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Ask The Vet: Colic - August 08
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Has your horse ever experienced colic? If so, you know it is not a pleasant site or experience. Pose your questions during the month of August for Dr. Nancy Loving concerning the topic of equine colic and how you can help avoid this situation for reoccurring.
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Question: I have a chronic colicker and am looking to see if you have any additional tips. To be as brief as possible she is a 20-year-old ApHC mare that has a 10 year history of colics ... usually impactions. They have never been surgical thus far. She colics anywhere from 0 times in a month to four, but does not seem to be related to her heat cycle. I had her up to our teaching hospital/university where she was scoped for stomach ulcers (NR), had an abdominal x-ray to check for sand (NR), had an abdominal ultrasound (NR), and a abdominal tap (also NR). This past spring she had episodes where she would only eat about 90 percent of her hay, not act painful, have a normal TPR, slightly diminished gut sounds and slightly lower manure production, but when we tubed her with water and mineral oil it would take 90 HOURS to pass, which shocked both my vet and I since she had no real clinical signs of pain. After a few go rounds with this she was set up on the following plan: pasture 12 to 14 hours/day (in at night), soaked hay cubes 2x daily (with 2.5 gallons of water each time), no grain, no dry hay, Succeed (she did have a positive fecal occult blood test at one point and elevated liver enzymes, which have since returned to normal) and a 250 lb dose of Gastrogard. She gets ridden lightly (WT) 5 days per week (she is coming off of a coffin bone break in her LF, pulled suspensories (both done at separate times out in pasture) and has a history of foundering (not grass/grain-related)). She also gets Adequan IM 1x/month, and Cosequin ASU and Accell LIfetime daily and 1oz/table salt BID (giving her electrolytes daily with Gastrogard caused her potassium to go too high and she was having muscle twitches. She is confirmed HYPP N/N). She gets Sandclear 1wk per month (and her manure is checked regularly for it) and is floated for parasites every 4 to 6 weeks. This past summer she has had 1 to 2 strongyle eggs come up per slide, which was resolved with a dose of ivermectin. She is by herself in her paddock. Occasionally she will get a little spunky, stocked up (all blood work including TP and albumin remain normal), which makes us think there still might be "something" GI going on... Any thoughts or suggestions would be greatly appreciated!
Answer: Click To View
It sounds like you have been very thorough with having your horse evaluated for slow intestinal motility. Some horses have such problems, sometimes related to intestinal adhesions due to parasite damage and/or chronic colic, or for unidentifiable reasons. In addition to the changes you have made with your plan, I would suggest you review your parasite control program with your vet, and maybe consider daily dewormer following a purge of a Panacur Powerpak. Also, I’ve found some horses do well on beet pulp – it is a good fiber substitute and when soaked to a mash, provides additional water. On occasion, a horse may have colonic ulcers and need a totally different diet approach using complete feed pellets rather than forage like hay or pasture. You might consider revamping her entire feeding/turnout/exercise program. If she has a history of founder, I also wonder about her weight and how much she is fed. If she is fed off the ground outside, move her feeding area to a stall with bedding or mats, or something to keep the feed entirely off the dirt. At the same time, it may be that your new plan is working and you haven’t yet had time to fully assess the results.
Sometimes, just keeping things simple is extremely helpful – provide good forage and/or dry pasture turnout, regular exercise, psyllium and good parasite control. Sometimes nothing you do (or don’t do) will make any difference. Short of considerable management changes and trying a few of the things I suggested, your options are to a) treat her symptomatically when she has the small colic events; b) repeat some of the referral hospital workups, including an abdominal u/s, at the time of a colic crisis; or c) have exploratory surgery – a fairly invasive measure to look for a problem.
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Question: I have a 12-year-old Trekehner that has experienced gas colic 4 to 5 times in the last year. He also had a mild bout of grass lamanitis in April. He is now muzzled whenever he is on grass, fed hay in his stall and a pound of ration balancer. Do you think I should take him to nearby vet school to be scoped for ulcers? He is very laid back, is not shown or trailered and is on a regular deworming rotation.
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There is really no harm to be done by having your horse scoped for ulcers, other than the trip to the clinic and the cost. The necessity of doing this procedure might best be discussed with your veterinarian. Research findings have shown that even the seemingly most laid back horses or those that don’t travel or compete are afflicted with gastric ulcers at a relatively high incidence considering their low stress lifestyles. The risk of gastric ulcers is often related to feeding practices as well as the demeanor and stress level of the horse.
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Question: In an answer to an earlier post, it was mentioned that horses picking up dirt while eating off the ground could be a cause of colic. Is there a method to test for dirt similar to how manure is tested for sand ingestion? Also, when horses are fed in stalls with horse-quality shavings or straw bedding, are there hazards if they eat the bedding material, either deliberately or while picking up hay from the floor?
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These are good questions. There really isn’t a way to determine “dirt” accumulation vs. sand. Dirt does not seem to precipitate out as readily into the lower areas of the digestive tract, so with ample fiber/forage, it should move through readily. If you have concerns, then you could take your horse to a referral hospital for abdominal radiographs and/or ultrasound, which might show up some accumulated foreign material.
Feeding off shavings or straw does prevent sand or dirt ingestion, for sure, particularly if there are rubber mats beneath the bedding. However, over the years I have experienced a few cases where horses have ingested too many shavings or too much straw because they have been bored and gone after these materials when there hasn’t been sufficient hay to satisfy their urge to chew. Both these materials, and particularly straw ingestion, can cause a serious cecal impaction, which most times requires surgery to correct. It is smart management to monitor your horses for those that might eat bedding material deliberately and then modify the stall environment accordingly. Accidental ingestion of a small amount of shavings or straw shouldn’t pose a problem.
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Question: My 9-year-old Morgan gelding colicked last month. We had our vet out and he did the works on him. When he was giving him a rectal exam, he felt a tennis ball-sized growth by his bladder. My vet thought it was very odd and we will be getting an ultrasound done in the future. After the vet treated him, he still continued to have bouts of colic for about a week. I would give him a small dose of Banamine and he would come out of it. We changed his feed to oat hay in the afternoon, and grass hay from another area. I can still see his sides get flinchy at times and he does not deficate as much as he used to, but does not seem to be in any sort of pain. I don't know if the mass by his bladder is causing this colic or the feed. Do you have any ideas?
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Your horse’s situation could be caused by so many possibilities that, without more diagnostic information, it would be difficult to make any speculations. I would urge you to have more of a workup done – blood tests, abdominal belly tap, bladder ultrasound, at the very least. This will help direct your veterinarian and/or a referral hospital in the best choices to help your horse. Because he is having ongoing bouts of not being quite right, I would suggest you follow through on this as soon as possible to prevent other complications.
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Question: How long does it take for feed today to pass through the gut of the horse? I sometimes get some loose manure the next day when I deworm the horses even though I do not see any worms, especially with pyrantel pamoate. Could this cause colic?
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Hay eaten today generally doesn’t come out as manure until 2 – 3 days later, but grains come much sooner. When you deworm your horse, sometimes a horse might be sensitive to a certain dewormer drug, or some motility changes might occur due to bowel irritation as the drug does its work on the larval forms. Anytime there is a change in intestinal motility, there is always a risk of colic. Hopefully, you are not killing adult worms as that can potentially be a fatal blockage. Pyrantel is typically a very benign drug with a very large safety factor. If your horse(s) is sensitive to it, you should use any of the variety of other classes of dewormer. I would suggest you contact your veterinarian and collaborate on the best deworming strategy.
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Question: I have a 15-year-old pony gelding in good general condition that started exhibiting colic symptoms two months ago. The veterinarian ruled out any obvious reasons and since the episodes occurred around evening feed, 2 to 3 times a week, he thought perhaps it was g.i. related, maybe an ulcer aggravated by stomach acids produced in anticipation of dinner. To avoid the expense of scoping for ulcers and to narrow things down, he pulled blood and discovered he was insulin-resistant and put him on a low starch diet, insulin therapy and the Metaboleeze supplement. Coincidently, our 20-year-old Quarter horse gelding foundered last year as the result of the same condition, which he made a full recovery from following the same protocol as with pony. The mystery is that pony continues to go into distress several times/week, which we manage with a small does of Banamine if he doesn't come out of it on his own. Eight days ago I couldn’t stand it anymore and after sleuthing his pasture for answers, all I came up with were odd-looking weeds, which I discovered were clammy ground cherries, a member of the nightshade family. I eradicated the toxic weeds and the pony was fine for a few days, but now he's spent the better part of today down again and responding to banamine. My vet is not up-to-date on plant toxicology and their possible relationship with the pony's discomfort. He’s coming out again tomorrow to put hoof testers on him and possibly do x-rays of his feet with the thought that it may be a quiet founder coming on, or as he says a founder 'through the back door'. My vet is very compitent, but after two months, I'm wondering if we are missing something somewhere. The pony's symptoms are lying down prone and sternal, no violent rolling, lethargy, occasional cold sweat, temporary loss of appetite, dullness...always at the end of the day. Good gut sounds, no fever, normal pulses to the feet, no heat in the feet, no lameness. Any suggestions would be GREATLY appreciated. He is kept on a sand lot with good quality grass hay fed fresh three times/day. I have seen him nip the tops off of the weeds out of boredom, so I am quite sure that he is eating them. I am aware that horses avoid toxic plants unless they are very hungry and have no other choices.
Answer: Click To View
Your pony’s situation is complex to say the least. You’ve got multiple “diagnoses” being reported and suspected, but nothing exactly confirmed. Keeping this to the topic of colic, I might make a few suggestions. First, you are concerned about the toxicity of plants in the pasture – I would suggest you contact your county extension agency or your nearest veterinary school and discuss the significance of those plants. Only certain plants cause abdominal distress, while others cause other signs unrelated to abdominal pain and so are not relevant to colic. Often the toxicity is cumulative and doesn’t occur with occasional bites of the plant. Secondly, based on one of your last comments that the pony is kept on a sand lot, I would start examining the pony’s manure for the presence of sand – take 6 fecal balls and put into a baggie with water. Allow it to settle out over night and feel if there is sand in the bottom of the baggie. If so, you know you have a sand problem and have to rethink your feeding arrangement, and treat monthly with psyllium. If there is no sand present, that doesn’t mean your pony is without sand; it just means it may not be coming through at that time so check periodically. Sand and dirt accumulation can cause low grade, intermittent colic episodes as you’ve described.
You might also consider taking your pony to a local veterinary school or private referral clinic for a complete diagnostic workup with abdominal radiographs, abdominal ultrasound, abdominal tap, blood work, etc to try to identify what his problem might be. Gastric ulcers are also a possibility and sometimes if one isn’t inclined to have the scoping down, treatment is initiated to try to rule this problem in or out. I’d also confer with your veterinarian about your deworming program and make sure it is appropriate, and also discuss the dietary plan to make sure there is nothing amiss there.
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Question: My mare in the past, would experience colic episodes, which seemed to coincide with her deworming. A vet determined it to be ulcers and I treated her accordingly. Now, her episodes seem to happen during the week I give sand clear. Her symptoms are lying down, rolling, gas and biting at her udders. Is she just a colicky mare or has a sensitive stomach?
Answer: Click To View
It would be difficult to make a diagnosis based on your query without a hands-on examination of the horse, and possibly more diagnostic information, particularly at the time of the colic episode. You should have your veterinarian out to do a complete physical exam, and possibly a rectal exam, abdominal
ultrasound and endoscopic exam of the stomach if necessary. I would carefully go over your feeding and management strategy. Some pertinent questions to ask:
* What do you feed, how much, how often, how much hay vs grain and other supplements?
* How often is the mare dewormed and with what and at what dose?
* Is she fed off the ground/ dirt-sand?
* Does she have access to water at all times?
* Is the horse stressed, traveling, in training and/or competition?
This should be a collaborative effort with your equine practitioner who might identify some basic problems that you may have overlooked. In this way, you might get a handle on a preventable situation. In odd cases, a horse may simply be sensitive or may have something like intestinal adhesions or chronic ulcers that precipitate recurrent bouts of colic.
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Question: Some mares have a tendency to colic more often when they are in heat. Do you know why this is?
Answer: Click To View
Sometimes there is pain on the ovary at the time, or close to the time, of ovulation. This is usually transient, and responds well to non-steroidal anti-inflammatory medications once your vet has ascertained there is no other more serious reason for the colic.
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Question: Several years ago my horse suffered a corneal abrasion and was put on a regime of antibiotic and atropine ointments. I followed the veterinarian’s instructions precisely and toward the end of the treatment (both were given for 5 to 7 days), the horse had an impaction colic. I am aware that atropine causes drying of mucous membranes and have always wondered if it could have been the cause of the colic. There was nothing else at the time that I could identify as a cause. Since that episode, my horse has had several more corneal abrasions and the atropine was always given for a maximum of 3 days and I have monitored him for any changes in his gut sounds or stool consistency, with no further problems. Any information would be appreciated.
Answer: Click To View
It is true that atropine has the ability to slow gut motility and can indirectly create the circumstances for an impaction to develop. Usually, the doses required to elicit this are higher than what a horse receives with atropine treatment of the eye. Yet, an impaction colic can develop for many other reasons – pain, stress, change in routine, insufficient water intake, coarse feed, etc. Or, an impaction can develop for no logical reason at all.
Atropine treatment of the eye is helpful to relieve spasms associated with the inflammation, but in my experience, even just a few days of atropine treatment will maintain that dilation for as long as two weeks and so need not be continued past 1 – 3 days to achieve the desired ophthalmic effect. It is sound advice to closely monitor your horse at all times, and particularly when receiving any medication for any medical problem. In addition, if there is a suspicion of on-going eye inflammation, it might be a good idea to consult with your veterinarian about the presence of anterior uveitis, which might be amenable to daily or twice weekly aspirin therapy to help avoid inflammatory episodes in the eyes.
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Question: I have seven horses ranging in ages from five to 25-years-old, both Paints and Quarter horses. Each spring I turn them out when the grass is growing, in increasing periods of time starting at 15 minutes, 20, 30, 45, 60 and so on, every day. Each year, I have at least one colic by the 10th day. They are dewormed every 2 to 3 months, fecals are good and all are in ideal condition. The pasture is grass with some white and red clover. I treat them with dioctol and longing with success so far. Their symptoms are rolling, restlessness and not wanting to eat. There are lots of bowel sounds, sometimes tense bellies. Is it gas colic from overeating on the clover or ?
Answer: Click To View
It sounds like you are taking the best care you can of adapting your horses’ guts to the new spring grass. Usually, as a general rule, I suggest to owners with rich grass to more slowly adjust the time allowed out on the grass, i.e. start with 15 minutes, then every 3 days, add another 15 minutes. After the first week, then time additions can be made in half-hour intervals, or more. This brings them up to several hours over the course of a few weeks rather than by the 10th day. You may be offering them too much too quickly, depending on the nature of your grass. If there is clover, that is certainly a highly fermentable and rich feed and the amount your horses ingest probably should be controlled. It might be worth consulting with your agricultural extension agency to rid your field of the clover.
Another suggestion is to only put your horses out to graze for short periods, but do that 2 to 3 times per day so they have a rest period in between bouts of grazing. Also, you should feed hay before turning them out as this provides some intestinal fill so they won’t necessarily be such gluttons when out on the tasty grass. Similarly, offer some hay when they come in for rest periods, provided you aren’t having a weight issue. And, another great strategy is to use a grazing muzzle to limit access to rich grass while still allowing the horse to roam the fields for exercise.
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Question: I own a Thoroughbred gelding; I've owned him since he was a 3-years-old, he just turned 17. During those 14 years, he has had 3 to 8 episodes per year of what we call "gas colic". There seems to be no rhyme or reason for the episodes; they can occur any time of year (although most often in the spring or fall). If a storm is brewing or the weather suddenly changes from hot to cool seems to be another precipitating factor. The episodes usually resolve after we give him Equi-spaz, a product that claims to disolve gas and/or prevent it from forming, and after administering Banamine. Sometimes we administer the EquiSpaz as a preventative during times of changing weather or when we know he will be "stressed" for some reason. We also dampen his grain ration every day before we feed him. He is eating 12.5 pounds per day of Purina Senior, and 4 cups per day of rice bran, spead out over 3 feedings per day. He gets about 3/4 of a bale of hay per day. He does not get alot of grass, as the boarding facility where he lives has very limited turnout. He does eat some grass, as we hand graze him for about 30 minutes about 3 times per week. Luckily, I know him so well by now that I can just tell from the look in his eye when he is about to experience gas colic, even before any symptoms are obvious. Now that he is getting older, I know the chances of him experiencing a more serious episode of dangerous colic is increased. Any suggestions or thoughts you can offer that would help a horse with this type of syndrome would be appreciated.
Answer: Click To View
Some horses will have recurrent colic for a variety of reasons – larval worm migration and irritation to the intestinal lining, abdominal adhesions, stress/anxiety-related alterations of intestinal motility, accumulated sand/dirt, gastric ulcers and dietary considerations or confinement issues, to name a few. A mare might have recurrent episodes at time of ovulation. Your gelding is fairly young, and I wonder about the large volume of rich Senior food that he is receiving. I have found several approaches to work well with these chronic colickers:
* Consult with your veterinarian about the specifics of your management and feeding program and farm particulars;
* Find a way to provide pasture turnout, or in the very least provide the horse with good quality grass hay fed free choice;
* Have your horse’s stomach scoped for gastric ulcers and/or start on anti-ulcer medication;
* Feed a monthly psyllium product, given daily for one week each month;
* Feed a beet pulp mash in substitution for some of the grain/pellet supplement – This is high in calories and fiber, provides water, and easy to digest and not too rich;
* Put the horse on a daily dewormer.
Abdominal radiographs and ultrasound may yield some possible answers. In some non-resolving cases, it is helpful to send the horse to surgery for an exploratory exam to see if there is a reason for the recurrent episodes.
As an aside, Equi-Spaz is made of glycerol and silica, neither of which will have much effect on dissolving/preventing gas colic, particularly in the dose of a small syringe of paste. More than likely the Banamine, as an anti-inflammatory, is helping to resolve his episodes. Consult with your veterinarian about the wisdom of dosing your horse with Banamine, and how much should be given at the time of an episode, as this powerful drug is capable of masking signs of a surgical colic condition.
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Question: I watched a yearling suffer after the owner, not knowing its deworming history, dewormed the bloated youngster with ivermectin and the diagnosis after it was euthanized, was impaction of worms. Is this common?
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Every dewormer product acts to kill the adult worms in different ways. Ivermectin’s mode of action causes paralysis of the worms rather than a sudden kill in which they form an impacted mass. In decades past, I have seen roundworm impaction caused within a day or two of an owner giving other deworming products, but have never experienced this with ivermectin. In fact, when a horse has no accurate deworming history, ivermectin is probably the safest product to use because it’s mode of action is not known to result in worm impactions. It is possible that this impaction colic was coincidental in its timing or related to some alteration in intestinal motility and that the yearling had a large worm infestation that would have yielded the same results, whether or not he had been dewormed. Or, the horse was dewormed at the time he was undergoing an already brewing problem, as you mentioned that he was bloated. It is always a good idea to get your veterinarian involved whenever there is suspicion that the horse is having a health problem.
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Question: I had a young horse die from an apparent colic. I believe it may have been bloodworm related. Are there any symptoms that may indicate a blood worm colic without doing a necropsy?
Answer: Click To View
Bloodworms, or strongyles, are a common internal parasite of horses. Today’s available dewormer arsenal helps address these parasites quite effectively. The horse should be dewormed on a regular basis and should be given the appropriate amount of medication at a similar timing to other members of the herd. Provided the worms have not developed resistance to any particular deworming product, usually the level of infection is kept to a minimum.
A once or twice yearly fecal examination helps identify the degree of parasitism in an individual – this lab test is performed on a sample of feces. Once the horse is dead, it may still be possible to obtain a relatively fresh manure sample by taking manure from the rectum, and submitting to the lab for a fecal flotation to look for parasite eggs. Without opening the abdomen up with a necropsy, it would be difficult to determine if parasite damage is what caused the colic and hence the imminent demise of the horse. A necropsy examines the blood vessels to the intestines and looks for signs of parasitic injury to the intestinal lining, as well as examining the interior of the intestines for the presence of adult bloodworms. In addition, direct examination of the intestines allows for a specific diagnosis of what exactly went wrong in the bowels.
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Question: We are having a debate on colic versus dehydration. We take our (moderately conditioned) horses to horse shows (mostly horse games with a lot of running) for 6 to 10 hours, with heat 90 degrees plus and humidity. Do you feel these horses should not be watered if they are sweating to avoid colic, or should they be watered at various periods throughout the day? If they should be watered, how much water (one gallon or more or less) and what conditions (breathing, nostril flaring, panting, sweating) should be assessed before watering? How long should they be walked before/after water intake? Any information would be helpful! Thanks so much...
Answer: Click To View
There are very few circumstances where water should be withheld from a horse that wishes to drink, particularly in hot and humid weather conditions. If your horse has just galloped for a distance, as one might at a horse race, then it is appropriate to cool him down for 5 to 15 minutes before allowing him to drink. This allows heat to dissipate from the muscles, for circulation to be restored to the bowel and for oxygen to better reach internal organs. On the day of your event, if your horse is sprinting for a few minutes in a contest and he is then breathing fast or panting, and/or his nostrils are flared, then let him cool out for 5 to 10 minutes. Check his heart rate, and once it has dropped below 100 beats per minute, then you can allow him to drink what he’d like. Walking to help him cool out is a good idea, and in hot weather, it helps immensely to soak his neck, chest and legs with water to facilitate cooling. His respiratory rate will then likely return toward normal, his heart will stop beating so fast and he’ll generally feel better. During rest periods in between games, make sure plenty of water is available at all times and let him drink all he wants. The only time you would consider withholding water would be in the immediate few minutes following a sprint run. If your horse is sweating profusely, he may also be losing electrolytes over the 6 to 10 hours of the event day, so consider electrolyte supplementation – it is best to give it at least once or twice during the day, following a good drink. In the evening, it might be appropriate to add a bit of salt (electrolytes) to a watery mash in addition to your horse’s normal quota of hay.
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Question: It has been extremely hot here in Arkansas the last few weeks and we seem to be having several horses colicking lately. One has been at the vet for over a week now on IV's for fluids. Is there something we are doing that is causing this? Are there any precautions we can take to help prevent this problem? How can we work our horses properly without the worry of causing problems?
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During the hot summer months, a horse can certainly experience intestinal anomalies if losing too much fluid through sweat and insufficient water intake. Dehydration will alter the intestinal circulation, and perhaps cause the guts to become sluggish – the result is an impaction colic. Your best defense is to be proactive in monitoring your horse’s water intake, number of urine spots, the color of the urine if you see him pee and the amount and consistency of the manure. Check your horse’s vital signs daily – attitude and appetite, mucous membrane color, intestinal sounds and heart rate. Once you know what normal is, you will be sensitive to when something seems out of sorts.
In general, the best prevention is to provide plenty of clean, fresh water, provide shade when possible and if you are going to ride your horse for extended periods, you might offer some electrolytes. Be careful in not overdoing the electrolyte supplementation – most recreational equestrian activities do not stimulate profound sweat losses and most horses will recover their electrolytes (salts like potassium, calcium and magnesium) in their hay and feed. But, sodium and chloride will need to be offered either in the feed or as a free choice salt block or loose salt in a bucket. Then, your horse can selectively eat as much salt as he needs.
After riding, cool your horse down well, hose off the sweat and grime, and use water soaks to help cool him further if his rectal temperature remains above 103 degrees Fahrenheit. Where you live, a full body bath is not out of the question. Offer water at every opportunity, and don’t feed anything other than hay in the initial hours following a good workout. This gives his intestines time to restore good circulation and for heat created during exercise to finish dissipating out of the deep muscles. Fans in the stable are helpful to cool the air as well as keep the bugs at bay. If the temperature and humidity are extreme, refrain from riding altogether.
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Question: The vet just left; our senior mare (20+y.o.) went down with colic this evening. She is
better now, after lots of walking, some IV banamine and tubing with electrolytes and mineral oil. He indicated that she was probably dehydrated and also now more susceptible to colic again. What can we do to prevent it from happening again other than salting her senior feed, providing molasses water and closer monitoring of her water intake?
Answer: Click To View
A simple colic can occur for many reasons, one of which is dehydration and associated changes in gut motility. If her colic was due to simple dehydration, this current bout of colic does not directly increase her susceptibility to developing colic in the future. However, anything you can do to improve her digestive efficiency will be helpful and make sure her teeth are in good shape to adequately grind her feed and provide her with quality hay or hay cubes that she is able to chew easily. Estimate how much water she normally drinks (this will change with season and weather), and then monitor carefully each day. If she doesn't seem to be drinking as well as you'd like, offer her a gruel made of her senior feed. Molasses water may be okay provided she isn't fat and afflicted with Cushing's disease or metabolic syndrome. If you live in an area that is prone to develop sand colic, then treat her one week each month with psyllium and modify the feeding arrangements so she isn't eating directly off the dirt. Try to offer her free-choice hay (if she isn't obese) so she has something to chew on and process throughout the day to maximize gut motility and function. Check her bowel movements for quantity and consistency and note any changes in the manure quality. General good management is important in prevention of colic monitoring your horse closely, noting any subtle changes, and attending to all the little details will make a difference.
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