Horse Colic Prevention and Welfare Management

Colic is the leading cause of horse death and emergency veterinary treatment, making prevention and early recognition critical welfare skills for horse owners.

Key Facts

Colic causes approximately 11 percent of equine deaths and is the leading medical cause of horse mortality
Risk factors include abrupt feed changes stall confinement sand ingestion and dehydration
Signs include pawing rolling looking at flanks and decreased gut sounds
Horses evolved as near-continuous grazers and confinement with intermittent feeding increases colic risk

Welfare Considerations

Colic causes severe abdominal pain that can range from mild to life-threatening depending on type and severity. Many cases of colic in domestic horses are preventable through management practices that more closely resemble natural grazing behavior. Stabling horses for extended periods, feeding high-grain diets, and providing limited turnover all increase colic risk. Understanding prevention and recognizing early signs is among the most important welfare knowledge for horse owners.

What You Can Do

Provide horses with ad libitum forage access to support continuous grazing behavior
Allow as much turnout time as possible to reduce stall confinement risk factors
Make all dietary changes gradually over a minimum of two weeks
Know the early signs of colic and have your veterinarian contact information readily accessible