Types

• Seven types of exist, including gas colic, sorted by cause and severity. Gas and impaction colic are among the most common and easily treated.
  
  

Symptoms

• Symptoms include constant rolling, pale gum, silent guts, biting or kicking to stomach area and lack of an appetite. Excessive rolling increases the severity by displacing the stomach and creating twist in the intestine. This is caused by displacement or "twisted gut" colic.
  
  

Cause

• Because of their anatomy, equine are prone to colic. Something as simple as a sudden change in the weather may inspire colic. Horses receiving grain before hay and who compete in shows have a higher change of getting colic.
  
  

Treatment

• The severity and length of time the horse has displayed symptoms, determines the correct course of action. Veterinary assistance will likely be necessary. Treatments include walking, drugs such as Banamine, warm water via a nasogastric tube and, in advanced cases, surgery.
  
  

Prevention

• Several tried and true strategies exist. For example, giving the horse brain mash, when under stress, reduces the chances of colic and keeps a horse's bowels moving. Follow standard horse-care procedures such as feeding at the same time every day, slowly introducing your horse to grass or new brand of grain and monitoring the horse.