32 Dos and Don'ts for Dealing With Colic

Thehorse.com - Full Article

by: Marcia King
October 01 2009, Article # 15172

Every decision you make--from the first moment you notice something wrong to postoperative care--can impact your horse's colic recovery.

The changes were subtle, but nevertheless concerning. Rufus, a Thoroughbred/ Warmblood jumper, wasn't himself, recalls owner Sydney Durieux of New York City. "Rufus was always attentive, playful almost, wrapping his neck around you and giving you a kind of hug, straining his neck to reach you," she describes.

But that evening Rufus ignored Durieux and just stared, looking distracted and vaguely uncomfortable. "He wasn't swaying, pawing, or looking at his stomach, but when the trainer listened to Rufus' belly, she couldn't detect any sounds."

After a half-hour, Durieux trailered him to a veterinary hospital an hour away. "Both the trainer and I thought we might be overreacting, but our hunch was right: The veterinarian said Rufus had colic and needed immediate surgery," she says. "I was shocked, because every other horse I'd seen with colic had been very distressed."

Is it, Or Isn't It Colic?

That's the trouble with colic: You just can't tell what you're dealing with.

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