Colic .........twice in 10 days Sorry long thread

[bonnyben]

Ben moved to his new yard on 6 December and I really thought he was settling well.

Sorry, I have just previewed this and it is soooooo long, but please read it if you can be bothered.

But......

On Friday 11 Dec I brought him in at 2pm for a lesson, he didn't seem quite right but he did eat haylage and do a poo. But then he started to paw the ground, went down on his knees, up again and although he looked bright he just wasn't quite right.

To cut a long story short I tacked him up and went ahead with the lesson on the basis thta movement would be good, and he was great, he did paw a bit before we got started but the trainer said "Get him walking" and once we were into the lesson Ben was really good, he tried very hard bless him...

Untacked him, gave him his tea after a bit and left him tucking into his haylage.

Got home to find a message on my mobie from the YO saying she had called the vet because he seemed uncomfortable etc,. Vet gave him an injection and left a five day course of probiotics in a syringe which he has had before brekkie each day.

So he was fine until yesterday when I went to get him in off the frozen ground at 1.30, and he got in, did a poo, attacked his haylage and then after about 15 minutes did exactly the same as last time except it was worse cos he wanted to lie down and roll - so got him onto the frozen arena and walked him round while ringing the vet. He tried to go down about 4 times but I managed to keep him walking, on one occasion another livery ran behind him and clapped her hands, that gave him a fright and kept him up!!

Anyway when the vet arived he took his temp, (checked his herat rate - both normal ) and gave him another injection and an internal. By this time Ben wanted to eat his haylage and anything else that came his way (nothing did)....took his haylage out and gave him a handful but after an hour he was fine so put the whole lot in. Vet had advised this.

Today, I have to pick up probiotic granules from the surgery - a month's supply...vet thinks it was purely the cold that brought this on - he saw three horses this weekend with same symptoms - but what about last week? It wasn't frozen although it was freezing fog.

I phoned his former owner last night, she thinks it is because he isn't getting enough out in the field and is suggesting haylage strewn about. But that isn't the way our yard works, I have only been there a fortnight and don't want to be a nuisance and let's face it if you put piles of haylage in one field you have to do it for all of them - I just hope to God that the granules will help and that if I ask for him to go out for a shorter time (say 9 am rather than 7.30 until I bring him in at 2pm) it might solve the problem. I am hoping it is the change of food, haylage, companions and general regime that has caused this and that he will settle soon....

Any opinion or advice gratefully received. If i am doing something wrong please tell me...

[dannyboy]

Oh BB, how distressing for you and Ben I'm sorry I'm not experienced enought to give you any advice but I hope all goes well and Ben settles down. Big hugs. x

[scattymare]

Moving can be very stressful for them and even if they don't show it by misbehaving, who knows the internal turmiol they must go through.
Fingers crossed it is just all the changes that have brought it on and once settled he will be right as rain.
They are a worry!

[duckles]

I have very little knowledge of colic (Thank God) but I understand that change in environment and the cold weather are both precipitating factors so I guess the combination of these is stressing poor Ben. This must be really worrying for you but fingers crossed he will soon be back to normal.

[bonnyben]

Thank you guys, I am grateful for any help and good vibes are always very welcome!! ;D

He wasn't stressed when I first bought him and took him to the other yard but I sensed he didn't like it there. For example whenever we went out for a hack he always resisted going home, going up the drive to the yard, even if it was tea time he still wanted to go further. That took me aback to be honest.

They are a worry yes, far, far worse than children

Thanks for your good wishes..

[haffyfan]

What a worrying time for you. Obviously moving/changes in routine can be stressful and I do believe eating frozen/frosted grass can on occasions cause colic too (says she whose horses live out!). I think if at all possible the suggestion of letting him have access to hay whilst out is a good one although i appreciate when on a yard you cannot always do exactly as you would wish.
Hopefully it's just all the changes that has affected him and he is back to normal soon and lets face it the weather of the last week or so has been a pretty big shock to us all (it was still minus 8.5 here on sat Am at 8.30 am in the sun! and not much warmer sunday am - about minus 6)

[fleabitten]

haffy - i think its more putting them out on frosty grass that does it more than if they were eating cold grass all the time.

It may just be the cold snap and moving etc.

I have had A LOT of experience with colic unfortunately but i cant advise you because we never found out the reasons for any of them - the vet had no idea. We took him to a hospital and they didnt come up with anything either, other than he was too fat and it may have been a fatty deposit or something irritating him.

They came every 3/4 weeks like clockwork. In all he coliced about 12 times. We tried him outdoors 24/7, stabled 24/7, company, alone, different feeds etc. Nothing worked apart from right before we sold him we got to 4 weeks/5, without him being ill - he was being stabled 24/7 on his own and we gave him bran as his dung was quite dry. We started feeding him a salt lick too and the incresed water intake probably helped too - we gave him linseed oil in a wee bit of hi-fi type feed..

One thing we were suggested was feeding powdered charcoal - i suppose it would be a bit like the probiotics BB www.finefettlefeed.com/

[racaille]

Firstly BB, you aren't doing anything wrong!!!! I know we tend to blame ourselves for every little mishap but mostly it is just bad luck... (I once blamed myself for an injured mare on six months box rest getting colic -what have I done??? sort of thing - but actually, it was just that she was immobile and that is not good).

And a TB mare at the club who used to get colic on a regular basis was pretty much cured when she was rugged up to the eyeballs and left out 24/7. In fact, she may still have been getting it - cos colic is only bellyache (of different sorts, sure) after all - but the fact that she could walk around seemed to help her. (Her underlying problem was ovarian cysts but a cure wasn't an option...)

So I would say that Ben might do better out as much as possible, preferably mid-morning to late, so that the frost has disappeared. I don't know if this is feasible.

Stress is another factor and who can tell what goes on in our horses' tiny minds? I hope that this was just a reaction to moving and that things will settle down. I know how hideous it is when your baby gets colic. Bon courage BB.

[brigadier]

Oh no BB, its distressing when they get colic so I really feel for you. I really do think it could be a combination of change and cold weather. He may be getting a bit hungry whilst out on a morning as there is nothing to eat really when the grass is frosty, then bolting his feed and hay when he comes in. If he has been a bit cold then it may take while for his digestion to kick in. Probiotics are good but I think you need to reduce his time in the field, ensure he is really warm whilst out so he is more inclined to wander about rather than just stand about and try and ensure he has something to munch on as much as possible. Its awkward to make suggestions at a new yard but they may be as worried as you and should want to rectify things. Its good they called the vet so at least you know they are vigilant. Another consideration is not to have him turned out when you know you will be working him, he may prefer to stand in and munch!

[fimacg]

There have been a number of atricles about this recently, if the water is very cold, some horses don't like to drink it, precipitating colic, have you tried giving him warmer water.

At the end of the day the YO wants a healthy horse rather than a worry so if you have a solution i.e. hay or haylage they should be willing to help.

[brigadier]

Good point re water Fi!

[bonnyben]

Thank you for all your replies suggestions and reassurance guys. you lot are totally amazing and are always a source of comfort never mind knowledge!!!!


The upshot is I spoke with K last evening, Ben will go out for 4 hours approx a day for the mopment weather permitting, (nothing went out yesterday the place was totally iced up...not unlike a zillion other places I daresay!!) - he will be given a haynet after brekkie and put out about 10 and then I will bring him in at 2ish.

We agreed that it's the "bulk" he is missing, i.e at his former home he was out on about 7 acres lush ungrazed grass with 2 others so although there isn't a bit of goodness in the grass it was allowing his gut to work properly. This yard has enough grazing but only just ( he is turned out with 5 others in a well grazed field of about 2 or 2.5 acres) and, as we have all agreed the cold frost and snow it isn't helping.

Fi, yes the water worried me, they have automatic water drinkers and I did have to break the ice on Sunday, yesterday it was fine though and he was drinking while I was with him.

Toasty warm he is definitely brig. I turned down the hood because he doesn't seem to feel the cold too much but K turns it back up last thing so he isn't standing in minus 5 with a bare neck overnight. Yesterday when I arrived at 3 wiht the probiotics the base of his ears were comfortable and under his Lavenham he was truly warm..

No question of working them at the moment, and he loves his work, so I did wonder if that was upsetting him too!!

Flea I am really sorry you know so much about the subject of colic - you haven't had a lot of luck pet have you?

Yes you are all right, K does want happy herds and it was she who suggested putting a net in at 7.30 ish and him out at 10. She said he is settled in the field, he isn't a fighter or kicker or anything he just likes to get his head down. Funny he seems such a big laid back lump but there must be some sort of stress going on.

Thanks Rac for your wise words, yes I do blame myself as we all so often do, it is such a worry and you feel so helpless because you can only guess what is wrong half the time and how to fix it a fraction fo the time...

He certainly seemed himself yesterday, he was mugging me for treats, drinking copiously and stuffing his lovely face. And I was very pleased his legs hadn't filled at all, at the last place if he stood in they'd be quite swollen next morning...

The irony of this is that I moved him largely because he didn't get ENOUGH T/O in my view, at the last place ....at the drop of a hat they'd be kept in, so I wanted him to have more grazing time!!!

I have got another silly point/question but I think I will put it on a fresh thread.

Thanks again everyone..

[brigadier]

BB- glad it seems positive, sounds like your YO is really helpful!