Horse Colicked after Ride

I'm moving to a new house with a barn and I recently had begun looking at companion horses for my mare. A friend offered me the option of possibly taking one of her horses - a 15 year old Warmblood. The horse had a reputation of being very sensitive, experiencing bouts of colic, cribbing, girth issues, etc. It had been about a year since he was last ridden and about a year since he had an episode of colic.

I went and had a guided riding session with one of my trainers last week. We did nothing major, walk, trot, and attempted canter. At the canter we noticed he was having some muscle spasms in the hindquarter, so we stopped and walked him out. He had a mild colic the day after. Two days ago I got on him bareback, and walked, trot.. maybe for about 10 minutes. Yesterday I went back to the barn to see him and he was having major colic issues, and eventually he had to be put down later that night. I feel so horrible, like part of it was my fault. I'm wondering if the stress of a new rider bought on the colic... can colic be purely propagated by an emotional issue?

I doubt it had to do with a new rider.

You describe the horse as the type that is just waiting to have a stomach issues.

I am sure it had more to do with not being ridden for a year and a change in routine than you not being the person who used to ride him the year before.

I agree with Always. The horse likely had ulcers or other stomach issues, and was probably not on free choice hay and/or on a lot of hard feed. There's a lot you can do for horses like that, but you have to be willing to invest the time and money to get their diet just right, resolve ulcers or other digestive problems, and provide 24/7 turnout in a good sized pasture with "friends."

It is much more likely it was an internal problem. I knew a horse who had a too large colon that caused him to colic. There wasn't anything anyone could have done for him. I wouldn't beat yourself up about it, and at least now, he doesn't have to worry about colic again. =]