Horse Colic Blog

Horse Probiotics

2010-02-24T06:50:00.000-08:00

Wormers, antibiotics, stress and other factors can disrupt your horse's digestion. Probiotics can help reduce the chance of horse colic.

Enterolith Impaction

2010-02-15T15:36:00.000-08:00

Enteroliths, hard crystals that form in the colon, can cause an impaction colic. Reduce the amount of alfalfa you feed, test your water for hardness and add a cup of apple cider vinegar to your horse's water to make your horse's colon a bit less enterolith-friendly.

Affordable Horse Care Tips

2010-02-11T05:41:00.001-08:00

Looking for affordable horsekeeping tips? Have a good one to share? Visit this horse care blog and start saving! Print horse-themed Valentine's Day cards, learn how to make an inexpensive bridle rack and subscribe to a free online magazine.

Your Horse's Heart Rate

2010-02-11T04:46:00.000-08:00

In honor of Valentine's Day, learn to take your horse's heart rate. It's fast, easy and good information to know. And yes, you get to wear the stethescope again.

Horse Colic Tips For Kids

2010-02-11T03:30:00.000-08:00

Horse Colic Tips For Kids now available. This short, colorful, slightly irreverent and very informative mini e-book will help the horse-loving kids in your life spot the signs and symptoms of colic and give them the confidence to handle it safely and competently.

Heavy Breathing

2010-02-10T17:00:00.001-08:00

If your horse is breathing heavily for no obvious reason, it could be a sign of illness or distress. Learn to take your horse's respiratory rate. It's not difficult, and it can give your veterinarian some much needed insight into your horse's overall condition.

An inexpensive stethescope is a good addition to your first aid kit. Plus, you can hang it around your neck and look all smart and medically. Very cool.

Horse Breeds

2010-02-09T13:53:00.000-08:00

If you and your Chihuahua decided to move to Alaska, you would take precautions. You'd buy him a sweater...maybe a heated pet bed. Why? Because a tiny, hairless native of Mexico is not built for the tundra.

The same is true for horses. Some breeds developed in desert-like conditions with very sparse grazing. Lush, abundant pasture may seem like horse-heaven on earth, but in truth, some of these horses may founder or colic more than other breeds better accustomed to these conditions.

If your horse seems to suffer from mysterious bouts of founder or colic, think about where the breed evolved. Arid? Swampy? Hot? Cold? You may need to make some adjustments to her environment to more closely imitate her ancestral home.

The Colic Novice

2010-02-09T13:42:00.001-08:00

"OK, that's it. He's yours."
And just like that, I was completely responsible for September Winds, a beautiful, just-off-the-track racehorse. Still doubting my tacking skills, I worried. And worried a little more. Was I ready?

During our first year together, September colicked 13 times. The first time didn't really worry me--I was too naive to be very concerned. But as time went on and I learned about the potential dangers, I became increasingly frantic every time he colicked. What was I doing wrong? What could I do to stop it?

Fortunately, I was boarding him at an excellent thoroughbred facility, owned and staffed by knowledgeable and patient experts. Their expertise got me through that first year.

I moved September to my small farm in 2005, adding two other ex-racehorses to my herd. I've learned much about colic over the years, both from experience and research, and I hope to share my knowledge with other horse lovers.