Reduce the Risk of Winter Colic

Continuing our theme on horses' safety throughout the winter, we want to talk today about ways to reduce your risks of winter colic. It might seem strange to you that we're talking about colic during the wintertime, but according to a recent article from Equus.com, "When asked to describe the most common wintertime equine health problem in their areas, veterinarians and horse owners around the country respond with near unanimity: colic. Even in the Southwest, where frigid temperatures are extremely rare, cases of impaction and sand colic spike during the winter months."

Photo credit: Pinterest.com

So you might be wondering why the risk of colic can increase during the cold season? Here are a few reasons from the article:

• Horses tend to consume less water in colder weather, either because they don't get as thirsty as in the summer or because their water sources freeze over.
• When the temperature drops, caretakers are inclined to boost their horses' grain rations to meet the increased energy demands of keeping warm. This disproportion of carbohydrates to fiber can upset digestion.
• The digestive system depends on body movement to help push food along. At pasture, a horse spends the bulk of his time wandering from one grazing spot to the next. The inactivity enforced by confinement in stalls or small paddocks may slow the movement of ingesta along the digestive tract (Equus.com). 

Want to learn more on how you can help reduce these risks? Visit the original article link here. 

To learn more about your safety this winter with our Medical ID bracelets, visit www.teamridesafe.com!