The 6 Types of Horse Colic

       So, what is colic? If you read my last post, you might be wondering what exactly happened to Stormy. Well, let me explain. Colic is not actually a diagnosis or a disease, rather, it is the generic term for abdominal pain/sickness in horses. It encompasses all forms of gastrointestinal pain and problems. They are sorted in six categories:

1. Gas accumulation in the intestine

2. Simple obstruction

3. Strangulating obstruction 

4. Non-strangulating infarction 

5. Inflammation of the gastrointestinal tract or the peritoneum
6. Ulceration of the gastrointestinal mucosa

       

       The first of these (gas accumulation in the intestine) usually occurs when horses have a change of diet or when they get parasites. These things can cause fermentation in the gastrointestinal tract, which causes a buildup of gas, which distends the intestines and causes extreme pain for the horse.
       The second (a simple obstruction) is what our horse, Stormy, had. A simple obstruction occurs when the horse gets either food or foreign bodies lodged in its gastrointestinal tract. When this happens, the horse experiences severe cramps. However, there are worse problems. First, the gastrointestinal tract swells because of the blockage, and causes the blood vessels in the horse's body to tense, which can cause vascular blockage and clotting, which causes the cells and tissue in the horse's body not to get enough blood, which can result in cellular death. One of the ways that a simple obstruction can occur is if (like in Stormy's case) the horse is eating too much hay and it creates an impaction in their bowels, or if the horse is eating to close too the ground, and ingests sand and dirt.
       Ok, the third way that a horse can contract colic is by a strangulating obstruction. This is exactly the same thing as a simple obstruction, but in a strangulating obstruction, the blood supply is immediately affected. Also, a torsion can occur in the intestine, or it can fold up on itself, like a telescope, causing serious problems.
       The fourth type of colic is the non-strangulating infarction. In this type of colic, there is no obstruction in the intestine, but there is still a tensing of blood vessels, and the resulting local cell death. It is most often caused by Strongylus vulgaris larvae in the intestine.
       The next two forms of colic are similar- inflammation or ulceration of the gastrointestinal tract or the peritoneum. If any kind of inflammation or ulceration on the GI tract occurs (usually due to damage done by stomach acids or their alteration), this can automatically cause digestive problems and swelling.
       These are just a few of the many diverse types of colic. They can happen to any horse, even in the best of situations. Colic is the leading cause of premature death in horses. All horses have anywhere from a four to ten percent chance of contracting colic in their lifetime. So, if you notice that your horse has been rolling in pain, kicking their stomach, or pawing at the ground, you should check them for further signs of colic. You will know for sure that your horse has colic if he has not passed solids in a few hours, is dehydrated (pinch his skin gently, if it stays elevated for more than a few seconds, he is probably dehydrated and has not gotten enough water in his system to loosen his bowels), and is sweating more than usual. If a horse does contract colic, the best choice is either to get the help of an experienced friend or a vet, and give the horse a shot to relax his GI tract. Banamine is a common shot that contains the anti-inflammatory and analgesic Flunixin Meglumine. It is used on horses that have an intestinal blockage to relax their muscles so that they can pass solids. Also, making sure that the horse has fresh water is important. To encourage the horse to drink, you can either give him a mineral block, or (for more critical situations) you can give him feed soaked in water with salt to induce more drinking. Giving the horse a tube of electrolytes also may help the obstruction be thinned and broken down. If all else fails, giving the horse a ride in the trailer can help relax his bowels and loosen any obstructions.
       I hope these tips were helpful to all of you horse lovers! As the weather changes and we are more prone to storms and bad weather, keep on the watch for colic, as it often strikes during weather changes (no one really knows why this is, but this can be the case). Riding your horse often to stay in the know about his physical condition is always important, as is keeping fresh water and pasture space open to your horse, and the more you are with the horse, the more you will be able to find and diagnose abnormalities in his/her behavior. 

Christmas and the First Horse Sickness

       Hello friends! It has been a while since I last posted here. We have been very busy preparing for the Christmas season. If you are like my family, the beginning of December is quite busy between decorating the house for Christmas, preparing advent, making Christmas cookies, learning Christmas songs, and all things generally Christmas-related. However, if you are like my family, you also know that sometimes, December in Texas doesn't really feel like Christmas at all. In case you have never lived in Texas, here is a quick (really quick) summary of Texas weather. Now that we are all on the same page, you can understand why I was galloping my buckskin horse out in the still-faintly green field of waving grass in- short sleeves- just a few days ago. There was a clean, cold breeze whipping through my hair, and I leaned forward as Chico broke into a canter. The sun was shining brightly, and the sky was virtually cloudless. I pulled Chico to a stop, and together, me and my sister trotted the horses up to their pasture, where they had fresh hay and water, and we untacked them and let them off to graze.

       I didn't go back out to the horse pasture until late that night, when I had to put up the chickens, ducks, and geese (who share a pasture with the horses). The temperature had dropped sharply since the warm afternoon, and I was in a hurry to finish putting up the poultry. However, geese are (by nature) perverse and ducks are (by nature) willing to copy whatever the geese do, so it took me a little while to herd them all into the coop. 

       Finally, after shepherding all the poultry into the coop, I started walking back up to the house. On the way up, I saw my sister's horse, Stormy, laying on the ground. He was rolling around, and sort of rubbing his stomach against the hay. I laughed. Often, after a heavy ride, horses like to get the feel of the saddle off of their backs by rolling on the ground. I kept on walking, but something didn't feel right. Something was bugging me. All of the sudden, I heard a strange noise. It sounded like a cat's meow, but I checked, and there were no cats around. Confused, I tried to laugh it off. It was dark, I was tired, and my mind was probably just making things up. Then, I heard the noise again. Turning around, I realized that Stormy was making the noise. All of the sudden, I had a sick feeling in my stomach. 

       Running inside, I quickly grabbed my laptop and researched "symptoms of horse colic". Though I had never seen it happen, I knew enough about colic to suspect something. Sure enough, all of the signs pointed to it. 

       I found my horse teacher's number, and managed to call her. Johnny Taylor and Darla Smith run the Winnsboro Rodeo, and they know a thing or two about horses. Ms. Darla confirmed my worry, and assured me that even though it was 7:00 PM and pitch black outside, she would drive fifteen minutes to our house and do whatever it would take to help us get our horse healthy again.
       It turns out, Stormy had colic, one of the most common diseases contracted by horses. Sometimes, when horses are switching over from grass to hay, they eat too much hay, and it gets lodged in their GI track. They can experience severe pain, and other worse symptoms if the GI track is not relaxed so that they can pass the solids through their system. This is only one of the many types of colic that horses can get.
       With the help of our teacher, we gave Stormy a shot to relax his muscles and GI track. Then, we fed him a small amount of food soaked in water to help loosen the obstruction. We also put a salt block out to encourage him to drink more water. Thankfully, after just a few hours, Stormy passed the solids blocking his system, and was back to normal.
       This was our first experience with a sick horse, so you can imagine that I was pretty scared! Thankfully, Stormy is doing much better, and I think that if he ever gets colic again, we will know what to do. 

Another Poem: Chico

With the nice cool mornings that we have had recently, me and my sisters have been riding our horses before we start school. It has been quite convenient, as the afternoons are so hot, and we really enjoy getting a nice ride in before we start out day. A few months ago, we bought a sweet cream-colored horse named Chico ("little boy" in Spanish- he is very small for a horse!). Over the past couple of moths, I have really grown to love Chico! He is so sweet, and I love the way that he rides (he is very smooth, unlike Turbo, our other horse). Chico will let us ride normally, bareback, and double on him! Horses, like people, develop personalities of their own. They all are different, and it is even an old wive's tale that they develop the same personalities as their owner (or their name! We have a horse named Stormy, and believe me, he can get a pretty cloudy temperament some times :). Because all horses have different personalities, they appeal to different people. Chico and me definitely work well together!

Chico's biggest fault is probably that he is a little bit buddy sour. This means that he would rather be with his horse friends than be working all by himself. Sometimes, while I am riding him, he tries to run over to Stormy and Turbo and stand with them. However, buddy sourness is something that, with time, like all other things, can be cured in a horse. You just have to work it out of them like any other bad habit. In this way (and many others!) horses are a lot like people. I think that's why they are one of the most lovable and popular animals all over the world. 

This is a poem that I have written about Chico. Please enjoy! Any comments or suggestions are welcome :).

He puts his muzzle right upon my cheek

And softly rubs it with his gentle nose

I touch his mane so soft, and feel his coat

So sleek and smooth, almost as white as snow.

With gentle hands, I brush his coat and mane

And toss my saddle up upon his back.

When once the girth is tightened and the bit

Is in his mouth, we’re done with all our tack.

I put my foot into the curved stirrup,

And pull myself into the barrel saddle

And with a click and gentle kick of boots,

We’re off, to fight imaginary battles.

We fly through wood and dale with rapid speed

His hooves they barely touch the ground that yields,

Its grasses for to pad his hooved feet-

A glittering and pointed sword I wield.

The rider and the horse become just one,

And all that can be seen is a white streak

The bond of love it holds them both together,

And all that they can think about is speed.

We dash through darkened wood, dodging the trees

And winding with the path of dirt we twist

And run, so swiftly through the shade and fog:

Our path unaltered by the heavy mist.

When once we’re finished with our lengthy run,

We come to screeching halt, together stop.

I swing my leg around him and I step

Off, onto ground to praise him with a carrot.

I pat his side and whisper in his ear

How much I love him, and together walk

Up to the barn where we will sit quietly

Where for an hour without words we’ll talk.

The Friendly Cow...

The friendly cow all red and white,

      I love with all my heart:

She gives me cream with all her might,

      To eat with apple-tart.

She wanders lowing here and there,

      And yet she cannot stray,

All in the pleasant open air,

      The pleasant light of day;

And blown by all the winds that pass

      And wet with all the showers,

She walks among the meadow grass

      And eats the meadow flowers.

The Cow, by Robert Louis Stevenson


*I painted this cow in acrylic on canvas*

Animal Farm

George Orwell, the writer of Animal Farm, wrote this amazing book to mock the Russian government at the time of the Russian Revolution.  He begins his story with Old Major, an elderly pig. Right before his death, Old Major inspires the animals of Manor Farm to rebel against their mistreating owner, Jones. When they finally accomplished this, they renamed the land Animal Farm and began to govern themselves. The pigs, the smarter class, soon rose above the other animals, breaking a commandment clearly stating that all animals are to be equal. In the beginning of their revolution the animals wrote a list of rules which were to be strictly followed. They were known as the "Seven Commandments". Sadly, bit by bit, these rules were changed by the pigs. They realized that since they were smarter than all the other animals, they could rule them without interference. Slowly but surely, the pigs rose above the other animals, they became the "elite" class. This elite class, made up of 100% pigs, soon became the "ruling" class. By this time, the pigs had officially taken over the farm. However, they did so in a way which blinded the other animal's eyes, not letting them see what was really happening. Napoleon and Snowball, the smartest of animals, were constant rivals and were continually against each other in court. Whenever one wanted one thing, the other was sure to oppose it. Soon, Napoleon kicked out Snowball. By means of his dogs, who he had trained to obey at a single word. Napoleon then gained supreme rule over the farm. Sadly, the animals were too stupid to notice that he was doing so. The animals worked harder than ever under Napoleon. Building, rebuilding, and rebuilding yet again the seemingly unachievable windmill, while at the same time working hard to get the crops in. The animals worked tirelessly, their rations were low, they were cold in the winter and bothered by the flies in the summer. Yet, through all their sufferings and trials the pigs still had the animal's confidence and were to keep it for a long time. The story goes on to tell how the pigs eventually are turned into humans because of their desire to be just like them. This book has a wonderful point: if we want to govern ourselves correctly, we must have a good sense of judgment and true knowledge. With this, we can make choices and discern whether others are leading us or tyrannizing over us.  This knowledge and sense of judgment will not only impact your life, but everyone that is around you for as long as you live.