If you are new to owning or leasing a horse, your first experience with a colicy horse can be frightening. The basic cause of colic is pressure from gas trapped in the digestive system.
Symptoms are usually intermittent with quiet spells, followed by spells when violent pain from the pressure of gas in the bowel creates spasms that cause the horse to thrash and roll about or bite at its flank.
The amount of pain is not always a good indicator of how severe the colic is.
The most common cause of colic is a sudden change in diet or improper feeding with too much new hay or grain, large quantities of green food, or food that has been contaminated.
Insufficient or unclean water may also lead to digestive problems related to colic. Problems with chewing because of irregular teeth may contribute to the buildup of gas in the digestive system. In fact, anything that produces indigestion may produce colic
Any horse owner should be sure to talk to a veterinarian about the signs of colic and what to do to treat colic until the vet can arrive. In some cases, blockages or severe cases of worms can also cause colic.
If your horse shows any sign of pain, including biting or kicking at his stomach, pawing the ground, sweating, pacing or lying on his side, take away his food and call your veterinarian immediately. Then, get him on a lead and walk him back and forth until help arrives.
Keep the horse as calm and comfortable as possible, allowing the animal to lie down if it appears to be resting.
Follow the veterinarian's advice until he or she arrives on the scene. Usually, colic resolves itself with passage of time as the horse moves around and the gas buildup passes through the system, but you should also be aware that certain kinds of colic can be life threatening. That is why the advice of your veterinarian is extremely important.