15/01/2026
WINTER COLIC PREVENTION
With the recent cold snap, it’s essential to take extra precautions to keep your horse healthy and colic-free this winter!
🐴Here are some helpful tips to prevent colic during the colder months:
• Feed consistently: Stick to a regular feeding schedule with quality hay to support digestion. Slow feeders promote natural grazing behaviour, and any diet changes should be made over 1-2 weeks.
• Stay hydrated: Ensure constant access to fresh, unfrozen water and consider adding electrolytes to encourage drinking. Offering warm water and/or soaked feeds such as mashes can also boost water intake.
• Encourage movement: Provide turnout or exercise daily to promote gut motility and healthy digestion.
🐴Colic – What to look for:
• Restless or agitated – Attempts to lie down, repeatedly rolling, unexplained sweating, box-walking or circling.
• Eating less or droppings reduced – Eating less or not at all, passing fewer or no droppings, changes in consistency of droppings.
• Abdominal pain – Flank watching, pawing, kicking at belly.
• Clinical changes – Increased heart rate, reduced or absent gut sounds, dry/pale/tacky gums, rapid breathing rate, skin abrasions over the eyes.
• Tired or lethargic – Lying down more, lowered head position, dull and depressed.
If you notice any signs of colic, contact the practice immediately on 01535 602988.
