Colic is the leading cause of death in horses and a source of acute severe pain, with rapid recognition and appropriate veterinary response being critical to welfare outcomes.
Colic causes some of the most intense acute pain experienced by domestic horses, and its management presents real-time welfare decisions that owners must make under pressure. A horse in severe abdominal pain experiences suffering comparable to the most acute pain syndromes in any species — elevated heart rates, sweating, inability to stand still, and behavioral signs of panic. Immediate veterinary assessment is always warranted because the distinction between mild colic and surgical emergency cannot be reliably made by observation alone. While awaiting veterinary arrival, preventing violent rolling reduces the risk of intestinal displacement, and pain management reduces acute suffering. Horses with recurrent colic require thorough investigation of management factors — feeding, water, dental health, parasite control — to address preventable causes.