Horse Colic Home Remedies

Horse colic, a form of abdominal distress, can be caused by stress, gas, changes in diet or weather, or by other variables, and can range from mild to life-threatening. The most serious form is impaction colic--blockage of the intestine--which is the No. 1 killer of horses. A colicking horse will be in obvious distress, biting at its sides and rolling violently on the ground. While you should immediately contact your veterinarian for assistance, you can use some horse colic home remedies to help your horse while you wait for help.

  1. Keep Moving

    • Begin by walking the horse. The more a horse moves, the more its gut moves. If the horse walks steadily, especially through the cramping phases of the colic, whatever is in its gut may move through.

      If you suspect impaction colic, it is imperative to keep the horse moving. Allowing the horse to stand still can cause its intestines to become twisted, which is treatable only with surgery.

    Mineral Oil

    • Administer mineral oil to help anything "stuck" to pass through the intestine. Take a large syringe and fill it with oil. Raise the horse's head and slowly squirt the oil onto the back of the tongue, rubbing the throat with the opposite hand to make the horse swallow. Your veterinarian will administer a gallon or more of mineral oil, so you can give your horse quite a bit--just keep track of how much, so you can share that information with the doctor. Your horse will spit quite a bit out, regardless of how much you massage its throat.

    Probiotics and Electrolytes

    • Electrolyte paste can help a horse that is sweating heavily due to pain and may be going into shock, and probiotics will help restore the gut to normal function. These are not cures, but treat only the symptoms of colic. Both are available in paste form and can be administered orally, and are sold at most feed stores.