Why so many colic cases?

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Rio went down on saturday evening with colic, had episodes during the night of getting better then worse then better etc. Thankfully he's ok now :) but I've seen so many colic posts these past couple of weeks and was wondering if there was any particular reason for it? How have all of the affected horses recovered? Hoping no more ponies go down with it!!
 
I had my horse in at the vets a few weeks ago and I was chatting to the vet as we were waiting for some lab results. They had seen a lot of colic cases and I asked why there seemed to be more around at the moment. He said it was in part due to a change in routines, as horses are kept in for longer due to the ground conditions and fed dry hay. The change in their diet and restricted movement caused changes to their guts, resulting in colic. He was more technical about it than that, but this is how my brain processed the info. Another reason why turnout is so important for our horses, when it is possible.
 
I'm pretty sure that it was a combination of factors in our case.
The weather had been vile, she came in wet-through (unrugged) but not shivering or even cold, so gobbled her food down. We were on the 2nd day of a new haylage bale which, unusually, had a lot of extremely stalky grass in it, obviously from the headland of the field, which looked more like straw. Because the weather was horrible and the retired cob, although rugged, wasn't happy, I brought them in early. Although it wasn't freezing that day, she had been drinking less for a few days because the water had been so cold.
Fortunately she is fine now.
 
Over here the usual reason given for colic cases in the winter is where people don't have heated water thus horse is eating the same amount of hay but not drinking enough. Sometimes a change in hay (it varies hugely over here as we have many grasses and legumes that your hay won't have in the UK) can cause colic so always doing the same with a change of hay as you do with feed is advisable.
 
Movement helps with keeping this moving in the gut so more stabling over winter reduces movement.

This is also worth reading: http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/horse-health/2002/may/18/feeding-to-minimize-chronic-colic.aspx

I came across an article (link above) referencing study done in Texas:

A change of diet in the two weeks preceding the episode, particularly a change of hay, was the most likely cause of colic cited by 145 veterinarians reporting on more than 1,000 horses that colicked in a 1997-'98 Texas survey of dietary and other management factors associated with colic.


1. Make any dietary change as gradually as possible. The biggest surprise in the Texas survey was that a recent change in hay gave a horse higher odds of developing colic than any other factor.

Farm managers have long recognized that changes in the quantity or type of a horse's concentrate ration need to be done gradually in order to avoid digestive upset. But when it comes to hay they figure, well, hay is hay.

This study, however, confirmed that a change in the quantity, type, or quality of forage in the horse's diet needs to be made with just as much care. Various types of forage or different cuttings even from the same field are nutritionally distinct and are not interchangeable in the horse's diet. Changing forage sources may change the gut's pH and force adjustments in the population of microflora essential for processing roughage that colonize the horse's large intestine. Making an abrupt change in hay supplies can cause colic as easily as an abrupt change in grain or supplements.
 
My had it on Sunday we spoke to vet and he thinks its related to his liver problems so probably not the same as everyone else's. Especially as no matter what the weather he stays in his same routine or he gets stressed.
 
Our vet said that they have more cases of colic reported to them at weekends. He believes that owners spend more time with their horses at that time so are more likely to see it happen. He went on to say that there are many more cases of colic that occur but owners are oblivious to it as they are not there to see it or call a vet.
 
maccachic said:
Movement helps with keeping this moving in the gut so more stabling over winter reduces movement.

This is also worth reading: http://www.thoroughbredtimes.com/horse-health/2002/may/18/feeding-to-minimize-chronic-colic.aspx

I came across an article (link above) referencing study done in Texas:

A change of diet in the two weeks preceding the episode, particularly a change of hay, was the most likely cause of colic cited by 145 veterinarians reporting on more than 1,000 horses that colicked in a 1997-'98 Texas survey of dietary and other management factors associated with colic.


1. Make any dietary change as gradually as possible. The biggest surprise in the Texas survey was that a recent change in hay gave a horse higher odds of developing colic than any other factor.

Farm managers have long recognized that changes in the quantity or type of a horse's concentrate ration need to be done gradually in order to avoid digestive upset. But when it comes to hay they figure, well, hay is hay.

This study, however, confirmed that a change in the quantity, type, or quality of forage in the horse's diet needs to be made with just as much care. Various types of forage or different cuttings even from the same field are nutritionally distinct and are not interchangeable in the horse's diet. Changing forage sources may change the gut's pH and force adjustments in the population of microflora essential for processing roughage that colonize the horse's large intestine. Making an abrupt change in hay supplies can cause colic as easily as an abrupt change in grain or supplements.
Click to expand...

Good article! I agree that in most cases, forage and change of diet is to blame.
 
Hay has run out in the stable so horses don't have forage running through their digestive systems. Those on the coursera nutrition course will see the clip of how much easier a tube twists if it doesn't have anything in it. Very uncomfortable for horses standing in stables or a muddy field without a constant source of forage. Interesting the remark from the vet about more at weekends.. My thoughts would be maybe horse owners get up a little later so the horses have longer to potentially go without forage if they are not left with enough free choice hay.

Not drinking enough water. I've had my pony cantering down the field to get warm water from me over the colder period, something I decided to try after seeing Clare McLeod (equine nutritionist) posts on her Facebook page.

Just my thoughts,

Hannah
 
We are convinced it was the change in haylage that set Kenny off as it was the next morning after we had changed to a much finer stranded haylage that he was colicing. Luckily it was only spasmodic and bute sorted him out. Needless to say he went straight back on the old haylage that night.
 
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