More sound advice to help prevent a winter colic.
- · Make sure the horses are drinking
- · Keep them eating
- · Keep them active
As three easy ways to prevent colic in the winter. Now, I know
that breaking ice off of buckets is not fun. No one wants to pull ice chunks
out of that freezing cold water, but it’s better than having to hold a horse to
tube their GI tract. As for eating: the more hay the better. Three small meals
throughout the day is not nearly the same as grazing all day. I know that it
makes a huge difference in the attitude and comfort of my guys to have nearly
free choice hay in front of them. It’s better than stuffing the ponies with
grain (because sitting on a hot hot hot pony isn’t the most fun thing I’ve ever
done), and this way I don’t have to put RC in layer after layer of blankets.
The activity part is the easiest of the three. I own horses
to be able to ride them. It makes them happy, it makes me happy. Even when it’s
cold/wet/miserable… I’m always happier after a ride. Of course, some days I need
the motivation (see day 1) to break the inertia and actually get out there, but
I never regret going out to ride. Now I cet to tell myself that I’m preventing
colic as well? Win-win-win.
Before I close the topic of colic, I do wish that every
horse owner was aware of the symptoms. I value my time as a large animal vet
tech because I realize exactly how much more I am comfortable with dealing with
than the average horse owner. I can recognize when there’s a problem, and know
enough to help before the vet arrives, how to help when the vet is there, and
be able to handle my own after care. Thanks again, Waller Equine!
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