Horse colic is not, in itself, a diagnosis of a specific disease. It is, instead, a term that is used to identify a wide range of abdominal or gastrointestinal symptoms in horses. Horse colic can be very serious, and is, in fact, a major cause of premature death among equines.

There are many different types of horse colic, but more importantly than knowing what every form of the ailment is, it is essential to be able to recognize the symptoms that are generally associated with this malady. If a horse is reluctant to eat, it is a major sign that something is wrong. This is one of the most easily recognizable symptoms of horse colic, and should not be ignored. In some instances, a horse may kick at his abdomen or stamp his feet. An irregular pulse and respiratory rate may also be evident, and these are signs that should be fairly easy to recognize. He also may have cool extremities, have irregular bowel movements, be excessively sweaty after only a light workout, or become prone to unusual lip curling. A horse might also roll around frequently on the ground, but, as this is a normal and enjoyable activity for healthy horses, you must know your horse well enough to be able to recognize when his rolling around is outside of the norm. If your horse exhibits any of these symptoms, it is very important for you to seek medical attention for him right away. Do not delay in contacting your veterinarian.

Rather than having to deal with trying to cure horse colic via surgery or other treatments (which can be quite expensive), it is much easier to take steps to prevent the onset of the ailment in the first place. Some simple steps that you can take to aid in prevention of horse colic include the following: do not allow your horse to eat old or moldy feed; always store feed where your horse cannot get to it on his own (this will keep him from overeating); never feed horses on the ground; be sure to feed your horse at the same time every day; and make sure that you deworm your horse on a regular basis to ensure parasite control.

Though generally very serious in nature, horse colic can be controlled and even prevented if appropriate steps are taken to ensure the health and well being of your horse.