Preventing Impaction Colic

PREVENTION!!

AVOIDING IMPACTION COLIC

posted by

Marti Day

NC Cooperative Extension Agent

Chatham County

While we all love our veterinarian, there are times we’d sure rather not have to call him or her.  Veterinary emergencies are costly and worrisome as they mean our riding buddy is in trouble.  One of the most common emergencies in the winter is impaction colic.  Impaction colic is caused by a blockage that forms due to a feed material obstruction in the large colon.  Water consumption is a significant factor in impactions. If feed material is too dry as it moves through the digestive system, it is more likely to cause a blockage.  Individual horses vary, but the rule of thumb is that a 1000-pound, idle horse should consume a minimum of 10 to 12 gallons of water per day.  The average adult horse produces about 10 gallons of saliva a day to help soften and lubricate food.   If water consumption drops, then saliva production decreases also.                                                                                                            

During winter months, horses are less inclined to drink enough because they don’t feel as thirsty and their water is most likely colder that they would prefer.  You should provide water for your horses at a temperature between 40 and 60 degrees.  Water that is colder than this will cause your horses to drink less and of course if the water is frozen, they can’t drink at all.   Water is easily kept within this preferred temperature range with the use of heating devices such as electric buckets, stock tank heaters and/or insulation of the water container.  Extreme care must be taken to prevent horses from playing with the heating device or chewing the electrical cord.

The common meal-feeding practice of many horse owners is contrary to the horse’s natural eating habits.  Horses in their natural state are continuous eaters which ensures  plentiful saliva production and a steady flow of feed stuff through their intestinal tract.   While the horse produces saliva almost non-stop, a horse that spends more time chewing produces more saliva. The more we change their normal eating patterns, the more we set them up for digestive disorders.  Feeding plenty of hay – enough to last most of the time span between meals – will help to offset the pitfalls of meal feeding.  In truth, the average pleasure horse could do right well not getting any meals of grain - just having a steady supply of decent quality forage available throughout the day.   But that’s a nutrition topic for another day…
Another nutrition and management option to help you avoid impaction colic is green grass.  This time of the year, it may be hard to come by unless you have made a plan for winter grazing.   If you are fortunate enough to have the opportunity to plant winter annuals in the fall or stockpile some fescue, a few hours of that green grass a day is a wonderful laxative for horse.  With its high moisture content and readily digestible fiber, green grass will really keep a horse’s intestines moving!   If you don’t have planned winter grazing, you may be able to find a patch of something green to hand graze your horse in.  Even a few minutes a day might keep you from an unplanned visit with your vet.
                                                                                                                                                     
It's also important to keep a mineralized salt available to your horses in the winter.  While they may not be sweating out as many electrolytes as in the summer, the minerals are still important for balancing their intake requirements and the salt will encourage them to drink more water.  It is not advisable to force feed salt by adding it to a horse’s grain ration as this could prevent them from consuming enough mineralized salt. 

Adequate parasite control is also necessary for the health and normal activity of the intestinal tract. Internal parasites can irritate the intestinal tract, cause an intestinal blockage, or compromise the blood supply to the intestine.  Deworming frequency will depend on the age of your horses and the stocking rate of your pastures so consult your veterinarian for the best deworming strategy for you and your horses.

Warm water, a steady supply of mineralized salt and green grass - the combination should keep your horse and your vet visits nice and "regular"!!