Emergency: Colic is a veterinary emergency. If you suspect your horse has colic, contact your vet immediately. Do not administer pain relief without veterinary advice. Walk the horse gently if they are attempting to roll violently.
What Is Colic?
Colic is a general term for abdominal pain in horses, encompassing a wide range of conditions from mild impaction to life-threatening intestinal torsion. It is the leading cause of death in horses other than old age, and one of the most significant welfare challenges in equine medicine. The pain of severe colic can be extreme — horses in severe colic pain are in genuine distress.
Types of Colic
Spasmodic/gas colic: Excessive intestinal gas causes cramping. Often resolves with walking and treatment. Most common and usually least severe.
Impaction colic: Food material or sand accumulates and blocks the large intestine. Usually responds to treatment (fluids, laxatives) but some require surgery.
Displacement/strangulation: Sections of intestine move from their normal position or become twisted. Often requires emergency surgery. Most serious and most welfare-significant.
Sand colic: Chronic sand accumulation in the hindgut; associated with poor grazing management on sandy soils.
Recognition
Signs of colic range from mild to severe: repeated looking at flanks, pawing, getting up and down, rolling, sweating, refusing to eat, elevated heart rate, and in severe cases, continuous violent rolling. Gut sounds may be reduced or absent. Pain assessment using validated equine pain scales guides treatment urgency decisions.