Sand ingestion in horses grazing on sandy soils or fed on bare ground accumulates in the large colon, causing recurrent colic that requires specific management and medical intervention.
Sand colic causes recurrent abdominal pain ranging from mild discomfort to severe colic requiring emergency veterinary intervention. Horses on sandy soils without appropriate feeding management face chronic sand accumulation that progressively worsens colicky episodes. The preventable nature of sand colic through management changes makes its continued occurrence in well-managed horses a welfare failure. Owners in sandy soil areas who implement elevated feeders and psyllium programs significantly reduce their horses' lifetime colic burden.