Frost/Ice & Colic

Ginger Bear

Ginger Bear

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At my old yard there was a horse that used to get colic if he was turned out early when the fields were still frosty so we would turn out once the frost had gone..at my new yard some people turnout at around 6am before work, the fields are frosty/icy & the horses are all fine.. any thoughts on this as i usually turn out before work but if fields are frosty i'm reluctant to turn out because of the colic issue.. obviously horses get on ok in the wild or if living out all year round... so just wondered what you all think??
 
Horses are usually fine if they have a feed before turnout onto frosty grazing and not just put straight out with empty bellies, I always used to make sure mine had something in their stomach before turnout. Possibly just an issue this one horse was susceptible to.
 
I can speak from experiance on this one.
Impactation colic is very very very common during snowy periods. Its perticually common in places such as canada in winter, but as winters are becoming harsher over here obvious its occuring more here too.

Basically, horses still eat lots in the snow, perticually if you up feed slightly, and offer ad lib hay (which is a good thing). However some horses also drink alot less, through a dislike of cold water!! This then leads to impactation in the gut, which is hard to pass. My boy got an impacted ileus febuary 2009 when we had all that snow last year, resulting in an op...

Basically, so long as your horse drinks enough you are fine. But it is paramount this time of year that you keep an eye on your horses water intake! We all take flasks to warm up water this time of year to make it slightly more drinkable (also freezes over less).
 
Thanks LizzyandToddy..makes sense now..I couldn't work out what made them get colic in the frost..thanks for your reply..i think i'll just carry on putting him out later once the frost clears..i can't seem to take chances with my tb gelding..not exactly the hardy type..
 
Mine has had mildish colic from this in the past, and yesterday came in (despite having hay and water in the field, being rugged and having been fed pre turnout) looking subdued. He wasnt colicking but was off his food and lying down at every opportunity.

Because we are so isolated (and snowed in atm) and because of another issue he had health wise, vet let me have boxes of bute so he had one sachet syringed in his mouth.

He's more cheery this morning and not lying down all the time etc. Still not keen on hay but eating his breakfast ok.

The thing is, both times it has happened has been when there hasnt just been snow, but when on top of that the air temp has really dropped (up here it was -5 to -7 in the daytime yesterday). So I think its that which triggers at least some of them into colicing. Maybe the water is just too cold for them to want to drink it or maybe the snow itself is icier.
 
Yes I agree with all of the above. We are in Aberdeenshire and my TB broodmare colicked (sp?) 7 times last year but I only called the vet the first time. It was always after eating and didn't matter if the food was warm or cold. She seemed to recover quite quickly although the actual attacks became more severe and the vets thought it either impaction colic or ulcers (she cribs for Scotland). I have a syringe of coligone waiting this year and have also promised myself that I will toughen up and do the right thing if it repeats this year (she is 17). However I have moved her to be with my two geldings away from the mares and foals and she seems very happy, unlike last year when she was visibly stressed out by the snow.
 
It is a big problem. My own had a slight tummy ache on Friday night, didn't want his hay (not like him at all) he was stamping his hind legs ocassionally too. I gave him warm water which he drank and a while later he was fine.

Another horse on the yard needed the vet last night with the same symptoms.
Vet said he was expecting a lot of calls with colicky horses.


My advise would be to offer them tepid water as soon as they come in as this seems not only to encourage them to drink but clears the system too. I honestly think it saved me a call out and more importantly for me an exclusion for serious colic
 
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As the others have said and I always give large amounts of very sloppy speedibeet before turning out. Lines the stomach and gives extra fluids.
 
I don't turn mine out on frost or snow as it can cause chills and belly ache!, also during the cold as others have said they tend to drink less which could result in impaction colic- Mine get sloppier wetter feeds than normal so they get more water in to them that way, if the water is really cold I take the edge of it and add some warm, then mix it in with their feeds.

And they get fed plenty of hay or haylage too to keep them warm, and a walk in hand to keep them ticking over, if the weather means the arena is frozen- like it is at the mo!

I had a horse years ago who had an impacted colic over christmas, the Vets at the horspital said that the snowy, cold weather can bring on colic- he had to be pumped full of liquid parrafin and was at the vets for a week.

I wish this weather would just go away!
 
Ok I'm a bit worried about this now. We have had snow on the fields since friday and mine have been out. All have rugs, water, hay etc. But worried about this. What do I need to look out for and what things can I do? I have stables so could bring in for 4 hours or so every day, but they much prefer it out.
 
I think it's a catch 22 really because if they are in, they are not moving about which is not so good for them -as at least when they are out they can move around to keep warm and keep their gut ticking over! I suppose just to keep them warm with plenty of hay, check they are drinking enough and that they are doing the normal amount of droppings!.
Argh nightmare though, I so wish it was the summer, or at least the spring!
 
I would like to butt in with a different question along the same lines!!!!

I have had to soak my hay recently as it is really dusty, not a problem when it is warmer but now it is cold i am not happy about them eating cold hay in the field and stable, i think it could cause a colic, what do you guys think?

:)
 
Ours don't go out on frost or snow if we can help it. My mare especially seems very sensitive and does colic at the drop of a hat! That said, they are out today as they need a leg stretch. Breakfast first (warm, very sloppy sugar beet) and plenty of hay when out. In the stable they have a bucket of electrolyte water and a bucket of plain water. They are drinking alot more than usual at the moment. We try to top up with fresh water 3 times a day - they don't get tempted by tepid water though. They like cold fresh stuff!
 
Allover said:
I would like to butt in with a different question along the same lines!!!!

I have had to soak my hay recently as it is really dusty, not a problem when it is warmer but now it is cold i am not happy about them eating cold hay in the field and stable, i think it could cause a colic, what do you guys think?

:)
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We put a couple of kettles of boiling water over the hay now. I also don't like the idea of a pile of icey wet hay so this solves it.
 
Thanks Glosgirl, the problem i have now is that it will not go above -5 - freezing and down to -20 so even though i am wetting with hot water it is still cold and icy by the time i get it too the stables or field :mad:
 
Can you keep a kettle at the stables? We put our hay into black bins and then put a couple of kettles of boiling water over. After about 10 mins or so we drain any water out of the bin and then turn it out in the stable and fork it through really well. Through this winter and last we've had no problems with it freezing again - I guess because it's mainly steam not water sat on the hay.
 
I should think that for the vast majority of horses, the benefit of turnout far outweights the risks :-)

People keep horses in other countries where they turn out in snow every day for months a year, and it is not a huge problem. People even turn horses out during day without rugs, as long as the horse is unclipped and it isn't wet. If the horse has access to ad lib good quality hay they should keep warm just fine. If you find that they drop weight, consider adding some fat (vegetable oil) to the hard feed. However, we are hardly talking Arctic temperatures here, so not to worry too much :-)

For those who water the hay - can you get hold of less dusty stuff to feed until the cold is over?

For fussy drinkers, some people drop a piece of apple in the water bucket to encourage them, and topping up with hot water will help avoid the bucket freezing.
 
I have hot water in the yards but it just seems to ice over in minutes, even in the stable so dread to think what it will do in the field!!!
 
You must pull the ice out of the water before adding the hot. If you dont, as you are finding, it freezes again in no time at all.
I am using nothing but hot water at the moment, and this morning the water had not iced over (despite the thermometer reading -3).
 
I always turn out in the snow, frosty mornings etc and ( touch wood) never had a problem. I feel keeping them in the stable could course problems as well so I suppose what ever suits your horse. I perfer as much turnout as I can. I have noticed now ever had my foal didn't wee last night while he was in so he's now having fast fibre in his tea and lots off warm water.
 
my pony lives out and I do worry about this sort of thing, however he is a native pony so i very much hope his digestion has evolved to cope with living out in all conditions.

I do wonder if the colic is not just caused by the frost but by people changing the routine of their horses or pony suddenly so they spend more time in and eat more hay and less grass than normal and have less exercise and if this upsets the digestive system?
 
Mine had no change in routine but still got colic.

For those worrying but with horses who havent shown any probs, I would say carry on turning them out/have them living out. If you start to have probs, as I have, then you reassess the risks and decide on balance whats better at that point.

As long as they have plenty of food, unfrozen water and are warm enough then most (esp young and hardy) horses would be fine. I wouldnt be worried about my Haffie out there but sadly shes having to stay in as company to the big chap.

Who is thankfully brighter this morning, I caught him eating some haylage :-))

Haylage can be a good option if you dont want to have frozen soaked hay, but if using hay the semi steamed method described is good too. Or, if they dont have any breathing issues and its good hay and they drink plenty, just feed it unsoaked.
 
TBH I had never even heard of horses getting colic from icy grass before I joined HHO - thats 20 years of being around horses and not knowing.

Its not something we've ever experienced though tbh, horses are animals, live outside, eat grass. Just hope that now I know about it, it doesn't start happening! :D
 
I posted on here that I had, had no problems and never had. Well last night my native went down with colic which vet thinks was because off the cold and not drinking enough and has upset his system. That's the last time I ever post " I haven't had a prob" for 25 years iv had no prob until last night.
I now have to warm water buckets up to encourage drinking and warm all feeds which I do anyway but make sure stomach is well lined before they go out.
 
Mine all live out, on alfa and happy hoof. I have been taking up some flasks of water and making their tea really sloppy so I know they are drinking.
 
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