How to Tell if a Horse is Colicking

For all their size and strength, horses are actually delicate creatures. Horse intestines are easily disrupted and can cause the most common, and most fatal disease in horses: colic. Knowing how to tell if something is amiss is an important asset when you own horses of any breed. This article will give you some tips on how to tell if you horse is colicking.

Things You'll Need

  • Keen observation skills Knowledge of horse behavior
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Instructions

    • 1

      Before you can tell if your horse is sick, you need to know what a healthy horse looks and acts like. Almost all the communication a horse does is through body language, so you need to be able to read its body language to tell what your horse is thinking and feeling. There are many resources for this, one of the best being the book "The Body Language of Horses." Do your homework until you know how a normal and healthy horse looks and acts.

    • 2

      Watch the horse closely. If it is in intense pain, there will be little doubt of its condition as it will be throwing itself down on the ground to roll and thrash violently, sometimes even biting and savaging itself as the intense pains hit.

    • 3

      Mild colic is harder to pinpoint. The horse will be lethargic and not have any appetite. Feed will be unfinished and there will be little evidence of any recent bowel movements. The horse may walk around restlessly, acting as though it wants to roll and then changing its mind.

    • 4

      If the horse begins to sweat and pace, stopping occasionally to drop down and consider rolling, you have a case of colic and the veterinarian should be called immediately. The horse should be haltered and made to walk until the vet arrives.