How Can I Prevent Colic?
Question: How Can I Prevent Colic?
Some colics appear to have no reason but you can help avoid colic by providing the best possible care for your horse or pony.
Answer:
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Some colics appear to have no reason but you can help avoid colic by providing the best possible care for your horse or pony.
Answer:
- Introduce or change feeds gradually.
- Introduce horses to lush pasture very gradually.
- Provide clean fresh drinking water at all times. In the winter, horses can not eat enough snow to stay hydrated and may not drink enough icy water from a trough or pond. A stock tank heater will keep water from freezing.
- If your horse eats straw, consider using shavings for bedding.
- Clean up windfall apples and other fruit out of pastures. A few apples a day is okay. Too many can cause colic.
- Keep your horses on a regular de-worming schedule to avoid parasite damage.
- After or during heavy workouts allow your horse to take frequent small sips of water. You can estimate how much water your horse is drinking by counting the gulps. Get to know how many times he swallows while drinking a measured amount of water i.e. a 5 gallon bucket. You'll be able to estimate how much he is drinking at one time.
- Keep a regular feeding routine.
- Allow plenty of outdoor pasture time.
- Provide plenty of good quality fodder. Horses have very small stomachs and need to eat frequent small meals.
- Have your horse's teeth checked by an equine dentist or veterinarian. Improperly ground food can cause impactions.
- Always keep your veterinarians phone number in a prominent place beside your phone. Have your horse's teeth checked by an equine dentist or veterinarian. Improperly ground food may contribute to impactions.
- Always keep your veterinarians phone number in a prominent place beside your phone.
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