| The boarded horse lives a different lifestyle than those | | | | then need to catch the horse and keep him walking. |
| who live at their owner's home or are turned out to | | | | Walking will keep the horses gut moving and keep him |
| pasture. These horses often live in stalls and may or | | | | from rolling. Horses who roll viscously may be causing |
| may not have runs. They may spend their days inside | | | | themselves more problems. Rolling will cause the |
| and their only exercise may be an hour of riding or | | | | intestines of the horse to twist and tangle. Many |
| turnout time. Many horses are able to adapt to this | | | | horses have been lost to twisted guts as they cause |
| lifestyle very well if they were raised in this manner as | | | | pressure build up from internal gases and eventually |
| foals. Horses who have been turned out their whole | | | | something will give. |
| life and then are put in a stall may not adjust so well. | | | | There are generally two treatments for horses that do |
| These horses may also have an increase chance in | | | | not require colic surgery. Horses will be given an |
| developing colic. | | | | injection of Banamine. If your barn has Banamine on |
| Colic is a broad term that generally means that the | | | | hand, you can call your veterinarian and ask him if you |
| horse has a stomachache. The horse's digestive | | | | can give this to your horse and how much. Banamine |
| system is very unique in that their stomachs are | | | | causes the smooth muscle in the stomach to calm and |
| unusually small for their size. The natural lifestyle of the | | | | not contract. This will relieve much of the pain that the |
| horse has been changed drastically over the past one | | | | horse is feeling. The horse is usually injected and |
| hundred years. Horses were designed by nature to | | | | walked until the no longer attempt to lie down and roll. |
| stay in pasture and constantly graze throughout the | | | | This procedure, however, may take hours and many |
| day. Instead we have brought our horses in from the | | | | people have been known to walk horses all night long. |
| pastures and put them in stalls. We then continue to | | | | The second method is to use mineral oil down the |
| feed them the same amount of grain concentrate that | | | | horse's throat and into the gut. The oil will cause the |
| they receive while they are working or not. We also | | | | horses system to flush out all of the built up |
| provide them with a flake or two of hay. They receive | | | | concentrate that is causing the horse to colic. These |
| their ration twice a day. Horses were not designed to | | | | horses may also be injected with Banamine and |
| eat these two large meals per day. Horses also do not | | | | walked until the no longer show signs of colic. |
| have a sense of being full, which contributes to most | | | | To avoid colic in horses, horses should be allowed to |
| colic cases where horses have broken into feed | | | | have ample water that is clean and fresh. They should |
| rooms. The boarded horse has been able to adjust to | | | | also be allowed to munch on hay all day if they are |
| these large meals despite his small stomach, but many | | | | going to be stalled. Horses that receive two large |
| still have difficulties. | | | | meals per day should also be allowed hay during the |
| Boarded horses usually experience colic because of | | | | day if possible. If possible, it is best that horses have |
| one or two reasons. The first is that the horse is | | | | their concentrate amount split up into four or five small |
| having a hard time adjusting to his new stall life from | | | | meals per day, unfortunately many barns are not able |
| one in a pasture. He is fed two large meals per day | | | | to provide this service. Owners may choose to invest |
| and this is shocking his system. He is unable to | | | | in automatic feeders that will dispense a small amount |
| properly digest this large amount of feed in such a | | | | of feed at specific times. There are also automatic |
| short time period when he is designed to eat small | | | | feeders for hay flakes. In pasture, horses should have |
| meals throughout the day. These large meals basically | | | | plenty of short grass. Horses will tend to not eat tall |
| result in overloading his small stomach and killing the | | | | grass and may starve themselves. If the grass is |
| helpful bacteria that exist in his hindgut. The other | | | | limited, owners should provide horses with round bales. |
| reason for colic is that the horse has managed to | | | | Horses should also not be allowed to roam free in |
| break into a feed room or feed storage area. | | | | barns where the feed is readily stored unless they are |
| Because the horse is unable to have the feeling of | | | | locked with a padlock or combination locks. Many |
| "fullness," he will continue to eat the tasty sweet feed | | | | horses have found ways to unclip locks and break into |
| until he is very ill. | | | | feed containers. Horses should also receive ample |
| There are a few major signs of colic that one should | | | | exercise to insure that their bowels are moving |
| look for in an ill horse. The horse may roll continuously. | | | | properly. |
| He will get up and get down and roll over and over. He | | | | As a responsible owner, it is common courtesy to |
| will also look back or kick at his belly because it hurts. | | | | notice any abnormal changes in fellow boarders |
| They may also result in a fever. Extreme cases of | | | | horses as well as your own. If you see anything that is |
| colic will also make a horse founder and he will appear | | | | slightly odd or different you are better off alerting the |
| to be sitting back on his hind feet. He will try not to put | | | | barn manager and owners. The situation may turn out |
| any pressure on his front feet because they are hot | | | | to be nothing, but you are better safe than sorry. Your |
| and hurting. These horses will need immediate medical | | | | horse will soon become a beloved part of your family |
| attention. Severe cases of colic have resulted in the | | | | and you will want to insure his safety and health at all |
| deaths of many horses. When you find a horse that is | | | | times. |
| colicking, you should first alert a veterinarian. You will | | | | |