[RedTree]

Is there anything you can give to horses to prevent colic?
I am asking because where Buzz lives it is like a desert... there is one paddock that has grass but because its summer now its dead and a desert as well they do have hay
but Buzz had a mild case of colic last year and I just dont want to have to call the vet out heaps because of colic when something could be done to stop it

 

[Ryle]

1. Feed up off the sand.
2. Provide plenty of forage--at least 1.5% of his body weight per day. But free choice forage is even better.
3. Make sure he always has access to clean water.
4. Have his teeth checked and floated as needed.
5. Minimize the amount of grain based feeds given.
6. Ensure that he is on an appropriate deworming program for his location, age and personal resistance to parasites.

These are the best ways to minimize the risk of colic.

 

[ridergirl23]

^ exactly!

 

[RedTree]

i can do everything except the first one
i could feed him under a tree but then theres the possiblity that twigs will fall down

 

[Solon]

When seasons change, it seems like colic goes up. Summer to Fall, Winter to Spring. Make sure to soak the hay in case the horse gets it in his head he doesn't need to drink as much.

 

[EPMhorse]

RedTree,
how about hanging a small mesh hay net (SMHN) on the fence. That will keep the hay out of the sand. Some people also place a low (.3 m high) tub under the hay net to catch the strands of hay, so they are not mixed with the sand.

You can view different SMHN and slow feeding options here:
Slow Feeders - Paddock Paradise Wiki

 

[Ryle]

Yep, a hay net is one way to do it. You could also purchase a couple of mats and put them down to feed hay on.

 

[Jessabel]

i can do everything except the first one
i could feed him under a tree but then theres the possiblity that twigs will fall down

You could get one of those big Rubbermaid containers for hay. They work pretty well unless your horse thinks it's fun to play with them. :wink:

 

[Luv 2 Trail]

You've gotten GREAT advice - I can only add that my Vet has me give my "easy colic" gelding a good Probiotic daily - so far, so good. I do practice what RYLE posted - to the letter!

 

[RedTree]

wow thainks i will deffinitly look into all this

 

[MIEventer]

Do not add or change feeds in a quick or dramatic way. Always introduce new feeds very slowly and gradually increase over time.

Since my gelding had a major colic not that long ago, I now have him on SmartGut from SmartPak - my vet recommended a digestive aid for him - if you look it up on smartpakequine's website, it has alot of good stuff in it, including probiodics and prebiodics.

 

[trailhorserider]

I had a 26yr horse die of colic last year, and what my vet said to do to help prevent it in my other horses, is to give them a dose of psyllium twice a week.

So I have been giving them about 4 oz. twice a week. It gets rather expensive, but I sure don't want to loose another horse to colic if I can help it.

Any thoughts on this? Or if 4 oz. is an appropriate dose?

It's not to remove sand so much as just to keep their digestive system moving along well. We are not in an area prone to sand colic (according to my vet) and I have alway used feeders for their hay. He feels that older horses are prone to impactions and the psyllium can help. I didn't ask what he considered "older" though, so I am feeding it to my 16yr old, 17 yr old as well as the 30 year old.

 

[mls]

I had a 26yr horse die of colic last year, and what my vet said to do to help prevent it in my other horses, is to give them a dose of psyllium twice a week.

It's not to remove sand so much as just to keep their digestive system moving along well.

I'm curious about this. I thought the psyllium was to coat and remove the sand in the GI tract.

I am not one to over supplement my horse and would need good proof that a non-typical supplement was necessary.