8 Colic prevention tips for horses

There is something magical about horses in the snow. However beautiful, the cold season increases the risk for colic in horses. The fluctuations in the cold cause horses to “forget” to drink as much water as they should (or not have access to it due to a frozen water trough). The lack or decreased intake of water slows motility in the gut and causes stomach upset—ranging from gas and bloating to serious complications like twisted intestines.

Dozer (my black mare in the front) almost died two years ago from a horrible colic episode... she had had previous episodes before I even brought her home. So now I do everything I can to keep these babes safe and healthy, especially since one horse is recurrent. Here’s my tips:

• Heated water troughs because horses prefer warmer water. Keep troughs out from under roofs to eliminate risk of fire. This also causes the horse to walk to water.
• Ensure movement. Horses aren’t physically meant to be stall bound. They need to walk. Give them opportunity for turnout if 24/7 pasture access isn’t available.
• Our horses are never stalled unless the vet or farrier is here. They can come and go from their shelter as they please.
• Hay or quality forage should be on the ground to mimic natural grazing positions; not up on a wall. We use hay feeder boxes to keep their hay low without risking it mixing with manure.
• Salt blocks are always provided in stalls and out to keep the horses thirsty and drinking.
• I add roughly one cup of warm water to each feed ration. It softens the feed allowing the food to better pass through the horse’s cecum, colon and jinunum—an inconveniently designed intestinal system that makes sharp 90° turns inside the body. Watery food means better flow through these GI pathways.
• Pre- and probiotics help to maintain a healthy microbiome within the horse’s gut. We feed both to our horses via supplements from @strideanimalhealth (side note: use code AXE&ROOT for 5% off).
• We no longer feed grain since we learned Dozer doesn’t digest it well. We now feed @purinafeedgreatness Enrich for vitamins and MannaPro Renew Gold for fats, omegas and acids.

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I'm happy to say that since implementing these practices we've managed to completely avoid colic cases thus far. I hope this information is helpful!