Colic- From a Certified Equine First Aid Instructor’s Perspective

Colic- the “C” word that haunts all horse owners. A subject that I could talk about forever and I am unfortunately very educated on the subject.
As a first aid instructor through Equi-First Aid USA, we teach students all over the importance of preparing and implementing first aid protocol.

What is colic?

In simple terms, colic is a stomach ache. This upset stomach can range from mild pain to even death. There are different types of colic; impaction, torsion, strangulation, gas & displacement.
Why do horses colic?
•sand/ dirt ingestion
•large amount of dead worms passing (deworming)
•stress/ diet changes
•dehydration
•pregnancy/ labor
•gas
•lack of exercise

Signs of colic-

•pawing
•lying down accompanied with rolling
•looking at their sides/kicking their bellies with their hind legs
•not interested in food or water
•stretching out while standing
•decreased manure output

First Aid Protocol-

If you think your horse is having an episode of colic, you should immediately ring your vet. Take the horses’s vital signs, remove all feed stuff, get them to a safe place if they want to lay down and follow your vet’s instructions.
Most colics either resolve on their own or can be medically managed with IV fluid therapy and medication. But some colics do require surgery.

Colic Myths-

•If your horse is laying down, you can let them rest. Do not allow your horse to roll.
•Walking your horse doesn’t settle colic. It is a good way to keep your mind off of the emergency situation and a good way to keep your horse from lying and rolling.
•Don’t celebrate one pile of manure. I am personally not satisfied until my horse poops about 5 times. This is because the manure could have been sitting in the colon prior to the colic. Feed stuff that is ingested takes about 48-72 hours to pass through the entire digestive system before it reaches the rectum.

Hopefully this summary of colic will help someone out there! It is a scary situation, but being prepared & educated can go a long way!

-Gina Ansaldo

Use her code GINA20 at checkout for 20% off your Blue Hoof order and follow her on instagram @happily_ever_acres and @ginamarieequestrian