allowed to roll, the | | | | my hope that you may gain some knowledge from |
| chances for a twisted intestine are present as the pain | | | | my experiences and not have to make life changing |
| the horse incurs causes the digestive system to shut | | | | decisions that could be avoided with proper care and |
| down and can cause an impaction as well. Although | | | | awareness. |
| this type of colic may be triggered by things we don't | | | | |