Misconceptions around colic and reluctance to change are influencing owner decision-making, research has shown.
In a study published in Equine Veterinary Journal, researchers from the University of Nottingham investigated the impact of evidence-based information on horse owners’ decision-making for colic.
More than 1,500 UK horse owners took part in a survey that asked questions around owner demographics, views on decision-making and referral to equine hospital, current knowledge and approach, and evidence-based information.
Results showed that owners were more likely to agree to referral if their horses were insured and less likely if the horse was older or if they felt pressure. Many participants were unaware of how quickly irreversible intestinal damage can occur, costs of surgery and insurance cover limits, post-operative survival rates for older horses or prognosis for return to work following colic surgery. It was also found that sharing evidence-based information on the above had “limited impact” on decision-making.
“Misconceptions around colic were common, with many horse owners reluctant to change their approach after evidence-based information. Intent to pursue referral was less likely with increasing horse age and perceived pressure to refer,” the researchers concluded.
Lead author Katie Burrell told H&H the paper is from a series of studies completed as part of her PhD, which explore how vets and owners make decisions for critical colic cases. H&H reported on a study published by Dr Burrell in 2024 that looked at the long-term impact of colic decisions on owners (news, 11 July).
“Overall, this work has highlighted how challenging these decisions can be, as owners have to consider many different factors under difficult emotional circumstances,” said Dr Burrell.
“My work has shown the importance of planning ahead, getting all the facts and discussing options with someone you trust, so that if you ever have to make difficult decisions for a horse with colic, you are ready and prepared to make the best decision for them and your particular circumstances.”
Misconceptions around equine colic
Co-author Sarah Freeman told H&H there continue to be plenty of misconceptions around colic. These include the belief that horses should be walked instead of being allowed to roll, that older horses will not survive colic surgery and that horses who have surgery will not come back to full work.
“We know there are a lot of colic myths and we wanted to see if you give people facts and information, is that going to change what they do? I found it really interesting that some of the beliefs are so ingrained and so widely disseminated, it’s really difficult to change them,” she said.
“Some of the myths are fairly innocuous, but some are really quite major – and that’s why we were really keen to publish this work. We want people to make decisions based on the right information. If someone euthanises a horse because they think it can’t return to competing when it could have done, that’s really sad if it’s something the owner would have opted for if they had known the correct information.”
Professor Freeman said there are many valid reasons for not referring a horse for surgery, and added that emergency decisions are often the ones people feel “less happy about” – emphasising the need for owners to have emergency plans.
“People will make all sorts of different decisions based on their circumstances and there’s lots of reasons why somebody might decide not to refer their horse and that’s absolutely fine – but if that decision is based on a fact that is wrong, that’s really something we need to tackle,” she said.
H&H vet Karen Coumbe said: “Anything that raises owners’ awareness in advance of that distressing moment when they are faced with a severe case of colic and are required to make a rapid decision on whether surgery is the best option is useful. Horse welfare is the most important thing, however the decision-making can be difficult for all concerned.”
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