[Ryle]

Yes, you really should call your vet. The lack of appetite and lack of gut sounds both point to a possible colic. If you know how, go ahead and count your horse's respirations and pulse as well as taking his temperature. Also look to see if there are fresh piles of feces in his paddock and note if they are dry or slimy or normal looking. Knowing these things when you talk to your vet will help him to determine if this is a true emergency.

Until you talk to your vet, take all food away from your horse (including hay) and just provide water. Watch him for any signs of pain and for further defication.

 

[Ryle]

Not all colics present that same way because not all colics are caused by the same thing or of the same severity. (I speak from experience as a technician at an equine hospital--I've seen lots of colics.) The fact that your horse is pooping doesn't mean that it's not colic. You can have feces passed even though there is a severe impaction further up in the GI tract. You can have very mild colics to very severe colics. You can have colic that has nothing to do with a GI impaction or gas but instead with pain associated with gastric ulcers--which is one of the things that your horse sounds like he might have with the picking up feed and then dropping it. This is something we see alot with patients diagnosed with gastric ulcers.

If your vet told you OVER THE PHONE, without knowing your horse's heart rate, respiration rate and temperature and only had the same information that you gave here, that your horse is not colicing then you should consider talking to a different vet because it's impossible to know for sure whether it is or isn't colic without seeing him.