Symptoms of Colic in a Pregnant Mare

A colicky horse needs attention at the onset of her severe abdominal pain and discomfort. Colic in any horse is a dangerous condition that often leads to death if the animal does not receive immediate attention; according the The Ultimate Horse Site, colic is the number one natural killer of horses. It can be a direct result of overeating, sudden changes in diet, extreme stress or other factors, and develop into a range of abdominal problems.

If your pregnant mare displays symptoms of colic, try to calm her as much as possible and call your vet immediately. Pregnant mares with colic symptoms may be hemorrhaging and losing their foal, so there are two lives at stake.

  1. Feed Intake/Output

    • A healthy pregnant mare will eat all of the feed that you place in her bucket twice a day. She eats not only for her own nutrition but also to nourish her foal. Your mare will require extra feed as her foal grows larger. If you are measuring her feed twice a day and she does not finish a meal, do not give her another feeding. You should remove the leftover feed and supply her with extra hay or roughage. A pregnant mare will refuse food if she is starting to colic, because the extra food will hurt her intestinal tract.

      Also, watch for feed output. If a pregnant mare is not defecating several times a day, she may have an intestinal blockage leading to colic. It is best to put the mare in an area where she is alone so that you can monitor feed intake and output.

    Nervousness

    • Colic will cause a mare to be very nervous and agitated. She will paw the ground, can whinny constantly and will not be comfortable in any position. Many pregnant mares will try to bite or kick their owners if you try to comfort them during colic. Try to calm her by slowly petting and rubbing their stomach to ease some discomfort. You can feel a knot in her stomach that is due to either a bowel obstruction or tightening of the stomach muscle.

    Fever/Sweating

    • A pregnant mare displaying symptoms of colic will have a temperature and will display excessive sweat under and between her legs. Her coat will seem to be clammy and cool to the touch while she is sweating more than she should in the current outside temperature. Applying towels with cool water and wiping the sweat can relieve some of the temperature elevation.

    Lying Down

    • Pregnant mares experiencing colic will lie down and get back up repeatedly in a short period of time to try to get comfortable. A mare will also nip and kick her back legs at her stomach. Do not allow a colicky mare to lie down and roll while she is in pain. This action can tear or twist the intestinal tract and can lead to death.