COLIC

Birker2020

Birker2020

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I think this has been discussed before so apologies if any one is bored of this subject. Did anyone elses horse get colic yesterday or recently due to changing weather conditions. My horse has been out for a total of 1 1/2hr since 31st December. Yesterday as the ground had thawed I thought I would arrange to have him turned out so asked Dad to turn him out just before he left the yard at about 1.30pm yesterday afternoon. I'd also arranged for the Y.O to bring him in as early as she could and she did so at 3pm. This timescale would have been an ideal reintroduction as my horse suffers from recurrent colic due to grass and he is prone to spasmodic colic. However, for whatever reason Dad turned him out on his arrival at noon. Last night when I arrived at the yard I got him out of his stable, groomed and tacked up and rode. I thought he was a bit grumpy but when I went to feed him he wouldn't eat, pressed head into corner of stable, swishing of tail, laying down, getting up, all the usual symptoms of spasmodic colic. i rang the vet to ask how many danillon I could syringe down his throat, did that, put him on the walker, gave him a very small net to pick through the bars and he was right as rain. Does anyone elses horse suffer recurrent colic? He has had about 25 in 4 1/2 years, but all been minor, gassy colics and vets advice when he gets it is to give 3 bute and walker, if no improvement call them out and I have always done this and been fine. He is on probiotics, when the weather is 'normal' he manages fine on 4 hours a day turn out, has adlib haylage, and I am very careful to introduce any new feed carefully.
 
Yes. Two on our yard - our own and horse next door but one both went down with colic just before Christmas when the weather went from very cold to very mild in a day.
Both horses have had colic before (including surgery for the other horse) and both recovered quickly. Ours always seems to get it in spring and autumn and touch wood has always made a quick recovery.
The vet said she had seen a lot of colic on the previous day as well.
I think some horses are just more sensisitive to grass changes and no matter how well you manage feed/turnout etc they will get it sometimes.
The vet actually said that she thought lots of horses probably got this but only a few make a fuss about it like ours!
blush.gif
 
One on our yard was taken to hospital yesterday with gas colic, there is also one with bad laminitis. The frosted grass is just not good for their stomachs, mine didn't go out today at all, and other days have had a good feed and a haynet before going out to allow the grass to thaw a little bit. Roll on a little warm weather (although it looks stunning out today with all the frost on the trees).
 
Have you tried your horse out 24/7?

Only asking as mine suffers from colic if he is in. He has one or two bouts a year if he is out all the time and the bouts always come if he is stabled. As soon as he is out walking he recovers. I do know the symptoms he shows and know if there is a change, as i have managed him for 30 years which helps! Plus i keep him at home which makes life easier as i can check on him easily. I also know when to call the vet for a bit of help if things arent following the normal pattern because I have had him for so long.

I was just thinking that as he recovers on the walker maybe it would be worth trying having him out all the time.

But you know your horse!
 
Hi dozzies mother - thanks for the idea. He will go out all day in the summer but not overnight, I need to watch his intake of grass as he has a very senstitive stomach and gets colic quite easy. Our land used to be a vast dairy farm for a hundred or so years so as you can guess the grazing is very rich. I tried muzzles the two years I had him which helps to an extent but then when he lost one (which they invaribly do) he would gorge himself until he was found and brought in and got a few colics as a result of that. He is a warmblood so wouldn't cope brilliantly out 24/7 plus this is not an option at our yard from November - March anyway, which is fair enough. I've had him 4 1/2 years so try to manage him best I can. I think the recent colic was now due to new haylage and we were only given about 2 days to change over from the old and mix the two which is not suffiicient time for a colicky prone horse. The Y.O has kindly let me open up a bale of the old stuff to mix with the new to try to dilute it a little and gradually increase the new till thats all his having.
 
Have you considered Coligone? My horse has been on it for a couple of months as she gets gas colic generally after worming. She has been fine since being on Coligone, and survived being wormed last week despite a raised worm count. My understanding is it buffers the gut against the things that can trigger colic and disperses gas.

http://www.hbradshaws.co.uk/products.php

I use the powder version for maintenance.
 
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