Posts Tagged ‘insufficient volume’

Colic is the single most important horse disease. It causes more horse fatalities than any other illness and even when horses fully recover it is the single biggest cause of major veterinary expenses. It can also cause other illnesses such as lminitis or founder.

There are douzens of different types of colic and just as many causes. However, the primary causes have been identified by research which has spaned thousands of colic cases. Following is a list of what one should do to avoid these primary causes and thereby minimise the risk of horse colic, as well as being generally good horse health practices.

1) Feed Frequently. Horses have evolved as foragers, eating throughout the day. The more often your horse eats, the healthier its digestive system will be. Try to replace a few large meals by more but smaller meals.

2) Grass before Grain. The equine digestive system is designed for ‘high volume, low calorie’ food such as grass or hay. Energy-dense foods such as grain or musli have insufficient volume and fiber. Consequently, the diet should have as much grass or hay as possible. If one feeds both hay and grain, one should feed the hay followed by the grain rather than the reverse order, as this results in better digestion and less bolting.

3) Soak Food Pellets. Food pellets (such as pelleted hay) should be soaked. Unsoaked pellets can greatly expand upon entering the stomach, resulting in bloating. Also, both choke and bolting are more likely to occur with unsoaked pellets.

4) Secure the Feedroom. The feedroom should be locked or have a horse-proof latch to prevent horses from getting in and gorging themselves. Excessive feeding, especially on grain and similar foods, can result in colic. It can also cause laminitis or founder.

5) Bolting. If your horse bolts (swallows before chewing) its food, discuss options with your veterinarian. You may need to change its feed or feeding regime (e.g. soak pellets, feed hay before grain, feed more often) to correct this habit. Also check if there are dental issues which require corrective work.

6) Dietary Dirt and Sand. Horses that eat dirt or sand in large amounts can develop impaction colic. Avoid putting your horses on over-grazed pastures as they are likely to eat earth when they pull up the remaining grass with attached roots. Do not feed them on a sandy or dirt surface.

7) Sufficient Water. A horse needs to drink adequate water througout the day. During winter their water should be warmed as horses often don’t drink sufficient water if it is too cold. After exercise, let them drink but limit the quantity until they have cooled down.

De-worming. Horses should be de-wormed regularly (every 3-4 months). All the horses which share a pasture should be de-wormed at the same time to prevent cross-infection. If a horse has not been de-wormed for a long time, use a laxative a few days before to clear out the worst of the worm population before administrating a de-wormer medication.

9) Regular Exercise. Horses with insufficient exercise are more prone to colic. When starting an exercise regime, start gradually as rapid changes in the amount of exercise can result in colic.

10) Bedding. If your horse eats its bedding, especially in large quantities, consider changing to a bedding type which it does not eat.

11) Temperature. A horse that becomes chilled is likely to develop colic. This is particularly true if there is a sudden drop in temperature. If a horse is likely to be chilled (e.g. old, weak, sick, shaved, short coat, unaccustomed to cold) then they need to be protected during extreme weather. The use of a rug should be considered. During extremely cold weather, especially if wet and windy, it may be adviseable to confine weaker horses to their stables.