Colic - To walk or not to walk?

so03

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9 September 2005
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Maidstone Kent
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Bonnie gets colic, well a few years ago, it was once a week. She lives on her nerves. 28 year old TB.

Through diet and good care she rarely gets it now (touch wood).

I was brought up with the new BHS way, do not walk the horse unless it is in danger of causing injury.

I know people who go by the old fashioned way of walking the horse and to be honest, when you have used this way, it is difficult to use a different approach.

When my horse used to get colic, she was rugged up and turned out in the field, she has a routine, lay down, roll, lay a bit more, roll, get up, walk around, lay down again and so it goes on til she recovers. On vets advice, only call out if sweating, in severe pain as she had it so often. She was on loan at the time so I was not in control of getting any investigation work done.

I now use a herbal pain killer when I see the first signs of colic, it sorts her out within 10 mins, vet is happy for this to be used. If the colic is more serious than normal, then herbal painkiller will not disguise further symptoms.

Pink powder, a good routine and the osteopath have helped reduce her colic.

So in answer to your question, (in most peoples cases) it really depends on what you've been brought up with. I don't walk unless they are in danger of injuring themselves.
 

Alibear

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25 March 2003
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GT's this horse was post op so vet's didn't want to give the medication as it clashed with other things the horse had already been given. So it was hard trotting on the lunge for a good while.
 
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