JUST OUT OF INTEREST DID ANYONE'S HORSE GET COLIC YESTERDAY?

Birker2020

Birker2020

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My horse got slight spasmodic colic again yesterday. He has always been prone and this is about his 25-30 attack in 4.5 years. He is on probiotic and he only ever gets gassy colic. I introduce new food gradually and am careful to worm him accurately. I do all the stuff they tell you that you should do including turning him out in smallish paddock (about 2 acres) with little grazing but our yard used to be a top class old dairy farm and consequently the swards of grass are quite rich due to how the cattle grazed for nearly a hundred years. I've tried the muzzle but when he loses it (which they invariably do) he just stuffs what grass there is down him as fast as possible and gets colic then too. The vet advised that when he is having a colic upset to bute him, put him on the walker for half an hour and then back in stable. If still not eating then or showing discomfort to call him out and that's what I've always done without any problems. I sometimes wonder if it is the seasonal variations in the weather more than the actual quality of the grass. I can't put him in electric fencing strip grazing as he has no respect for the fencing and would be through it in minutes, the muzzle is no good and he is only out for 6 hours a day (this has been gradually increased over months from three hours to six)! I mix baled hay with our haylage which he tends to have on a kind of adlib basis and otherwise he is on molassed chaff, pasture mix, garlic, pink powder and joint supplement, carrots and apples. Any suggestions? He is 12 and I do not think he has gastric ulcers. He is not a stressy horse either.
 
You have my sympathy on this one. I have to be so careful with my horse IDx who has suffered in the past and I have been at my wits end. I am neurotic whenever we have a lot of rain, especially if the grass is a little long, as that's when we noticed he was more prone to colic. I always give him a feed, even a small one in the summer. Because we strip graze he is given hay as well. I know I have said this before but a syringe of Coligone is really handy to keep ready - it does work!
 
What type of soil do you have? If he only gets it when the grass is low and your soil is sandy, I would try a course of sand-out.
 
Just a wild idea but i had a mare many years ago who use to get spasmodic colic about once a month it took ages to work out but by a process of elimination we found out it was the molasses in the chop that she could cope with.

Just thought it might be the same thing worth a try....
 
Last year with the very hot wet summer, Toffee had several bouts of spasmodic colic, the only way I stopped it was to turn out at night. I also used Coligone and Pink Powder.
 
Thanks for your suggestions folks. The haylage could well be a problem although most of it is not off our fields. Its been quite rich recently (the ryegrass type) so I have been mixing hay into it starting with a half section of hay spread between one net and three tubs of haylage. The coligone funnily enough I was looking at in the robinsons catalogue only yesterday and thinking of getting a tube to try, or put by in an emergency. We are already aware of the rain scenario, as he quite often gets gassy when its rained after a dry mild spell. The soil i would describe as clay like more than anything, but I agree with you about this as the PH level may be more acidic ( the grazing is very good quality due to the past cattle use). The molasses is something I've not considered before, so I may try him on something else. Funnily enough he will not touch the straw type of chaff and actually snorts at it when its in his feed so I could try a readigrass type of chaff. Thanks for your ideas x I probably sound awful about not having had it invesitgated by the vet but I really don't want to go down the investigation and insurance knowing about it route whilst it is so manageable.
 
i know you say you dont think its ulcers, but how can you be sure
my boy had colic five times, mild gassy colic, in the space of one month. he looks in fantastic condition and the colic passed within ten minutes, so I didnt think it was anything to worry about. He is a 6yr old thoroughbred, and not that stressy, so we thought he would be clear of ulcers
Hoever we had him scoped and he has got ulcers, and so is now being treated
He has to have low starch/low sugar, high fibre feed
if you dont want to go down the vet route, maybe feed him as if he has ulcers, high fibre low starch etc, and see how he goes, i would stear clear of the molasses
just a sugesstion
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the thing that made me have mine scoped was the knowledge that next time he has colic it could be the last time, so many horses die from colic
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If excess grass sets off the colic it could be down to extra sugar, particularly if you are on 'cow grass'. Rye grass is one of the highest sugar grasses and is the grass type that is mainly chosen for cows. You are also feeding ryegrass haylage. Ryegrass is grown for cows because it is fast growing, high energy and protein for maximum meat or milk yield. It is therefore really unsuitable for horses. Whilst some may cope many dont, hence colic, laminitis, etc.
I would look for haylage made from lower sugar grasses such as timothy. Even better would be meadow hay, if possible. This may have ryegrass in it but it will be mixed with other grasses and is unlikely to be the high yield variety. Remove mollasses and cereals from the diet and stick with fibre and oil based feeds. Currently you are feeding sources of sugar/starch from haylage, mollassed chaff and a course mix. You could try fibergy from D&H, that is high oil chaff with added mint. Mint is very good at helping with gassy colic. Instead of course mix feed alfalfa or unmollassed sugar beet, this will provide energy from fibre not starch.
 
Sunny had a scary attack of gassy colic last spring and this year I'm dreading his turnout onto grass after winter nibbles (though not much chance of that yet). He responded well to Buscopan but I also gave him 3 days of Coligone. It's brilliant. PM H's_Mum and she can tell you all about it. Sunny also goes onto a 3-day precautionary dose prior to moving fields or anything else that might upset his innards. Vets recommend it too. x
 
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He responded well to Buscopan but I also gave him 3 days of Coligone. It's brilliant. PM H's_Mum and she can tell you all about it. Sunny also goes onto a 3-day precautionary dose prior to moving fields or anything else that might upset his innards. Vets recommend it too. x

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I would definitely get in contact with H's_Mum - she is very knowledgeable about colic and Coligone is very good, it worked much better on my pony than Pink Powder - I would recommend trying the liquid for a few days, my pony was a lot more comfortable on it, farting for England
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My pony got spasmodic colic when the weather turned very cold just before the end of last year, the drop in temperature was the only thing different in his routine so we guessing it was that though H's Mum also recommend dropping the sugarbeet from his diet.
 
I was wondering if you have clover in your field. The only time my mare has had colic (and was gassy) was due to the clover coming through in the field. I was adviced to feed yea sacc in the summer months. Although this is traditionally used to help prevent laminitis, it helps support the hind gut in general. As others have suggested I'd also keep some coligone handy and definately speak to H's Mum who I'm sure will help with great advice.
 
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