Storm-Front Colic Awareness
No studies confirm it, but vets (and I) will tell you that when barometric pressure changes, colic cases go up.
So today, when the first wave of pre-winter stormy weather was predicted to hit our area, I turned up the dial on colic vigilance.
Almost every colic case we've had has occurred during a storm-weather period. Unpleasant as they were, those episodes taught me a few things. Such as:
* Make sure everybody has fresh, clean, inviting water to drink. The more water horses can be encouraged to consume, the better lubricated their digestive tissues will be, and the better they'll be able to digest their feed.
* Prepare for the fact that horses will go through more roughage, in the effort to keep warm. To be processed without compaction, this extra roughage will require extra water consumption. See above.
* If you can bring horses in out of inclement weather, where they have rain/wind protection, their need for roughage intake won't be as great as if they were left outside to "tough it out." See above.
* Don't pick stormy days to make big changes in the feed or exercise programs. Kids get tummyaches when that happens, and horses do, too. Except their tummyaches are called colic.
posted by Juli Thorson @ 5:29 PM
4 comments
4 Comments:
I live in the high desert where in the summer months we typically have 40 degree temperature drops. It can go from 95 in the day to 45-50 at night. Although this seems extreme, our horses and the wild ones tend to be hearty and I haven't experienced a colic during these months.
The time frame in which we in my area see the most colics is late Sept. to late October. Horses have grown hairy for the winter, temps can still reach 80 daytime, and drop to 30-35 at night. I'm guessing that the horse may dehydrate somewhat during the day then not want to drink at night because it's chilly and so is their water.
I do know this, keeping fresh clean temperature tolerable water at all times is a must, and I have had far less colic cases since I went to feeding 3 times per day, rather than two. It can be tough, but if you feed when you get up, when you come home from work, and before YOU go to bed, it can be done. My horses all have their own stalls with runs off the back for the night and get turn out daily. I started this practice 20 years ago, and have only had 3 colics since that time thank God, and two were with the same horse, who eventually died from a twisted colic in the month of October. He was prone to colic and a cribber. He had colic'd no less than 5 times in the 14 years I owned him.
Many things will trigger colic, but I think the number one cause is hydration and inadequate shelter from the elements.
Interesting theory that I share as well. When I had a boarding stable in South FLorida we had one horse that would colic whenever a front came through. He never twisted or was to bad but it kept me busy walking him and giving banamine.
After staying up all night last night due to my mare suffering from impaction colic, I am once again a believer that changes in barometric pressure affect colic. My mare had no change in feed, management, etc. However, we went from 79 degrees to a drop of 20 degrees in less than 24 hours (we're in Colorado). This is the third time in 12 months that my girl has suffered impaction colic, each preceded by a storm front.
Me and my horsey are looking forward to a better nights' rest!
Irony of ironies...we had a change of barometric pressure not too long ago and one of our horses came up with a belly ache...adequate, heated tank, he had been drinking water all along, no change in feed, or any other stressors and kaboom....A dose of Banamine and a little walking did the trick........
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