Colic Incidence

• Out of 100 horses in the general population 4-10 cases of colic are expected in a one year period. (Varies greatly between farms, 0-30 cases per 100 horses) 
• 10-15% of colic cases occur in horses that have had previous colic episodes
• 80-85% of colic cases have no specific diagnosis and respond with medical treatment (i.e. Pain relief, oil, fluids, etc.) or resolve on their own.
• Only 2-4% of colic cases require surgery
• The colic case fatality rate is 6.7%
• 12,000-24,000 colic surgeries are performed in the U.S. annually, or as many as 2.7 colic surgeries every hour

Risk Factors

• Horses that have had a previous colic are 3 times more likely to have another colic episode
• There is an increased incidence of colic in Arabians and Thoroughbreds
• Horses less than two years old and those older than ten years are less likely to have simple colic, but older horses that colic are more likely to require surgery.
• Systemic disease, especially fevers, predispose horses to colic

Diet

• Coarse roughage such as hay with high coarse fiber content is associated with impaction colics, especially in horses with poor teeth
• Grain overload is associated with colic and laminitis (founder)
• Lush pasture can increase the risk of gas colics
• Feeding round bales of hay to horses has more colic risk Feeding grain especially in high amounts increases risk as do diet changes in grain and/or forage
• Feeding grain in smaller amounts more frequently during a 24 hour period may help reduce the incidence of colic in horses that need more concentrate for higher energy demands. Grain tends to absorb more fluid from the intestine reducing the amount of fecal fluid as well as increasing gas production.

Management

• Activity changes, especially decreases in activity, may be associated with impactions
• There is less colic on farms with pasture access and low horse density
• Feeding confined horses grain in the stall right after being brought in from pasture, increases the risk of large colon displacement and gas colic.
• Feeding hay to horses on lush pasture can help decrease gas colic incidence
• Environmental factors affecting colic vary greatly between regions. Some examples are: sand impactions, grass colics, and enterolith formation (intestinal stones)

Parasites

• Parasites increase colic risk, especially tapeworms, ascarids, and strongyles

Cribbing

• Cribbing is associated with colic risk

Pregnancy

• Metabolic demands from pregnancy and lactation, especially calcium metabolism, may have some association with mares’ colic risk

Performance/Transportation

• Water consumption and stress are often associated with colic in the performance horse
• Gastric ulcers are commonly associated horses in transport and on show and racing circuits

Weather

• Changes in the weather, thought to contribute to increased colic risk, may be related to decreased water intake.
• In cold weather, horses are not managed the same (i.e. less turnout, stall confinement, etc.), so this may be more of a factor in colic than the cold weather

Prevention

• Constant source of fresh water
• Good quality forage that makes up at least 60% of the diet
• Feed concentrates (grain) at the smallest level to maintain weight and performance
• Regular and consistent turnout
• Parasite control is essential
• Identify management risks (i.e. crowding, handling, etc.)