By Kristin DanleyGreiner

Winter Weather Boosts risk of colic in horses

By Kristin Danley-greiner

cool water for ice water and snow. These changes can contribute to an uptick in colic veterinarians have observed once cold weather hits. Though colic is a catch-all term for a bellyache in a horse, in the winter it’s most commonly caused by impaction. contributing factors to winter colic include drier feed, less water and less exercise. Joe Stricklin, DVM, is a vet in greeley, colo. he’s practiced for 36 years and has noticed another factor that seems to bring on bouts of colic —barometic pressure. “i don’t know if there’s scientific proof, but when you get cold fronts coming through i think that has something to do with it. it increases pressure on the guts sometimes. it’s more than just a coincidence that

When a horse has a belly ache, an indication of colic, he may try to bite or scratch at his when some of these fronts come through you see belly. istock photo. horses with a bellyache.”

horses don't need much — food, water, a Luke Bass, who teaches at colorado State little protection from the elements. Wild University’s veterinary hospital and specializes in equine horses can get by on old grass and snow all ambulatory care. said a fair 60 degrees in the afternoon winter, without any help from automatic waterers or and a drop to 20 degrees at night can throw off a horse’s heated barns. gastrointestinal system and cause colic to develop.

But there's a difference between surviving and thriving, Though there’s not much a horse owner can do about and when you've invested heavily — both financially and cold fronts, being deliberate and careful about the other emotionally — in an animal, surviving just isn't good environmental factors can help avoid a painful and enough. potentially dangerous situation for the horse. heading into winter, consider the changes that happen in your horse's life. Water

They may trade their days grazing green grass for Dehydration is probably the biggest factor in winter standing at a bale feeder. They may swap their refreshingly colic. “We’ll see horses with an obstruction or impaction in

their colon due to the colic. They have about 100 to 120 feet of intestine from one end to the other, so if they aren’t hydrated, the feed in their intestines hardens and doesn’t move, which leads to abdominal pain,” Bass said. it’s not enough to just make sure horses have access to water — it has to be water they’re willing to drink.

“if the water source is not as warm as the horses prefer, they’re not as interested in drinking it,” Bass said. “i’m not a big fan of automatic waterers, because you can’t monitor how much they’re drinking. it’s nice to put heaters in the water tank, which helps you monitor their intake and keeps it warmer for them.” if you are bucketing water to your horses, be prepared to haul up to 15 gallons a day. Stricklin said in extremely cold weather a horse is going to drink at least 10 gallons a day, maybe more than that, maybe less. The important thing, he said, is to make sure they’re drinking each day.

Unfortunately, there aren’t any warning signs that a horse is dehydrated. The first thing you notice is likely to be the signs of colic — wanting to lie down, kicking at their bellies, looking at their back end, Stricklin said.

There are upwards of 40 different types of colic, but abdominal pain and impaction are common among all types, Bass said. horse owners should look for such symptoms as decreased appetite, refusal to drink, lethargy, licking at its side because of the abdominal pain, pawing at the ground, ears pinned back and rolling back and forth on the ground.

“if they aren’t passing manure, they’re really uncomfortable,” he said. “if they’re throwing themselves on the ground or are unable to stand, that’s a severe sign.”

Another common malady, “tying up” can look like colic, and is also caused by dehydration, but the cause and treatment are different. “tying up is muscles,

Rolling is a common indication of colic. istock photo.

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The biggest contributors to colic cropping up in horses are dehydration, switching feed and stress from the weather. istock photo

colic is the belly,” Stricklin said. A horse that is tying up isn’t likely to want to lie down, because its muscles are cramping. “Sometimes the two can look a lot alike, so you need to know what you’re dealing with to know the best way to treat them.”

Walking is recommended for a colicy horse, but not for a horse that’s tying up. if a horse is tying up the recommended treatment is an anti-inflammatory, Stricklin said.

“if you’re not sure which you’re dealing with, you need to get somebody there who does, and can decide the best treatment for them.”

Feed

The choice of feed and transition of feeds can also affect a horse’s chances of developing colic. The change from a high-moisture feed like grass to drier hay, or even changing from grass hay to alfalfa hay or vice versa can upset a horse’s stomach.

“you’re going to have trouble with colic if you change the type or quality of feed too rapidly,” Bass said. “if you can’t get the feed you used to, you need to plan ahead, stockpile it, then gradually transition into the new feed over a two- to three-week period.”

Stricklin recommends feeding a mix of alfalfa and grass hay so the horses get used to both.

however, supplemental feed needs to be carefully considered.

“if the weather is cold, plenty of good hay is fine. They get plenty of calories from that. They may sometimes need additional calories, but it depends on your overall feed program,” Stricklin said. “i think a person has to be careful with finely ground up feeds like sweet feeds and pellets. They’re more prone to getting compacted with those because they’re finer.”

Stricklin suggests warm, wet, soupy bran mash when it’s extremely cold, so horses get more water in their system.

Bass and Stricklin both recommended adding powdered electrolytes to grain or water to help reduce the risk of dehydration. Stricklin prefers adding it to grain so you can make sure they eat it all. if they object to the taste, it may actually discourage a horse from drinking water, so it should be added a little at a time, and the owner should carefully monitor the water intake.

The vets also said a salt block can help encourage a horse to drink more, but can cause problems if sufficient water isn’t available all the time, Stricklin said.

Atwood, colo., is home to a horse breeding operation run by horseman Dale Schnee. Since 1989, Schnee has raised highly sought after horses from the Driftwood bloodline, but has never had trouble with colic, particularly in the winter.

Schnee agreed with the vets about the management practices to reduce the chances of colic, but he adds another element to his recipe for success — Mrs. Stewarts Bluing — a laundry additive he puts in his horses’ water. “i don’t have any problems with pneumonia, sickness, snotty noses or a tinge of any type of sickness,” he said. “if used properly, it’s terrific. i’m a strong believer in it.”

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Animal / Fish / Bird Ingestion of Mrs. Stewart’s Bluing

*MSB is manufactured and tested as a laundry whitener only. All other uses are "at your own risk". While we advertise MSB for some other uses, we try to remain clear that these other uses come to us from loyal customers and we pass the information on as a public service.

Facts about msb: MSB is basically a blue iron powder suspended in water and contains a non-toxic amount of a biocide and pH balancer. Even in it's concentrated form, MSB is non-toxic, biodegradable and environmentally friendly. MSB is manufactured under non-sterile conditions and is therefore, not generally recommended for ingestion by human or animal. Over the years, we have had many reports of:

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Since 1883, we have never received a report of a sick or dying animal as a result of using MSB in such ways. However, I must emphasize again that since we have not tested MSB for any such use, and because it is manufactured under nonsterile conditions, we cannot recommend it for ingestion. You are "at your own risk" in using it in this way. --From www.mrsstewart.com

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