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EQUINE COLIC 

ETIOLOGY 

  • There are many causes of colic (abdominal pain); many are related to feeding mismanagement (abrupt changes, feeding frequency, quantity or quality of feed). 
  • A leading cause of colic is related to exceeding the starch and sugar digestion and absorption capacity of the small intestine, allowing the undigested portion to pass into the hindgut where it is rapidly fermented. 
  • Rapid fermentation of nonstructural carbohydrates leads to rapid and undesirable changes in the microbiota populations and environment in the hindgut (excessive gas production, drop in pH), and may result in colic and other systemic consequences. 
  • Immediately following a bout of dietary related colic or other lower gastrointestinal upset/disorder, horses may be limited in their ability to digest fibre due to undesirable shifts in the microbial populations in the cecum and colon. 
  • Ingestion of poorly digestible fibre can lead to an intestinal impaction, particularly if exercise and water consumption are inadequate. 

MANAGEMENT RECOMMENDATIONS 

  • Horses should be turned out and/or exercised daily. 
  • Horses should be completely cooled out following exercise before being fed concentrates. 
  • Horses that bolt their feed should be fed small amounts more frequently and feeding devices may be needed to slow consumption. 
  • Horses should be fed individually or in small groups with consideration for social hierarchy to prevent dominant individuals from consuming other horses’ rations. 
  • Test for hydration. 

DIETARY RECOMMENDATIONS 

  • Horses should have access to good quality hay or pasture at all times. 
  • Horses should have clean, fresh water available at all times, particularly in very hot or cold temperatures. 
  • Never feed concentrate (grain) meals of more than 0.5% of a horse’s body weight in one feeding. Do not exceed 0.5% of body weight per meal of concentrates (serve 3 to 6 meals per day). 
  • Avoid sudden changes in pasture, hay, supplements and grain concentrates. 
  • Dietary changes should be made gradually over a minimum of 7 to 14 days to allow time for the microbial populations in the gut to adapt. 
  • Do not feed spoiled or mouldy feeds. 
  • Close attention must be paid to both rapidly growing “lush” pasture grass or grass growing under stress conditions (frost/drought) as consumption of pasture with high levels of fructan under these growing conditions can lead to colic. 
  • Horses should always be fed A MINIMUM OF 1–1.5% of their body weight per day as forage. Utilize controlled starch and sugar, added fat and highly digestible fibre feeds to minimize risk of sugar and starch overload in the hind gut. 
  • Utilize feeds with pre- and probiotics, and organic trace minerals to enhance fibre digestion and the bioavailability of nutrients, particularly in cases where there’s a history of colic. 
  • Free choice access to fresh water and salt should be available at all times. 
  • Add 1 to 3 ounces of salt daily. 

SUGGESTED PURINA PRODUCTS 

FEED NOTES 

  • Control starch and sugar intake and provide added calories from fat and digestible fiber. 
  • Further minimize the risk of starch overload by feeding highly digestible starch from processed grains (pelleted or extruded) or utilize products with controlled, highly digestible starch, added fat, highly digestible fiber, organic trace minerals, prebiotics, and probiotics to minimize risk of starch overload and support fiber digestion in the hindgut. 

GENERAL HORSES 

Recommendation: 

ALTERNATIVES 

SUPPLEMENTS 

Pur-Athlete  
Consider a high caloric supplement to reduce the total amount of feed consumed by the horse. If the horse needs extra calories in its ration, consider a highly digestible, high fat, high protein and low sugar supplement. 

Horse Shield to improve nutrient absorption and a live yeast supplement to support digestion. 

NOTES 

Various considerations should be kept in mind when deciding on a feed. Choose a feed in a form that is easy to digest and assimilate for the animal such as multiparticle, extruded or pelleted feeds. When choosing a feed, priority should be given to those containing low to moderate levels of sugars and starch. It should also focus on feeds containing pre- and probiotics, including complete yeast cell membranes, yeast culture and a mixture of live bacteria. 

  • Look for feeds with a minimum content of 15% fibre and, preferably, lower than 8% fat. 
  • For colic caused by impaction: reintroduce a soaked high fibre feed. 
  • For gas colic: control the intake of sugars and starch as well as hyperacidity in the colon. 
  • The analysis of hay and pasture is recommended to determine the percentage of sugar and fructan levels. 

FEED RATE PROTOCOL NOTICE 

This feeding protocol described here pertains only to Cargill Limited Horse Feeds. There is not established feeding protocol that all feed companies must follow. Purina provides two feeding rates on their tag a “Minimum” and a “Purina Superior”. The “Minimum” meets the levels established by the NRC Nutrient Requirements of Horses (2007), which will prevent all classic nutritional deficiencies. The “Purina Superior” is a greater level of fortification that promotes an optimal level of performance and immunity. By no means does that imply “Minimum” is subpar, and for the non-competitive horse, that stays home year round and has no health issues there is probably no need to exceed this level. However, if you are feeding a true equine athlete, with all the immune stresses associated with that level of competition, then the “Purina Superior” level is paramount to ensure an optimal level of performance and immunity. 

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