This article is intended for educational purposes and not as professional advice for specific cases. Neither the author nor Equi-Sense is herein engaged in rendering professional veterinary advice. For specific cases, a veterinarian with first hand knowledge of the problem should be consulted.

In today's world of confinement, we have come a long way from the natural environment of the horse. Many horses today are born, raised, maintained, and campaigned all in confinement management situations. To understand some of the problems that today's horses have, we must remember that the horse is naturally a grazing animal. Both his anatomy and his habits are those of a grazer.

For modern horses the "grim reaper" is colic. Colic, the number one killer, strikes down horses of all types and all ages. However, it affects many more horses under intense management. The two major causes of colic are improper feeding practices and parasites. We will look at the first of these and save parasitic colic for a later column. Many times veterinarians are unable to state the exact cause of a colic, but enough is known to let you take some preventative steps in your feeding program.

Insufficient water is probably the leading cause of colic in horses in confinement. Water is the most vital nutrient for your horse. It is necessary for many uses by the body in chemical reactions, cooling, waste elimination, and it is the largest constituent of the blood. Perhaps just as important is the role it plays in helping the other foods to move down the digestive tract. The large intestine of the horse has several places where it reduces in size quite suddenly. At one place it even reduces in size while making a hairpin turn. If you have ever tried to force dried powder through a funnel you can see the effect caused by too little water. Please realize that we are talking about the water your horse actually drinks. If the water is there, but your horse can not or will not drink it, it won't do him any good.. Broken waterers, dirty tanks, frozen tubs, and shut gates have all caused more than their share of colics. Water is the easiest nutrient to supply. Because it is so cheap, we can simply supply it free choice, but your horse must have all he wants. Look at your water source every day, and remember, if you can't drink it, he may not either. Water problems are more common in the summer when it is hot and in the winter when water sources freeze.

As grazers, the horse's natural diet is composed almost entirely of roughage. Today, due to confinement and the increased energy requirements of hard work, many horses are fed a diet that consists of a combination of roughage, usually hay, and a concentrate such as grain products. This makes a much denser feed. The energy supplied by grains is a lot higher than roughage, and your horse may need this higher energy level to compete at strenuous events or to grow as rapidly as possible. Many owners, however, feed their horses a higher concentrate to roughage ration than they require. They do this either for convenience of feeding, or to mistakenly try to ensure that their horse gets "enough". Although there is variation among individuals, most horses doing light work need nothing in their diet except good quality hay, water, and trace mineralized salt, all fed free choice. Roughage has very different properties in the gut of the horse than concentrates do. It is necessary to maintain a normal microbial population. Roughage's tend to float on water, while concentrates sink. This means that they move through the digestive tract quite differently. Young horses, lactating mares, and horses in heavy training may require higher levels of concentrates. But remember, the larger the proportion of the ration on a weight basis that is roughage, the less digestive upsets you will have.

How and when you feed is also important. Good quality hay should be in front of confined horses at all times. However, you should never feed more than about 7 pounds of concentrates at once. If larger amounts of concentrates are required, break the total amounts into several evenly spaced smaller feedings. Most top racing trainers feed three times per day in order to get the very high amount of concentrates needed by these athletes supplied as safely as possible. How you feed is also important. As a grazer, the horse's natural eating position is with his head down near the ground. It is hard to beat rubber tubs or wooden boxes on the ground. Always make any changes in diet gradually so that the horse's digestive tract, and the microorganisms that live there, have time to adjust and accommodate.

Sometimes special considerations can cause our feeding program to have even more impact on digestive disturbances. Pregnancy, for instance, amplifies everything that I have said above. As the pregnancy advances, the need for denser nutrients increases, but the digestive tract is forced to work in ever more cramped space. Feeding mares in advanced pregnancy is like walking a tightrope. You can help by feeding her the best quality roughage available, so that you can feed the least possible concentrates to meet the mare's needs. Remember, you need a lot less concentrates with top quality roughage than you do with poor quality roughage. Traveling with competition horses also puts a special twist on our problem. As you move across the country, feeds available will vary widely. This sometimes means sudden changes whether we like it or not. One solution is to simple take with you enough feed from home for the duration. If this is not practical, try an all-in-one ration from a major manufacturer that is available nationwide. The horses can be gradually accustomed to the feed at home prior to traveling. These types of feeds are more expensive than hay and grain, but are not as expensive or as devastating as a dead horse.

Although we own many types of horses and employ different riding styles to compete in different events, as horse owners we all have one thing in common. We, at great cost in time and money, keep our horse for our enjoyment. After many calls to attend colicky horses, I can tell you that there is no enjoyment in sick or dead horses. A little forethought and knowledge on proper feeding practices will go a long way to keep you and your horse on the road to happiness and success.

Dave Sparks, D.V.M.

Reprinted with permission from the author,
January 9, 1999