Can wet grass cause colic?

[Penny Less]

Horse in all day yesterday as it was chucking it down, then turned out for 2 hours while mucking out etc. came in and went down with colic? Field was waterlogged. He is prone to colic, I have to be v careful when summer grass comes through. Vet said spasmodic colic, v gassy tum, but he had been in with a hay net all day, and only out on very little grass for a short time. Beginning to not want to turn him out at all now !

Also fat hairy cob found sweating in his stable when I went back up to yard to do a check, seemed v happy and eating, but immEdiately panicked that he had got colic too! He hadnt but was absolutely dripping, it was 45 degrees so maybe just overheating ?

 

[touchstone]

The vet once came to one of ours for colic and said that it was short wet grass that had probably caused it as it ferments in the stomach

I think a lot of hairies have been sweating lately though, it is mild in comparison to the minus temperatures we had not so long ago!

 

[nikicb]

Horse in all day yesterday as it was chucking it down, then turned out for 2 hours while mucking out etc. came in and went down with colic? Field was waterlogged. He is prone to colic, I have to be v careful when summer grass comes through. Vet said spasmodic colic, v gassy tum, but he had been in with a hay net all day, and only out on very little grass for a short time. Beginning to not want to turn him out at all now !

My sec A is similar and I have to be really careful. Last year he had a small episode of spasmodic colic when the grass came through although what grass he found in an overgrazed (intentionally!) field of good doers I'm not sure. After one jab from the vet he was fine - he was only off colour not rolling or anything - I keep a strong eye on him so am quick to pick it up. He has also had it in very wet conditions and has a tendency to loose droppings when it is very wet, not unsurprisingly I guess. I have found that moving him onto the blue horsehage (he's in at night) has helped and his droppings are much better consistency even when it's very wet, presumably due to the extra fibre. The joys of horse ownership - checking poo texture!!

 

[Penny Less]

I have had only one year since Ive had him when he hasnt had colic, also wonder how many sessions he has when Im not there and he gets over it himself. Im sure it will be his end, so many people on here have lost horses through it. Other horses never seem to suffer from it. I suppose its like people, my OH suffers with indigestion but I have never (touch wood) had it! Also he always seems to go down with it when the vets are closes and I have to go through the out of hours emergency service!(Horse that is not OH)

 

[milo'n'molly]

Yes, not sure why but a friends eventer coliced every time he had wet grass. Weird

 

[Crackajack]

Yes!

All horses can colic due to high water content in the grass....and around the grass!
My beastie was terrible - if he takes in too much water they cant get rid of it quick enough and then if they try and eat it makes the situation worse as the stomach then has to try and expand!
My beastie nearly split his own stomach open with the amount of grass and water he had consumed - hence why i took him off full livery at that point!

 

[Penny Less]

Thanks for all your replies. That was probably the reason then. Problem is its always blimming raining here !