Just wondering if anyone had problems with colic during the winter? I bought a mare last winter and a week after I got her, she had a mild case of colic. I gave her a shot of banamine (about 12cc) and walked her for 30 minutes and she was fine. I didn't have any more problems until this winter and so far she's already coliced twice. Both times were mild and after I gave her a shot of banamine and walked her around, she was fine. She has access to fresh water that doesn't freeze, good quality hay and grain. I feed mostly hay and very little grain, just enough to keep her through the winter. Someone has suggested I add oil to her grain daily but I haven't tried it yet. I've heard that once they colic, they are likely to colic more often. Just wondering if anyone else had problems or suggestions? Thanks!

Seems to be a problem with colicing again after the have done it and I don't know if there is medical reason for it ot not.Most colics in the winter is due to the fact that the horse does not drink enough water. Do you have tank heater in the water? If not,even though it does not freeze,it still maybe too cold for her taste.She might have bad tooth or? that really cold water hurts.
Some suggest adding more loose salt to her grain ration help induce her to drink more water.

How about worm? Overload can cause colic,but if she is loaded up and colicing from them, you need to be careful worming her as the cure couldb e as bad.I'd have vet do a fecal count first.
Go to the vet forum and ask Dr Valentine.

I have a mare that colics occasionally and so far only mildly. I also gave Banamine and walked her. After I added oil/fat to her diet she has not coliced. I was using corn oil in a jug, but since it's cold I'm using Envison (it's a fortified fat supplement made by Progressive Nutrition)because it is much easier to handle. She's doing well on the Envision. It also helps balance her diet; I have to keep her up year round and feed her mostly hay or she will founder.

have you wormed her for tape worms this could be the problem

Carol,
Make sure the mare is getting plenty of salt. Water intake and salt intake are directly linked. Grass hay tends to be high in potassium and potassium diminishes the desire for salt, thereby creating a vicious cycle. Get at least an ounce a day into her. I sprinkle my horses' hay with water, sprinkle on salt and water it lightly again.

Barb

colic means tummy ach.

problem for it can be anything.

Carol, there are alot of horses who show the same kind of colic as your horse does and all the above is good, especially the salt and water intake. However, I have a gelding and seen others while I was training, who would suffer a mild bout of colic just about everytime the weather changes. Some studies show that plants respond to that change to some degree, causeing to some degree a change in the horses diet, although still eating the same plants. Also, horses seem to be great on suffering mild upset stomachs from nerves, just like we do. Probably hard to find what is causeing the problem, but by deworming and your feeding program you will by process of elimination you can greatly narrow it down. On my gelding I finally figured it out. He is just gonna do it sometimes, no matter what I do. My advise is keep the banimine handy. It isnt nessecary to walk them unless they are down rolling.

I agree with Barb, make certain they have salt. My daughters old gelding wasn't drinking much water a couple months ago, then I realized he was out of salt, made a huge difference. I think a case of repeat colic depends on the circumstance and the horse. My old QH gelding I put down last summer suffered from colic two times in the 22 years I owned him. Both in the winter, he had water, had salt, but he was a nervous horse. Draft gelding colicked last winter just after a severe drop in temps, had a little morgan mare that would colic in the summer because she hoovered up too many acorns.

I think Vince has the solution for most winter colic. A old vet (a dear personable friend that passed away recently) told me about 40 years ago that warm water would help in the colder winter days. Never thought much about it till I had to put in a tank heater this winter. Luckily not because of colic. The four Haflingers mares more than doubled the amount of water consumed after installation. We all have been told that more water helps with colic. I never thought there would be that much difference in water consumed at 50 degrees vs 30 degrees in the tank.

It might be the water. We're lucky enough to have hot running water in the wash rack in our barn. I notice a real difference in the amount the horses drink when I mix in enough hot water for the water in their buckets to be warm. Could you try somehow warming the water slightly for a day or two and seeing if there's a difference in what she drinks? Might be too difficult if you live in Montana with only an outside water trough, though.

Salt intake is really the key here. It increases water intake and the more fluids, the less likely your horse is to have an impaction. Everyone above is giving sound advice, but the most important thing you can do is get them to take salt. A salt block is not enough. A horse's tongue is not designed to lick the block and after a little bit it will get sore and stop licking. What we do (and we learned the hard way after loosing our best mare last winter) is to mix granulated mineral with soaked beet pulp and a little grain. Our water consumption literally doubled once we started doing this and we have had no issues since. Better to try and prevent it than treat it after it occurs. Our mare (as most drafts are) was so stoic that she didn't show signs until it was too late. I put a gallon of oil through her, walked her for literally hours and gave the banamine (it is a pain reliever/anti-inflamitory, not a cholic cure) and still lost her....an ounce of prevention is worth a gallon of tears....

Thanks for the great advice from everyone - I really appreciate the feedback. I use salt blocks but I'm going to try adding loose salt to her feed. I have a tank water heater and I worm on a regular basis. I learned more from all of you than my $78 vet visit!! Thanks again!