CAUTION: COLIC!

Understand the causes of abdominal pain in horses and how to recognize the signs.

- ANNA O'BRIEN, DVM

You may have heard the term "colic" before, but what is it? Colic refers to pain in a horse's abdomen. Basically, it's an equine belly ache. Because of a horse's complex digestive system and the fact that they can't vomit, any source of pain in a horse's abdomen can be serious.

Let's take a closer look at this condition so you'll know how to recognize the early signs and take quick action to help your horse.

CAUSES

Horses can have abdominal pain for a variety of reasons. One common cause of colic is when digested feed becomes stuck in the intestine. This is called an impaction, and usually happens when a horse doesn't drink enough water.

When digested feed doesn't move through the gut fast enough, it starts to put pressure on the intestines and makes the horse uncomfortable. Sometimes a large chunk of feed gets completely stuck in the gut and creates a backup or blockage in the digestive system, which can be very serious.

Another common cause of colic is gas. Sometimes, a horse may have sharp, abdominal gas pains due to a sudden change in diet or routine.

Cancer can also be a cause of colic. Occasionally an older horse will develop a tumor that grows within the gut and becomes tangled around the digestive track, cutting off blood supply to a portion of the intestine.

Stomach ulcers and intestinal parasites may also make a horse uncomfortable enough to exhibit colic signs.