Avoiding impaction colic keeps a lot of horse owners, barn managers, and trainers up at night. If you’ve been around horses for any length of time, you know someone who has paid an astronomical amount of money for colic surgery or worse… Lost her horse to an impaction colic.
Made to Move
Horse were made to move. Their digestive tracks were designed to intake small amounts of food continuously while moving. Their natural eating consists of a few bites of grass, movement, a few more bites of grass, and more movement repeated consistently throughout the day.
We’ve provided them stalls for a variety of reasons, and that isn’t inherently a bad thing. We do, however, need to provide them with ample time to move their bodies. If we don’t, we need to compensate for the lack of that natural digestive aid.
Nature’s Lubrication
Horses need water. Water not only prevents dehydration and aids in cellular processes, but it also provides a natural lubricant for their digestive track. The average horse will consume five to ten gallons of water per day. After just four hours without water, your horse is at risk.
Horses should have two sources of clean water at all times. I keep two troughs in each pasture and two water buckets in each stall. All water is checked at least twice per day. I’m personally not a fan of automatic waterers, because I can’t gauge how much my horses are drinking.
Avoiding Impaction Colic
Some keys to preventing colic are providing adequate turnout, never feeding dry grains, and ensuring adequate water sources. I like to feed loose salt to my horses any time I see a drop in their water consumption.
During the winter, I feed loose salt to all my equines to stimiulate drinking. I also increase the water in their daily feed. During cold spells, I add a bucket of hot water to their troughs twice aday.
Whether your horse is at home or at a boarding facility, knowing what’s best for your horse is key to keeping your horse happy and healthy, so you can enjoy your riding partner for as many years as possible.
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