Colic — abdominal pain in horses — is the leading cause of death in domestic horses and a major welfare emergency. Understanding prevention and recognition saves lives and reduces suffering.
Equine colic welfare involves both acute emergency management and preventive practice. The acute welfare emergency of colic — a horse in severe abdominal pain requires rapid assessment and treatment — is clear, and the welfare standard is prompt veterinary attention with appropriate pain management while diagnosis and treatment are determined. The preventive welfare dimension is less acute but highly impactful: management practices that reflect equine evolutionary adaptations to continuous movement and foraging significantly reduce colic risk. Horses managed in small paddocks with limited forage and infrequent but large hay or grain meals are at higher colic risk than horses with constant access to appropriate forage, water, and regular exercise. The welfare case for management practices that support natural equine behavior — continuous forage access, adequate water, social contact, exercise opportunity — is reinforced by the colic prevention evidence.