Colic in horses
Colic in horses is a term used to describe all types of abdominal pain in horses. It can affect horses of all ages and types, and can vary from a mild bout of discomfort that resolves itself to something more serious that requires medical management, or most dramatically a serious abdominal crisis requiring surgery. Every year hundred of horses lose their lives to colic, with some high profile top competition horses among them.
Most colic cases are successfully cured medically, but between 5-10% will require emergency colic surgery. It is difficult to know which colic case fits into which category, as in the early stages the clinical signs are the same. Therefore it is vital that a vet is called promptly so they can give expert advice and start appropriate treatment as quickly as possible. Any colic that requires surgical intervention has a much better chance of success if surgery happens as soon as possible.
Types of colic in horses
• Spasmodic colic
• Impaction colic
• Torsion or twisted gut
• Sand colic
Other related topics
• Causes of summer colic
• Care after colic surgery
• Horse has colic: what to do while you wait for your vet
• Can eating frosty grass cause colic?
• Colic in veteran horses
• How to avoid winter colic
• Peritonitis
• Idiopathic focal eosinophilic enteritis
• Pedunculated lipoma
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Horse who played Seabiscuit in Oscar-nominated film dies age 24
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‘Brave in your policing, bold in your retirement’: final farewell to horse hero
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‘He died in terror and agony, and for what?’: pony put down following fireworks display
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Colic in horses: what every horse owner needs to know
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Isabell Werth puts on brave face to win medals in Hagen as her top horse Bella Rose undergoes colic surgery
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Champion miniature stallion dies from colic aged 23
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Team horse withdrawn from Olympic showjumping after colic
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Heartbreak as charity’s equine ‘rock star’ put down aged 10
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Summer colic casebook: the dangers during warmer months
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Owner’s pledge to help colic research after mare’s ‘traumatic’ death
“I feel like she died for nothing, so I want to do something so it’s not”
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Pony fed roast chicken dinner undergoes £5,500 colic surgery
I’ve had it said to my face by people, that it’s their enjoyment to feed my horses, and I’m spoiling their fun”
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Competition mare helps save colicking pony by jumping out of her field
“All we saw was this 17hh horse hurtling towards us, and we thought ‘oh my god’, but then realised she was trying to get Belle up”
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Groom gets the message out after public feeding causes ponies to colic
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Dam of foal who died after sandwiches found in her field lost to colic days later
“I’ve made laminated pictures of Chicco dead in the field, saying ‘This is what you’ve caused; you did this’”
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Welfare warning as elderly mare colics after trespassers feed her
“People had climbed over the gate, which has a sign explaining not to feed the horses anything, due to them having EMS [equine metabolic syndrome], the sign explains EMS in non-horsey terms as well”
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Knowing horses’ vital signs could save crucial time in treating illness
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Caring for a horse after colic surgery
What’s involved in caring for a horse after a colic op? Andrea Oakes follows the process from hospital to home
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The Horse & Hound Podcast: episode 24 – Carl Hester | Impaction colic | News round-up
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‘It could help save your horse’: owners urged to sign up for Colic Awareness Week
‘The campaign has been well received by horse owners and vets, however we are aware that many people may not have a care plan in place. This really can make all the difference’
