Colic experiences

little_critter

little_critter

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Following a comment on another thread that I’m lucky in my 15 years of ownership to have not experienced colic, I wonder how uncommon that is.
For the majority of that 15 years I’ve been on a yard of around 14/15 horses. I can only think of 3 horses I’m aware of that have had colic (only 1 serious)

So please share your experiences: who else out there has managed to avoid a brush with colic? How long have you been owning / loaning horses?
 
35 years of riding, working with and owning horses across 8 yards (being various mixtures of riding school, liveries, competition, stud), knowing over 200 horses, 2 cases of colic. One was a livery in 1992, spasmodic, pts, the other was just under 2 years ago, one of mine, mild impaction colic, full recovery in 3 days (no surgery).

I count myself lucky!
 
little_critter said:
Following a comment on another thread that I’m lucky in my 15 years of ownership to have not experienced colic, I wonder how uncommon that is.
For the majority of that 15 years I’ve been on a yard of around 14/15 horses. I can only think of 3 horses I’m aware of that have had colic (only 1 serious)

So please share your experiences: who else out there has managed to avoid a brush with colic? How long have you been owning / loaning horses?
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In sixty plus years of my very own, personal horses - no colics at all.
But three that I have had over the years in my care as oldies/ companions: two internal lipomas, and one mild, gassy, probably grass surge, colics.
We’ve always been redhot on worming (over rather than under dosed, rotating and using very regularly, exactly what is currently not recommended), cleaning and changing fields / mixed grazing and don’t use high corn diets. Been very lucky, however, and everything x’d things stay that way....
 
Had my own for several decades and very grateful that I only ever had one mild gassy colic, that was almost certainly a case of an overdose of clover. I have experienced a few more of friends horses colic'ing, in two cases they were new to their owners and probably cause by the stress of moving on top of high worm burdens and too fast and harsh worming recommended by their local vet's practice. Ho hum, choose your vets carefully.
 
little_critter said:
Following a comment on another thread that I’m lucky in my 15 years of ownership to have not experienced colic, I wonder how uncommon that is.
For the majority of that 15 years I’ve been on a yard of around 14/15 horses. I can only think of 3 horses I’m aware of that have had colic (only 1 serious)

So please share your experiences: who else out there has managed to avoid a brush with colic? How long have you been owning / loaning horses?
Click to expand...
I personally have lost 3 to colic.

1. pony 2007 entrapment pts
2. colic from giving an asthmatic dry hay
3. Donkey 2015 stomach impaction pts
4. my boy 2022 not sure prob twist but had 2 surgery pts
5. current ID 2025 due to dehydrations and colon moved and dodgy haylage RVC job
6. pony reg colic 2017 ish = IBD


Livery colic pts
ex livery colic pts
Livery current is a colikare intermittent

Colic can happen any time any place no matter how much you try prevent it.
 
55yrs old and been around horses all my life. Lost one gelding to colic, it was obviously serious and we got him to the vets, and set off home, as we arrived home they rang to say opened him up but nothing they could do 😐
Then my 8 yr old mare, not presenting as colic really, just very quiet and not eating, vet said displacement, can't really remember, she was operated on, nothing much to see, sewn back up and it still with us age 15.
 
I used to have to be on alert with the old boy when liveries needed to come in overnight - he never drank enough to start with & got impacted. Had to dunk his hay for the first week.

Lost my old share pony & he'd never had a sick day in his life. Twisted gut & went bad too quickly for the hospital so PTS

I'm paranoid about not rapidly changing feed & staying on top of worming after resistant red worming took 4 horses at one livery yard i was on. I moved.

Fingers crossed current 3 have been fine.
 
ILuvCowparsely said:
Colic can happen any time any place no matter how much you try prevent it.
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that is very true. Out of my own personal 25 or so over around 50 years all of whom have been worm counted and or wormed as appropriate then

one aged 27 for the first time in his life got colic and was throwing himself around his stable sliding down the walls. Too dangerous to go in with him. Vet arrived within the hour and PTS

one aged 25 white and some melanomas externally. Suddenly went into colic within seconds for no apparent reason, total nightmare, threw himself around the stable, got trapped under the door, got him out, then he threw himself screaming around the yard for an hour until the vet arrived to PTS. We had no control over him, couldn't even hold onto him. Vet parked her car outside the yard as not safe to come in. Horse finally flung himself at a gate, got trapped underneath and vet got some sedative in, horse then galloped off around the field, finally fell down and we got into the vein and got the rest in. Totally horrendous. Did he have internal melanomas, no idea.

one also old just went into serious spasmodic colic for no reason, tried drugs etc but 2nd vet visit and PTS

one who went into serious spasmodic colic or so it seemed that we couldn't stop. He did however have a growth the side of a football on his neck externally so no idea what was going on inside. I took him on as a rescue and he had had a horrendous past. PTS also white

last one who had nephrosplenic entrapment. First time he got colic which appeared to be gaseous vet was fortunately late to the party. Horse threw himself onto the ground for an hour up and down. Vet arrived and did rectal, found nothing but by then he must have got everything back into place. Repeat performance a couple of years later, vet arrived, did rectal and couldn't find anything. Horse continued colicing and that evening next vet arrived, did rectal made diagnosis. Showed me what to do, horse luckily knew how to sort this. Horse was given a time line of 3 hours before PTS but he had it sorted and knowing what it was and liable to happen again then so far with management I have kept things under control.

one which wasn;t mine. Friend rang in tears, vet had been and told her to PTS colic horse. No explanation but it must be due to a growth internally. Went up to help, surprised the horse had colic as he had always seemed fine. Blood everywhere as they had tubed him. Horse in a state. Vet had left would only return if she agreed to PTS. I questioned owner and in a couple of minutes it became clear the horse had been shut out of the field with the stream in it so no water. Vet could have asked her and got the same info but failed. Got her to ring vet back,, complain, request firmly senior partner came out with bags of fluid. He didn't but the previous useless vet returned, furious. Never ever met such a dreadful and rude vet who resented every minute as we climbed up the steps to hang up the bags. Horse survived for several years.
 
In 16 years of loaning, working with and the last 3 years owning I've had 2 mild colics. My mare 6 months after she arrived and I think it was a glut of acorns that had blown a lot further than expected ( fenced off trees but stormy winds) and a grass flush but really not sure she came right over night with minimal drugs only. I now have a big acorn rake and am entirely obsessive about grass and windfall.


Another mild colic was the first time I was left in charge at the yard I worked on whilst everyone else travelled for a show. Owner of one of the full liveries who was very novicey came and rode early and then gave his horse 5kg of another horses feed as a treat and didn't tell anyone🤦 horse was fine after some excessive farting. Really tested my Spanish that one.

Utterly terrifying experiences.
 
Sadly masses of experience with colic, and the vets bills that go with it (hence the user name). My ID x TB in my avatar was a regular colic case. Spasmodic, gas, impactions, entrapments, even had surgery for a twisted gut after someone very kindly (not) fed him a net of parsnips as their own horses didn't like them. This was despite the best care, feeding regime, worming etc.

It got to the stage where I could listen to his stomach myself and assess the other symptoms he displayed and tell exactly what kind of colic he had. The worse thing was he was so stoic that by the time he actually went 'that's it I am in pain', you needed the vet there with you within minutes. Trying to keep him going while waiting for the vet to come was incredibly hard and dangerous sometimes too as the handler, especially when he had entrapments.

I have seen and helped with so many other horses at the yards I was on when they had colic, in some ways I think colic is worse than an external wound handling as you can't see what is going on at the time. Most horses recovered after the usual painkillers and buscopan, but a couple broke through the painkillers and this is when you know the outcome is less favourable. :-(

Even with colic care experience, it still scares the hell out of me and I struggle to understand why others are more reluctant to call a vet when there is strong symptoms of colic. Whilst no one wants a vets bill, colic really stands a better chance of recover if caught and treated early.
 
paddy555 said:
that is very true. Out of my own personal 25 or so over around 50 years all of whom have been worm counted and or wormed as appropriate then

one aged 27 for the first time in his life got colic and was throwing himself around his stable sliding down the walls. Too dangerous to go in with him. Vet arrived within the hour and PTS

one aged 25 white and some melanomas externally. Suddenly went into colic within seconds for no apparent reason, total nightmare, threw himself around the stable, got trapped under the door, got him out, then he threw himself screaming around the yard for an hour until the vet arrived to PTS. We had no control over him, couldn't even hold onto him. Vet parked her car outside the yard as not safe to come in. Horse finally flung himself at a gate, got trapped underneath and vet got some sedative in, horse then galloped off around the field, finally fell down and we got into the vein and got the rest in. Totally horrendous. Did he have internal melanomas, no idea.

one also old just went into serious spasmodic colic for no reason, tried drugs etc but 2nd vet visit and PTS

one who went into serious spasmodic colic or so it seemed that we couldn't stop. He did however have a growth the side of a football on his neck externally so no idea what was going on inside. I took him on as a rescue and he had had a horrendous past. PTS also white

last one who had nephrosplenic entrapment. First time he got colic which appeared to be gaseous vet was fortunately late to the party. Horse threw himself onto the ground for an hour up and down. Vet arrived and did rectal, found nothing but by then he must have got everything back into place. Repeat performance a couple of years later, vet arrived, did rectal and couldn't find anything. Horse continued colicing and that evening next vet arrived, did rectal made diagnosis. Showed me what to do, horse luckily knew how to sort this. Horse was given a time line of 3 hours before PTS but he had it sorted and knowing what it was and liable to happen again then so far with management I have kept things under control.

one which wasn;t mine. Friend rang in tears, vet had been and told her to PTS colic horse. No explanation but it must be due to a growth internally. Went up to help, surprised the horse had colic as he had always seemed fine. Blood everywhere as they had tubed him. Horse in a state. Vet had left would only return if she agreed to PTS. I questioned owner and in a couple of minutes it became clear the horse had been shut out of the field with the stream in it so no water. Vet could have asked her and got the same info but failed. Got her to ring vet back,, complain, request firmly senior partner came out with bags of fluid. He didn't but the previous useless vet returned, furious. Never ever met such a dreadful and rude vet who resented every minute as we climbed up the steps to hang up the bags. Horse survived for several years.
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Bloody hell, I’ve helped with several others’ colicking horses, some ended unhappily, but not so dramatically as these, thankfully.
Think you must have had your share of bad luck by now though, hopefully anyway.
 
vetsbestfriend said:
Sadly masses of experience with colic, and the vets bills that go with it (hence the user name). My ID x TB in my avatar was a regular colic case. Spasmodic, gas, impactions, entrapments, even had surgery for a twisted gut after someone very kindly (not) fed him a net of parsnips as their own horses didn't like them. This was despite the best care, feeding regime, worming etc.

It got to the stage where I could listen to his stomach myself and assess the other symptoms he displayed and tell exactly what kind of colic he had. The worse thing was he was so stoic that by the time he actually went 'that's it I am in pain', you needed the vet there with you within minutes. Trying to keep him going while waiting for the vet to come was incredibly hard and dangerous sometimes too as the handler, especially when he had entrapments.

I have seen and helped with so many other horses at the yards I was on when they had colic, in some ways I think colic is worse than an external wound handling as you can't see what is going on at the time. Most horses recovered after the usual painkillers and buscopan, but a couple broke through the painkillers and this is when you know the outcome is less favourable. :-(

Even with colic care experience, it still scares the hell out of me and I struggle to understand why others are more reluctant to call a vet when there is strong symptoms of colic. Whilst no one wants a vets bill, colic really stands a better chance of recover if caught and treated early.
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Oh dear, but yes, definitely want the vet straight out, to destroy the horse if necessary, nobody wants ongoing suffering and no horse should be put through that if at all avoidable.
 
Exasperated said:
Bloody hell, I’ve helped with several others’ colicking horses, some ended unhappily, but not so dramatically as these, thankfully.
Think you must have had your share of bad luck by now though, hopefully anyway.
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no I don't think it's bad luck really. Most old horses I think either die of colic (PTS) or are PTS when arthritis type stuff becomes unbearable. I have had none of the arthritis stuff only the colic one. if a 27yo gets coilic for the first time in his life (been here since 6) then there is something going on out of my management. I keep all horses all of their lives so a lot of old ones. I guess if I had sold them at say 18/20 I would probably be writing very few. :):) I don't think any of them could have been avoided with any different management only the one in the final para which wasn't mine but the owner didn't make sure he had water and the vet was beyond useless. That one shouldn't have happened.
 
Mrs. Jingle said:
Had my own for several decades and very grateful that I only ever had one mild gassy colic, that was almost certainly a case of an overdose of clover. I have experienced a few more of friends horses colic'ing, in two cases they were new to their owners and probably cause by the stress of moving on top of high worm burdens and too fast and harsh worming recommended by their local vet's practice. Ho hum, choose your vets carefully.
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Once at a Pony Club rally (a hunt-branch PC), a colicking horse had apparently been put down that morning, hunt servants were jointing it, found to be full of red worm. The DC asked who would like to see the damage worms could do, so most of us and a couple of parents went into the flesh house to view. Never forgotten it! Wormers then were fairly basic, fairly infrequently used - until we’d seen that.
The racecourse vet then gave a talk with specimen bottles of pickled worms - source of multiple childhood trauma and lifelong MH issues, I shouldn’t wonder - certainly reinforced the message, though.
 
ILuvCowparsely said:
I personally have lost 3 to colic.

1. pony 2007 entrapment pts
2. colic from giving an asthmatic dry hay
3. Donkey 2015 stomach impaction pts
4. my boy 2022 not sure prob twist but had 2 surgery pts
5. current ID 2025 due to dehydrations and colon moved and dodgy haylage RVC job
6. pony reg colic 2017 ish = IBD


Livery colic pts
ex livery colic pts
Livery current is a colikare intermittent

Colic can happen any time any place no matter how much you try prevent it.
Click to expand...
It certainly can, but some colics do result from thoughtless management, and thus have been preventable, so persistent attention to the obvious basics makes a lot of sense.
 
I think with a lot of things horse care related, you can know it all and still the cards might not fall your way over the years and you end up with a string of bad luck and hefty vet bills.. On the other hand you can know very little, take (often unknowingly through ignorance) huge risks with your horse's wellbeing and barely get a days sickness through the years. Seen it many times and never fails to annoy me how some who almost abuse their animals with indifferent care get away with it, those of us, probably most of us on here, do our very best and still we sometimes end up with a very lame or poorly horse with a huge vet bill. Life is never fair really is it?
 
Exasperated said:
Once at a Pony Club rally (a hunt-branch PC), a colicking horse had apparently been put down that morning, hunt servants were jointing it, found to be full of red worm. The DC asked who would like to see the damage worms could do, so most of us and a couple of parents went into the flesh house to view. Never forgotten it! Wormers then were fairly basic, fairly infrequently used - until we’d seen that.
The racecourse vet then gave a talk with specimen bottles of pickled worms - source of multiple childhood trauma and lifelong MH issues, I shouldn’t wonder - certainly reinforced the message, though.
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ohh if we are down to the really gory can I join in? :D:D:D:D 2010 took on a 4 month old 3 legged foal straight off the common (long story). He didn't look bad at all condition wise.
Got the PG and day one I started on it. For 5 days what came out was beyond any sort of incredible. I have no idea how anything other than round worm had every managed to occupy his guts. We had large white spaghetti, reducing in size to smaller spaghetti and even after day 5 small very wet and juicy and congealed spaghetti. I did start on the Monday morning to avoid week end vet rates if it went wrong but we got through the week mostly in total fascination at the size and quantity. If I had known that Monday morning what I did by the Friday night I would have been far more terrified t worming him. :D:D
 
30 years of horse ownership, 1 colic that first vet said pts as would need surgery, took her to the surgery ( different practice), no surgery required and discharged the next morning. 1 very mild colic that resolved without vet, 8 years of freelancing and 1 pony with mild symptoms that again resolved without vet. Know of 2 friends who lost horses to colic 😢
 
Had horses for 40 years. Old lad had serious colic about 7 years ago. Nearly lost him. Thankfully didn't. Other horse had colic 2 years ago. He recovered very quickly Thankfully. Another horse on my old yard seemed prone to colic and had it several times whilst I was there.
 
In 30 years, of mine I’ve had maybe 3 very slightly colicky that haven’t needed vet, just a shot of finadyne that I/yard had in stock. One that was more of a stress colic post choke & tubing that I got the vet back out for.

I’ve known/been involved with a handful of more serious cases that have involved surgery with probably a 50/50 survival outcome.
 
paddy555 said:
ohh if we are down to the really gory can I join in? :D:D:D:D 2010 took on a 4 month old 3 legged foal straight off the common (long story). He didn't look bad at all condition wise.
Got the PG and day one I started on it. For 5 days what came out was beyond any sort of incredible. I have no idea how anything other than round worm had every managed to occupy his guts. We had large white spaghetti, reducing in size to smaller spaghetti and even after day 5 small very wet and juicy and congealed spaghetti. I did start on the Monday morning to avoid week end vet rates if it went wrong but we got through the week mostly in total fascination at the size and quantity. If I had known that Monday morning what I did by the Friday night I would have been far more terrified t worming him. :D:D
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🤮 Poor little beggar!
 
paddy555 said:
that is very true. Out of my own personal 25 or so over around 50 years all of whom have been worm counted and or wormed as appropriate then



last one who had nephrosplenic entrapment. First time he got colic which appeared to be gaseous vet was fortunately late to the party. Horse threw himself onto the ground for an hour up and down. Vet arrived and did rectal, found nothing but by then he must have got everything back into place. Repeat performance a couple of years later, vet arrived, did rectal and couldn't find anything. Horse continued colicing and that evening next vet arrived, did rectal made diagnosis. Showed me what to do, horse luckily knew how to sort this. Horse was given a time line of 3 hours before PTS but he had it sorted and knowing what it was and liable to happen again then so far with management I have kept things under control.
Click to expand...

This is what my ID mare got recently in June vet visit rectal seemed ok to leave, 1/2 hr later colic again, just pawing, vet said I come back, I said no we on the way to RVC. By the time we got to RVC she was not pawing anymore. She was dehydrated and the haylage I think was the culprit or contributed to it, along with the heat.
 
ILuvCowparsely said:
This is what my ID mare got recently in June vet visit rectal seemed ok to leave, 1/2 hr later colic again, just pawing, vet said I come back, I said no we on the way to RVC. By the time we got to RVC she was not pawing anymore. She was dehydrated and the haylage I think was the culprit or contributed to it, along with the heat.
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I have found that bulk is very important for mine in the management of NE. He was fed soaked hay and grass and I noticed he didn't pass gas very much unlike the others. After I started to really understand it I tried reducing the bulk considerably. Off grass to prevent gas and on haylage which is a fair amount less bulk than hay (fed per his weight) That seems to have been more successful and I also get him to roll each morning before he is ridden. At the first sign of trouble I put him loose in the field with a lunge whip behind him and he gallops and can roll if he thinks he needs to. I have learnt to listen to him, he seems to know how to deal with it and given the chance he did of his own accord precisely what the vet said he needed to do. .
 
Sadie colicked the second summer I had her. Broke through a fence and gorged on ash leaves that had all fallen after a storm. Just very bad luck but happily just needed buscopan. Tbh she presented neurological, couldn't keep her back legs underneath her, so colic was actually good news!!!

Have known 2 to have to be PTS through the sanctuary. Both it happened multiple times before they couldn't be saved. One other pony colics several times a year and is still going, shes very tiny and maybe just wired up wrong on the inside or something.
 
Had horses nearly 54yrs and had 2 gassy colic’s . Years apart but both were very mild and when vet arrived were back to their normal selves. No change in diet or routine so not sure why .

Had over 50 odd horses in this time so count myself very lucky .
 
40 years of being around horses and personally mine had colic when I was away on holiday. She was fine and never had it since. The ones I can remember I have experienced maybe at least 6 nearby others, all but one fatal, a combination of previous operation and scar tissue , growths in colon, reaction to eating apple (not me feeding and I have been wary since) and a couple of unknowns. I was in big stables when younger though, one with 100 plus horses, one with 25 - 30 ISH. My horse died of grass sickness which initially presented as impaction colic but obviously wasn't
 
Sister and I have owned 14 horses over the last 50 ish yrs. We have always said that we wouldn't put any horse through colic surgery and luckily have never needed to make that decision, although we have had horses colic for a variety of reasons, all mares.
1. No obvious reason but as she was intolerant of cereals & sugar, probably a passerby had given her something, fortunately by the time the vet arrived, she was showing only minor symptoms. Vet gave her muscle relaxant and pain relief and she was fine
2. Elderly Clydesdale, possibly caused by too swift a change of diet, treated by vet, no repeat
3 Young Clydesdale, impaction thought originally to be caused by stuffing herself on barely wilted nettles but a few months later found to be a tumour and pts, when she became ataxic from internal bleeding
4. 25 yr old cob, recurrent rumbling colic over 3 days, vet attended each time and she improved but relapsed every 24 hrs. On 3rd visit ( just in OOH every time) vet said if she relapsed again we would have to pts. She obviously took that on board and decided to recover. Vet thought it might have been hormone related. She obviously lost a lot of condition, so we retired her and she lived another 5 happy yrs.
5. Westphalian Drama Queen, impaction colic, sliding down stable wall and groaning, emergency vet was held up at a lambing and by the time he arrived she was demanding her tea! She had another episode, which lasted a bit longer when attending vet said that surgery wasn't an option because of her size. She recovered, we stopped allowing access to long straw and she never colicked again.
6. Young Appy, colic after worming, not long after we got her, one vet visit good recovery.

A friend had a gelding who colicked every summer, gassy colic from new grass. He had to be very carefully managed but still had a mild attack every year.
 
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