Brace Yourselves, People--It's Colic Season
If you're in a part of the country that's just experienced the arrival of sudden arctic temperatures, be aware: Colic could come calling. I have a horse down with it right this moment, and am only taking time to post this between trips back out to the barn.
I've been on the alert for a problem ever since it went from the 40s to below zero in a single night, and sure enough, one of the oldsters was down and rolling this morning at feeding time. (On Friday, we had no snow at all. Look at it now.)
Check your supply cabinet. Do you have:
* A working thermometer and a timepiece, for taking vital signs? (A stethoscope comes
in handy, but you can take heartrate and respiration rate without one if you know how.)
* Phone numbers for your vet?
* Banamine paste or injectible liquid, for quelling gut pain? (Could be very useful if your vet can't make it out, or is delayed in reaching you.)
* Access to a hauling rig, in case your sick horse has to go to a clinic?
* Directions on how to get there?
I don't know what it is, exactly, about these big temp/barometer changes that brings on colics, but every time we've had one here it's been during a weather swing. Consider yourself forewarned....
posted by Juli Thorson @ 1:05 PM
14 comments
14 Comments:
I sure hope all turns out OK for your old one. William and I had that happen one year, not any fun. Thank you for the reminders of what to have handy.
Lynette
I think the big temp drops discourage horses from drinking as much water as they normally do. They don't like the very cold water. Or if the water freezes, they can't drink.
My 2¢.
Hope your old one is OK.
I hope everything turns out ok Julie. It's cold up here too, but it looks like you have more snow. Thanks for the heads-up on the colic. I'm definately watching my horses closely.
Yes, best wishes for the old one.
Jaz, my Arabian, colicked last year on a freezing, icky night. Like OrangeElmo said, the vet said they often don't drink enough when it's cold. That is why when it's cold, my Boyz get a bucket of warm Gatorade. At least that way I know that even if they aren't drinking water, they're drinking something. They have developed quite a taste for it.
Stay warm, girlie!
Dear Juli
We carry a one gallon cooler filled with VERY HOT water down to our barn for each of our 3 horses. They look forward to it. The colder the day, they more trips we make. Good Luck.
Jane&Jabber
I am so lucky at the barn I board at. We have indoor facilities with hot and cold water, get heated buckets hung once the weather is cold and it's such a busy place that often there are people in and out up till 10 or 11pm.
That said, my horses all get beet pulp soup in the evening. I make up soaked beep earlier in the day, then just before I feed, I add enough more water to make soup. I don't know if it helps or not, but it sure does make ME feel better!
We feed soaked beet pulp as well. Good stuff, although the two pack-string horses have yet to dare to try it. Never saw anything like that out on the trails!
Anyone else running into the beet pulp shortage this year?
I ran into the beet pulp shortage in Redding, California in Oct. I was going to buy some on the way through because of a good price. They would only sell me two bags.
Two weeks later, over here in Reno, the feed store looked at me like I had two heads when I asked if they would be having problems getting beet pulp.
Must have different suppliers.
Sugar beet production took a weather beating in some major areas of the country, which is one reason why it's in short supply. In the North Dakota/Montana area, for instance, 30,000 acres of sugar beets never even made it out of the field this fall due to flooding.
Meanwhile, the demand for beet pulp by horse people is said to have doubled in the last five years. So, more pressure on the supply.
I had heard from a friend up in your neck of the woods that the whole crop was lost and so I started to buy up an extra bag or two when I bought mine. Turned out that it wasn't necessary as we can still get it but I'm stocked for the winter now. I'll probably just buy a pallet next fall too, it's nice to have it right there and not have to run out to get it.
The price did shoot up though, with gas being what it is and so many using it now as additional forage.
Just my vet's suggestion--sprinkle some table salt over the horse's grain (tsp or so)daily during cold or changing weather. It will make them drink more in the cold weather.
I read a study ages ago. Horses given acess to warm water in the winter will drink more gallons of water. But it also said if the horses had warm, 55 degree, water and cold water they would choose the cold water but drink less.
For some of my old horses I buy alfalfa cubes and soak them in at least enough water to cover them. They get extra water this way and fiber.
I'm from the deep south. First year in cold climate with my horses. I've never had to do the winter feed thing. Any suggestions? I have a lot of people saying I should give my horses beet pulp and crimped oats with molasses..... I am used to extra hay and corn based feed in the winter.
If your hay is of good quality, your horses should do fine on extra for cold weather. Horses will seek and eat more roughage in cold weather, because the digestion of roughage produces internal heat.
The real issue in cold weather is getting horses to drink enough water to properly digest the extra hay they are taking in. The advantage of feeding soaked beet pulp is that it is a wet feed, not a dry one, with less change of impaction. But trust me, there are many, many horses in the cold parts of the country who never eat anything but hay.
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