Horse Health: Urination problems, Common Causes & What To Do

Urination is a normal part of the functioning of a healthy horse. In fact, if your horse isn’t urinating, or is having difficulty urinating, this is considered a moderate to severe, or even life-threatening emergency that requires immediate attention.

Please note, we are not able to provide veterinary advise. This article is designed to give you more knowledge and help identify IF a problem is present. If your horse is experiencing issues, please seek veterinary attention.

Facts about Pee

Mare Urinary Tract System (source Merck's Veterinary Manual)

Urine is a process that allows the body to eliminate waste, and the urinary tract, consisting of kidneys, ureters, bladder and urethra, also play an important function in electrolyte balance, blood volume and regulation of blood pressure.

The kidneys filter waste (byproducts of metabolism, excess nutrients and excess minerals) from the bloodstream, forming urine, and pass it through the ureters into the bladder, where it is stored until it released via the urethras (the process of urination). The urinary tract system is very similar in both male and female horses, with the predominant difference only in the length and width of the urethra.

Your horses’ pee is an amazing indicator of potential health issues, not just in the bladder but also the rest of the body as well. Therefore, abnormalities are important to pay attention to.

Stallion Urinary Tract (source Mercks Veterinary Manual)

Normal urine should be clear, yellow or cloudy yellow, with minimal odour. Urine should be passed easily in a fairly steady stream. The number of times a horse urinates in a single day varies dependent on many factors – water ingestion, weather, exercise and age or size, to name a few.

Horses, as they are herbivores, have a naturally alkaline urine, usually between pH 7-8.

Interesting fact: Horse urine changes colour after being exposed to oxygen for a period of time. In the snow, it can sometimes appear red or brown, which would normally be a concerning indicator – however if the urine was initially passed yellow, your horse is likely to be ok (of course, if there are multiple symptoms that indicate abnormalities, check in with your veterinarian, just to be sure!).

An unhealthy urinary tract

Symptoms that could indicate a problem with the urinary tract include:

·        Frequent urination

·        Small urine quantities when peeing

·        Straining to urinate

·        Dribbling urine

·        Posturing to urinate, but unable to

·        Blood in urine (red or tea coloured urine)

·        Pus in urine

·        Clots in urine

·        Small stones  or sediment in the urine

Your horse may exhibit changes to their behaviour, become restless, lethargic, painful or resist palpitation/handling.

some causes of urinary tract problems or urine changes

Stones:

Yep. Stones in the urinary tract. These are impressive to see in real life and can become rather large – Guinness World Record has a equine bladder stone that measured 17.9x 12.7x 9.5cm, weighing almost 2kg! Imagine carrying that baby in your bladder - ouch!

Stones can form in the bladder or the kidneys, and may navigate to or lodge within the ureter or urethra. Stones can cause infections, inflammation, pain and even block urine output, which is life-threatening. Your vet may need to perform urine test, blood tests, imaging (radiographs or ultrasounds), and this may lead to surgical procedures to correct.

Urinary tract infection:

Bacterial infections are not as common in horses as other animals, and more likely in mares than geldings or stallions. Bacterial infections tend to ‘ascend’ – that is, they start externally and infiltrate the bladder. Infection in the bladder is uncomfortable, but if the infection ascends to the kidneys, it can be extremely painful and potentially life threatening. Urinary tract infections require veterinary diagnosis via urine tests with or without blood tests, and should never be treated with antibiotics without a diagnosis from a veterinarian, as it can be mistaken for many other problems and may increase bacterial resistance.

Sheath Beans:

These funny little plugs of mucus and debris can form a small, slightly squishy pellet or ‘bean’ inside the penis sheath, or prepuce. While not an infection and actually a normal occurrence in stallions and geldings, it can partially block the prepuce or lodge just inside the sheath, making urination difficult, uncomfortable and ‘dribbley’. Sheath beans can be manually removed or may be passed out naturally, but contact your vet if you need assistance.

Kidney Problems:

Urine changes can indicate changes to kidney function, particularly changes to the ability to concentrate or increase in protein. More workup is required to confirm kidney problems or disease, but if you notice an increase in thirst and frequency of urination, lethargy and pain around the back region, contact your vet.

Less common causes of urinary tract problems or changes:

·        Idiopathic Bladder Paralysis Syndrome (incontinence)

·        Cancer

Abnormal urination is a symptom that should not be taken lightly and may indicate a problem with your horses’ urinary tract. If you notice these symptoms or have any questions about some causes of urinary tract problems, we advise you contact your veterinarian.

What to do if your horse is having issues with urination

1. Document the symptoms your are seeing and report to your vet:

   • The frequency of urination

   • The quantity of urine voided (little amounts frequently, normal quantity, or more than usual quantity PER voiding)

   • Colour and clarity of the sample (may mean collecting a sample of urine)

   • Any noted blood or pus?

   • Does the urine smell abnormal?

   • Any changes to the flow (dribbling or spurting?)

   • Temperature, heart rate and respiration rate (click each to see our articles on how to take these)

   • Any symptoms of pain, lethargy, changes to feed intake, changes to drinking

2. If your vet asks you for a urine sample:

   • Ask if they would prefer a sterile sample or if they are happy for a general sample

   • If they require a sterile sample, you can collect a sterile specimen jar from any vet clinic or chemist

   • If they are happy for a general sample, select a VERY CLEAN container, like a plastic takeaway container, that wont leach any contaminants

   • Get the sample to your vet as quickly as possible. Samples that are not tested within 30 minutes MAY provide false readings

   • If you cannot get the sample to your vet immediately, ask your vet for storage recommendations

3. Keep your horse as relaxed and rested as possible, and ensure they have plenty of access to water. If your horse is dehydrated, you may need to syringe some water in orally or get your vet out immediately!

4. Most urinary tract issues are not contagious, so you probably won’t need to quarantine them unless they are displaying other symptoms, such as discharge from the eyes or nose, diarrhoea or extreme lethargy. If unsure, ask your vet for a recommendation.

5. Do not medicate your horse with any new medications unless advised by a vet. This may mask symptoms or provide false results.

We hope this helps you support your horse and find a quick resolution should there be any issues.

Please note, we are not able to provide veterinary advise. This article is designed to give you more knowledge and help identify IF a problem is present. If your horse is experiencing issues, please seek veterinary attention.

Whacky Adventures of the Clutzy Horse

When your horse is constantly involved in medical dramas, a well-stocked first aid kit is essential. Click here to access your free ultimate first aid kit checklist.

Have you ever had that horse that seems to always get some form of injury FOR NO APPARENT REASON AT ALL?

Imagine my angst to start 2019 with exactly that - a horse, previously without concerns, suddenly getting into all sorts of mischief!

It all started with his very first hoof abscess (that we know of, anyway).

He ate his morning feed perfectly fine, and had a very minor tenderness to the way he walked out into the paddock - a walk that looked much more like a hesitation for extra treats than any actual pain. One and a half hours later, as I collect him from the paddock for our weekly riding lesson, you think his hoof would have fallen off by the limp! (Cue for all horse owners to go -yep, tell tale abscess there!).

Poor blighter had never been with us for any kind of injury and turns out his is the biggest sook! Turns out, I’m also a big softy. Custard received the biggest spoiling and extra treats & hay (good tip to improve your bond through a crisis is to take the chance to emotionally support their needs as well as medically support them!).

One small stick caused so much damage.

Abscess passed as they do, and it is now 2 weeks later and time for our next lesson. Would you believe me if I were to tell you that the exact same thing happened again? Ate breakfast, left fine, collect from the paddock with a massive limp, got lots of spoiling, treats and hay.

It’s at this point I’m wondering if I am just that unlucky or am being outsmarted by a cunning ploy cooked up in the paddock for extra treats. I’ll let you decide.

Abscess passed yet again. A certain Custard is looking very impressed with himself. That is, until he comes in one Saturday morning (yes, just before our lesson) with a piece of stick jammed almost 3cm into his knee!

Obviously, all that money saved from the lack of lessons went straight into an emergency veterinary bill. Flushing, stitching, antibiotics, pain relief, and a massive restocking of the first aid kit due to all the bandaging in the first week!

The ultimate first aid kit checklist for your horse

Click here to access

Bright side is that the stick didn’t actually penetrate the joint capsule. Not sure what stroke of luck that was but I’ll take it!

Thankfully, one month later Custard is well on his way to recovery although still can’t be ridden. And I’m still trying to figure out if I’m just mildly unlucky or if Custard has outsmarted me.

You decide! Comment below if you think Sarah is being conned by her pony, or tell us about your own clutzy horse stories!

Horse Health Facts: Pica

Does your horse eat things he shouldn’t?

And no, I’m not talking about the horse that swallows the packet in an attempt to eat all the treats (you know I’m referring to you, BFG!) I’m talking weird things, like wood, dirt, clothing or even manure.

This particular behaviour is referred to as pica, which means regularly consuming products of non-nutritional value. It can be caused due to a lack in a particular nutrient, parasites, boredom, loneliness or learnt behaviour.

Unusual material in manure may be evidence of pica

Coprophagia, the ingestion of manure, is probably the most off-putting of all forms of pica. It is most commonly seen in foals and thought to be a way of loading the foal’s gastro-intestinal tract with the micro-organisms it requires to start populating its own hind gut. In mature horses, coprophagia is more commonly linked to either a protein deficiency or starvation of quality roughage.

A horse that purposefully eats mud or dirt was once thought to be deficient in minerals such as potassium, phosphorus or salt, although domestic horses on well balanced diets still seem to do this on occasion. It is generally harmless unless it is sand, which can lead to colic. Feed these horses off the ground and ensure they are not turned out in sandy paddocks.

The ingestion of wood, including stable shavings, is generally an indication of either boredom or a lack of roughage.

Attempting to eat and eating other materials, such as raiding bins, sheds etc, may be due to a learned response. If in the past the horse has ended up with a pleasant reward for the raid (i.e. head in bin, found apple core - yum!), he is likely to seek it out again. Relocating the objectional material may be your only recourse to rectifying this behaviour.

If your horse has a well-balanced diet and is on a good parasite control program (including faecal worm tests), sometimes exercise or companionship can eliminate the symptoms of pica. If you are uncertain, or believe the ingested material may cause harm to your horse, contact your veterinarian.

First Aid for Horses: The Heart

Do you know your horses average heart rate?

I bet you don’t.

Yet it’s one of the most important baseline readings to evaluate illness, pain, stress and overexertion in your horse.

About the heart rate

Taking the pulse rate via the maxillary artery under the jaw.

A normal resting heart rate for a horse is between 28-45 beats per minute, however this is not true for every horse. Some may have a heart beat much lower, as low as 24, and some may reach as high as 50. Each 'lub-dub' counts as 1 single full heart beat.

Anxiety, pain and exercise can also increase a horse’s heart rate to as much as 200 beats per minute.

It is a good idea to have a fair understanding of what is normal for your horse, so you can identify when they are unwell. A baseline should be done over several days, during different times of the day, and after different levels of activity, to give you the best understanding of what is normal for your horse.

How to take a heart rate for a horse

To assess the heart or pulse rate, you will need a timer (watch or phone) to monitor as you count the beats. It is easiest to do the counting for 15 or 30 seconds, then times the result by 4 or 2 respectively.

There are also some great pet apps that you can download for heart or respiration rates that make the job significantly easier, and quite a few of them are free! I personally like Cardalis, which is a free app for tracking respiration rate in dogs, but works just as well for respiration and pulse rates in other animals too; but there are plenty out there, just use one that works best for you.

Locations for Taking the Heart or Pulse Rate

Taking the digital pulse rate

There are 4 ways to take the heart or pulse rate of your horse:

1. Use a stethoscope to listen to the heart. Place the stethoscope on the left side of the chest just under and behind the elbow.

2. Take the pulse rate via the Maxillary artery (under the jaw). Cup your hand on the left side of the jaw with 2 fingers under the inside of the cheek. Feel along until you left side of the jaw with 2 fingers under the inside of the cheek. Feel along until you can feel a consistent beat.

3. Take the pulse rate via the Digital artery (near the fetlock). The groove just above and below the outside of the fetlock is the best place to locate the digital pulse. Due to the location, it can be difficult to hold the pulse and count for the allotted time, so the digital pulse is more often used to indicate if there is a problem with the leg or foot.

4. Take the pulse rate via the Radial artery (inside the front knee). This is the equivalent of the wrist in people, but can be very difficult to find in some horses. Place your fingers on the inside of the knee about 3/4 of the way around to the back.

What is abnormal?

This can vary, but here are a few times I would look for further help:

• The heart rate is consistently significantly higher than normal without any reason (i.e. no workout or stress factors applied). For example, if your horse’s normal heart rate is 30 beats per minute and has been sitting higher at 75 beats per minute for over half an hour, I would be suspicious.

• The respiration rate is also high, or the breathing exaggerated, without exertion or stress.

• There are signs of pain such as lameness, or colic symptoms.

• Listening the heart through the stethoscope is muffled, or sounds a bit like a washing machine, or has a gallop rhythm (this is hard to explain without having heard one before, so if your vet ever mentions it, ask the to listen as well).

• You cannot find a digital pulse and you suspect injury to the leg

• You feel heat around the fetlock and the digital pulse seems to be quite ‘thumpy’

• There is suspected blood loss, the pulse is weak and gums are pale.

As always, if you have concerns, seek professional assistance. But understanding what is normal and therefore abnormal for your horse may lead to faster treatment, which may save your horses life.

First Aid for Horses: Shock

Have you ever seen a horse in shock?

I have.

You may have as well, but didn’t realise what you were looking at.

Shock in horses is very much like it is for humans. It is the bodies way of coping with imminent death, where we end up with a sudden decrease in both blood circulation and blood pressure.

Shock, untreated, can kill.

It can be very subtle or extremely obvious when a horse goes into shock.

What causes shock?

Shock can occur for several reasons:

• Blood loss

• Severe pain, such as colic or an injury

• Septic shock from an infection turned toxic

• Dehydration

• Severe allergic reaction

• Extreme response to fear or emotional trauma

What are the symptoms of shock?

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Healthy, pink gums. Horses in shock will usually have a white or grey appearance in their gums, with the exception of septic shock.

A horse that is in shock may display several of these symptoms

• Pale mucus membranes (such as the gums, nostrils and eyelids), leaning towards white or grey in colour as opposed to a healthy pink. Septic shock can show up as bright red gums, or with a purple tinge to the gums near the teeth.

• Slow capillary refill time. To test this, hold your thumb or finger on the gum and press for a few seconds. This should leave a white mark. Then count how long it takes for the colour to return to normal. Healthy capillary refill time is under 2 seconds.

• Depression

• Shivering, cool to touch

• Rapid weak pulse (particularly if it’s over 80 beats per minute)

• Rapid breathing that is shallow

• Profuse sweating

• Anxiety or confusion

• Temperature may be low (but not always)

• The horse may lie down

What to do if I suspect my horse is in shock?

This, and I cannot stress this enough, is a serious emergency. It is time to get your vet to your horse NOW– not in 5 minutes, not in an hour.

Identify if there are any suspicious signs, such as an injury, or bleeding, and ask the vet what you can do. The more information you can provide your vet, the more likely they are to triage your emergency as the highest priority and bust a tail to get to your paddock.

There is little else you can do until the vet arrives. If your horse is cold or shivering, you may cover the horse with a blanket to try to keep their temperature regulated, but be aware they can just as quickly overheat in this situation. Stay with your horse and continue to monitor the situation, keeping them as calm as possible. If you can, relocate them to a safe location such as a barn or feeding yards, and place a halter on them. You may be able to offer them some water.

Once your vet arrives, they will assess and advise you of the best course of action. Depending on the likely cause of the problem, they may suggest anything from intravenous fluids (a drip), electrolyte injections, or other medications, as well as stemming any major haemorrhage if blood loss is the cause of shock. Their primary goal is to first stabilise the shock, then act on treatment accordingly.

Remember, shock can kill. Understand the signs and you could save your horses life.

Vaccinating Your Horse - What, When and Where

Do you know what you should be vaccinating your horse against?

There are many diseases across the world that our horses can contract, and thankfully there are some we can vaccinate against. The purpose of the vaccination can be one or more reasons, including preventing the disease occurring or spreading, reducing the symptoms of the disease, reducing the mortality of the disease, reducing the risk of infecting other species, and disease eradication.

Below is the summary of these diseases, their symptoms, and the recommended vaccination protocol. As always, if you have concerns regarding any of these, speak with your veterinarian.

Strangles

Also Known As: Equine Distemper

A horse with ruptured lymph nodes as a result of strangles

Cause: Streptococcus equi

Prevalence: Worldwide

Spread: Via contact of the discharge of infected horses as they graze, drink or groom, or contamination from handling the infected horse without proper quarantine measures. Not contagious to humans.

Symptoms: The bacteria infect the lymph nodes near the throat and face in nearly all cases. As the bacteria create pus, an abscess forms and the nodes swell. In some cases, the lymph nodes can obstruct the respiratory tract and obstruct breathing, hence the name strangles. Fever, ocular (eye) and nasal discharge present.

Risk Factors: Horse in contact with other horses, shows and events. It is also possible for some horses to become non-symptomatic carriers (they look healthy but spread the disease).

Initial Vaccination: 3 doses 2 weeks apart.

Repeat Vaccination: Every 6-12 months after initial course.

Tetanus

Also Known As: Lockjaw

Cause: Clostridium tetani

Prevalence: Worldwide

Spread: The bacteria is present in the soil, and contamination occurs after the bacteria enter an open wound.

Symptoms: Initially present as stiffness and reluctance to move, which progresses to muscle spasms, nostril flaring, wide eyes and difficulty chewing. The muscle tremors then spread across the body, resulting in violent jerking movements in response to sudden noises or movements.

Risk Factors: Majority of unvaccinated horses that contract Tetanus will die.

Initial Vaccination: 2 injections 4 weeks apart, then another injection 12 months later.

Repeat Vaccination: Every 1-3 years after initial vaccination course.

Equine Hendra Virus

Cause:  Hendra Henipavirus

Prevalence: Australia

Spread: Bats are listed carriers of Hendra, but it is unknown how the virus transmits to horses. Horses and humans can be infected through contact with respiratory and salivary secretions, urine or faeces of an infected horse.

Symptoms: fever, nasal discharge, difficulty breathing, colic, muscle twitches, difficulty walking and lack of appetite have been noted in horses carrying Hendra. Sudden death after a brief illness can occur also.

Risk Factors: As this is a newly discovered disease, more research is pending on its spread and prevention. It is recommended to keep sick horses quarantined and there has been some discussion about ensuring bats don’t have access to contaminating feed bins and water troughs with faeces or urine. Unfortunately the mortality rate is high for both humans and horses, and there has been some other species which have been exposed to this virus.

Initial Vaccination: 2 vaccinations 3 weeks apart, then a third 6 months later.

Repeat Vaccination: Annually after that. Note: horses that receive the Hendra vaccine in Australia need to be microchipped and recorded on a central registry.

Herpes

Also Known As: Equine Herpes Virus

Cause: EHV-1 or EHV-4, although there are 5 known EH viruses

Prevalence: Worldwide

Spread: Via inhalation of infected respiratory discharge, or contact with infected aborted foetal material.

Symptoms: respiratory discharge, lethargy, decreased appetite, and spontaneous abortion.

Risk Factors: Horses transported to high risk grounds (showgrounds, racetracks) or horses living with horses that travel.

Initial Vaccination:  2 vaccinations 4 weeks apart, then a booster 6 months later.

Nasal discharge, commonly seen with Herpes or Horse Flu

Repeat Vaccination: annually for low risk horses, as frequently as 6 monthly for higher risk horses.

Equine Influenza

Also Known As: Horse Flu

Cause: equine-1 (H7N7) and equine-2 (H3N8). It is thought H272 may be extinct as it hasn’t been recorded in over 2 decades.

Prevalence: Worldwide

Spread: Via infected air

Symptoms: fever, cough, nasal discharge, lethargy and decreased appetite, which can develop into pneumonia.

Risk Factors: This is highly virulent, so exposure to any horse that is infected can shed the virus. There are some horses that can develop immunity but still shed the virus. Horses travelling or interacting with new horses are at higher risk of contracting the disease.

Initial Vaccination: 2 vaccinations 4 weeks apart, then a booster 6 months later.

Repeat Vaccination: annually for low risk horses, as frequently as 6 monthly for higher risk horses.

Potomac Horse Fever

Also Known As: Shasta River Crud, Equine Monocytic Ehrlichiosis

Cause: Neorickettsia risticii

Prevalence: North America

Spread: Accidental ingestion of an insect that has ingested a larval stage of the fluke Neorickettsia risticii. It is not spread from horse to horse, although many horses in the same paddock may be affected.

Symptoms: acute fever, depression, low appetite, mild colic, decrease in defecation, diarrhoea. Abortion or acute laminitis may also occur

Risk Factors: this is a disease that is difficult to prevent, but incorporating particular farm management approaches with the vaccination can reduce the risk of contamination.

Vaccination: Early spring, with a booster early summer, each year.

Rabies

Cause: a neurotopic virus from the lyssavirus genus

Prevalence: Europe, Asia, Africa, North & South America

Spread: Via contact with infected saliva into an open wound. Often, an infected animal biting is the primary cause.

Symptoms: Horses infected with Rabies show a variety of symptoms but nearly all are neurological, including muscle weakness, trembling, lack of coordination, circling, head pressing, sensitive to touch or sounds, aggression or sudden death.

Risk Factors: Rabies is fatal to all animals, and can be transmitted across many species, including humans.

Initial Vaccination: First vaccination followed by a booster 3-6 weeks later.

Repeat Vaccination: Annually after initial course.

Head pressing, a symptom of neurological problems including viruses

Encephalitis

Also Known As: Eastern Equine Encephalitis (or Triple E), Western Equine Encephalitis, Venezualan Equine Encephalitis, Sleeping Sickness

Cause: Viruses from the Alphavirus genus

Prevalence: North and South America

Spread: By mosquitos

Symptoms: fever, anorexia and depression, followed by neurological symptoms.

Risk Factors: The disease has a risk of being spread to other animals including humans via mosquitos. Mortality rate tends to be high, and those that recover will often have neurological damage.

Initial Vaccination: 2 vaccinations 4 weeks apart

Repeat Vaccination: annually, preferably just before ‘mosquito season’

West Nile Virus

Cause: a virus of the Flavivirus genus

Prevalence: North and South America

Spread: via mosquitos

Symptoms: Similar to that of horses with encephalitis.

Risk Factors: Mortality rate is significantly lower, but some animals have been reported to experience ongoing neurological symptoms after recovery.

Initial Vaccination: 2 vaccinations 4 weeks apart.

Repeat Vaccination: annually, preferably just before ‘mosquito season’.

African Horse Sickness

Cause: a virus from the Orbivirus genus

Prevalence: Africa & Middle East. It was also seen in Spain and Portugal in the late 1980’s but has been eradicated with strict cull and vaccination programs.

Spread: via midges and mosquitoes. Some ticks may also transmit the disease.

Symptoms: Fever, cough, respiratory distress, abdominal pain. 2 main forms affect either the respiratory tract of the heart, and the third is often mild.

Risk Factors: Mortality rate in horses is quite high, being nearly 90%. It is lower in other Equids.

Vaccination: Annually, between August – October, where the main vector activity is low.

First Aid for Horses – Colic

Colic is a scary thought for most horse owners, which conjures up images of long nights in the paddock with the horse and large veterinary bills. Let’s delve deeper and define this concerning problem.

Enteroliths from a horse, a cause of colic.

Colic, by definition, is any abdominal condition that causes pain, so in reality is a symptom of a problem, not the actual disease itself. Colic for some horses can be life threatening, and yet for others may be chronic and create discomfort for a long period of time. Colic may require surgical or medical intervention, or may be able to treated with diet or home remedies, but it can be difficult to determine the cause without medical attention and therefore is something we should be consulting our veterinarian about. Colic is widely considered to be the leading cause of premature death in horses.

What are the causes of colic?

There are a number of different causes of colic, which can make management of this issue complex.

Timpanic colic - also known as gas or spasmodic colic, is often caused by a change in diet, although parasites may also be a factor. The build up of gas may be due to excess fermentation or the slowing of the passage of the gas. While gas colic may self-resolve, it can lead to torsion or displacement, which can be life-threatening.

Torsion and volvulus – this is where the intestine twists upon itself, and may obstruct the blood supply to areas of the GI tract. Prognosis is not great for many of these horses and early intervention is a must if they are to survive.

Displacement – this happens when a portion of the large intestine shifts. It can be a result of excess gas. The relocation may disrupt the standard motility or movement of the gut, and therefore create other issues as well. Medical or surgical intervention may be required.

Intasusseption  - a form of colic in which a piece of intestine "telescopes" within a portion of itself, usually because a section of the bowel has become paralysed. It is kind of like a snake eating its tail. This is a life-threatening cause of colic that will require urgent surgical intervention.

Impaction – impaction is where a large clump of food or grit (like sand) form a clump in the bowel and create a blockage. It may resolve with medical intervention although occasionally surgery is required. Impaction most commonly occurs in winter, when there is less water intake and an increase in drier food supplied (i.e. hay), in horses with dental issues (poor mastication) or in horses kept on sandy or high dirt-to-grass pasture.

Parasites – heavy worm burdens may cause temporary blockages. It is important to carefully de-worm theses horses as they can have a serious immune reaction that can result in fatal peritonitis.

Other causes of colic – Tumors, Toxins, Colitis, Gastric Ulceration, Hernias, Enteroliths (mineral stones of the gut)

Dog sitting, a potential sign of colic

How can I tell if my horse has colic?

Early symptoms of colic

• Turning the head toward the flank
• Biting or kicking at the flank or abdomen
• Pawing at the ground
• Restlessness
• Depression
• Repeatedly lying down and getting up, or attempting to lie down
• Decrease or lack of appetite
• No or decreased bowel movements (note, passing manure is not a sign they do not have colic, as colic based in the upper GI tract will still pass manure for a while)
• Stretching out as if to urinate, but not urinating
• Decrease in abdominal sounds, or even no abdominal sounds

As the colic symptoms worsen and the horse is in more pain, you may see

• Sweating
• Rapid respiration
• Elevated pulse rate
• Rolling

flank biting, another sign of colic

What to do if my horse has colic?

• The very first thing to do is get in contact with your veterinarian. Colic can begin mildly but advance very quickly into a life-threatening condition. Be sure to describe the symptoms you are seeing and ask if your vet believes gentle exercise will help.
• Try to keep your horse from rolling. Rolling may twist the bowel and complicate the issue (however – safety first: a wildly thrashing horse may kill you). However, if you horse is just wanting to rest, it may be ok for him to lie down (check with your vet).
• Avoid feeding your horse hay or hard feed while you wait for the vet to attend.
• DO NOT administer any pain relief before your vet has examined your horse. This can mask the symptoms and lead to a misdiagnosis, and possibly the death of your horse.

How can I prevent colic?

There is no proven ways to prevent colic in horses, but some ways to help reduce the chances of your horse developing colic include:

• Introducing new feed gradually
• Avoid excess high sugar feeds
• Keep access to plenty of clean water
• Maintain a schedule of consistency
• If living in a sandy paddock, add psyllium husk to the feed, or avoid sandy paddocks altogether
• Ensure proper parasite control is maintained

Colic is a disease that is feared by horse owners, but with early, correct intervention many horses will recover. Get familiar with the symptoms, be proactive in intervention, and keep doing everything in your power to help reduce the risk of your horse experiencing this pain.

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Horse Health Facts: Weight Management

How much should your horse weigh? How long is a piece of string?

Each horse is unique, with a different genetic makeup that makes them either lighter in frame or heavier set, shorter or taller, and as such it is difficult to say exactly how much a single horse should weigh.

However, it is important that your horse is at an ideal body weight.

Using the body condition score system

The body condition score system is a simple cheat sheet that can give you an indication of whether your horse is underweight, overweight or an ideal body weight. Unfortunately it doesn’t give you the exact weight your horse should be, but you can get a gage as to whether you need to make some changes to your feeding or exercise program if your horse isn’t around the ideal score.

The scoring system is ranked from 1 to 9, with a score of 4 or 5 being the ideal range. This image highlights the look but we should also feel different areas, as smaller set horses may look skinnier but have excess fat.

1.      Poor/Extremely Thin: Horse is extremely emaciated. Hips, ribs and backbone protrude prominently, wither, shoulder and neck bones are easily identified. Not fat coverage can be felt.

2.      Very Thin: Horse is emaciated. Slight fat covering over the spine although spine still prominent. Hips, ribs, withers, shoulder and neck structures discernible.

3.      Thin: Fat build up about halfway on spine, slight fat cover over ribs. Spine and ribs discernible, hips slightly less visible, and withers, shoulders and neck accentuated.

4.      Moderately Thin: The spine is slightly visible, ribs barely outlined. Slight fat covering over the hips and tailbone, hip bones not visible. Withers, shoulders, and neck not obviously thin.

5.      Moderate: Back is flat (no crease or ridge), ribs not visually distinguishable but easily felt. Withers appear rounded; shoulders and neck blend smoothly into body.

6.      Moderately Overweight. The spine may have a slight crease. The ribs have a ‘fleshy’ feel covering them but each individual rib can be felt. Fat is beginning to deposit around the withers, behind the shoulders and along the sides of the neck.

7.      Overweight: The spine may have crease. Individual ribs can be felt, but noticeable filling between ribs with fat. Fat deposited along withers, behind shoulders, and along neck.

8.      Very Overweight: The spine has a noticeable crease. It is difficult to feel ribs individually. The area along withers and behind the shoulders filled with fat. There is a noticeable thickening of neck and fat deposits along inside of the thighs.

9.      Obese: The spine now has a very obvious.  Ribs are impossible to feel. Hips are well rounded, neck thickened and a large amount of fat on the inside of the thighs.

Once you can gage your horses body condition score, you can make amendments with either their feeding regime or their exercise.

Where does your horse sit on the scale? Leave a comment below.

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