What makes a horse colic?

[Denny Hall]

I've been told putting your horse on pasture that is wet with morning due can cause colic. Is this true?

[Misty Ramsey]

Never heard that....

[Joan Spinner]

I never heard that one. If true we would be unable to leave horses out over night. You can't turn them right after cutting the grass, that can ferment in their belly and cause colic.

[Linda Renoe]

Many things can cause colic. From being worming, eating fescue when not used to it. Getting into the grain. A lot of times if your horse is not used to pasture and you have a lot of fescue in it it is best to put them out after the dew is off the ground.

[katie pestell]

colic is caused by change of diet (if it is changed to quickly),migrating worm larvae, impaction of the intestines(twisted gut),dont turn them out after the grass has been cut

signs of colic are: stsndin and looking at tummy , kicing its flanks sweating or repeatingly rolling around

what to do
DONT LET THEM ROLL
PUT THEM IN A STABLE WITH A DEEP BED OF STRAW TO PROVENT INJURY
CALL A VET
KEEP THE HORSE COOL

[Dr. Doug Stewart]

I've never heard this one. If you want to avoid colic, check out section 2 of this document: Horse Colic

The study at section 2 is also interesting, as it indicates the probability of a horse getting colic, for a set of risk factors.

[Anne0135]

I've never heard that. More likely in this scenario would be a sudden change in temperature, not enough water and/or the kind of grass they are eating. Some horses can't tolerate Bermuda or there maybe some weed or plant in the pasture that they shouldn't be eating. I know my Arabian mare is the queen of colic because she'll eat anything! No sense at all. Also, my guess is a small illeal opening which makes her prone to impaction if she has free choice. Especially Bermuda which is a major cause of colic down south.

[Sarah Beeson]

Yeah colic is usually caused when you change their diet.If your going to change their diet do it gradually because if you do it all it once it can shock their imune system and make it week allowing parasites to get in. One of my horses actually got sand colic, from eating off the ground.But don't worry.It is good to feed them off the ground just watch where their eating.If they have over grazed an area they might eat sand/dirt out of boredom or they will try to eat the tiny plants and get a lot of sand in their system.
But if your horse shows any signs of colic (Kicking their stomach with their back feet,rolling, laying down alot, not wanting to eat) call a vet immediately.And if you see these signs get friends or family members to help out.Get a halter on the horse and keep it moving.Walk it in the round pen or around your property. Get people to take shifts.I've had to do this and it works if you get the horse moving. If you let them roll that could cause their gut to twist and you can't fix that without thousands and thousands of dollars worth of surgery. So keep an eye out when your changing feed or if they arent on pasture and just in their stalls and dirt areas for lengthy times.
Hope everything goes well (:
Sarah

[Christopher Rigby]

Def not true...our horses stay in the pasture day and night. Ours usually try to colic when they are bad and break into the feed room and gorge themselves with sweet feed.

[Dr. Doug Stewart]

You need to be careful on sweet feed gorging. Not only can it cause colic, but perhaps worse it can cause laminitis (carbo-hydrate overload).

[Lani]

I've never heard that either...colic happens for an innumerable reasons...change in diet, dehydration, eating bedding, parasites, too much grain, the list could go on forever on what could cause colic.

[Sara Bing]

i know i'm a little late but just in case you were still wondering.. it can cause colic but only in a very sensitive horse. we saved two mares (mine and my sisters) and put them both on the same pasture didn't think much of it but mine escaped multiple times and ate TONS of very juicy clover.. she ended up colicing but we walked her for 6 hours non stop and saved her. if you change your horses diet or it is badly under weight watch what it eats. until you know how it reacts to moist grass be careful and you should be ok