How to Tell When your Horse Colics

I chose to do colic because I can not stress how important it is to be able to catch this digestive order as early as possible. My off the track thoroughbred Brandi had a severe colic scare about two years ago where she coliced twice in one week and I almost lost her to it. They threatened to rush her to Ohio State University at around two in the morning to do an emergency stomach surgery.  It was one of the worst moments in my life to almost loose my teammate and best friend. I lived at the barn that whole week and refused to leave her side and that is something I hope no one ever has to go through. So for all those horse owners out there here are the signs and symptoms of colic. Equine colic is a very common digestive order that could happen to any horse. "The term colic simply means “abdominal pain,”. It's a condition of severe abdominal discomfort characterized by the horse pawing, rolling, and sometimes the inability to go to the bathroom". It can be severe or deadly if not caught at the right time.

Symptoms/Types:

• Not wanting to eat
• Unusual gut noises
• Rolling/wanting to lie down
• Not drinking
• Lack of being able to use the bathroom.
• Anxiety/depression
• Over sweating
• Unusual high pulse rate
• Pawing

 Gas Colic: gas build up in stomach causing pain, the symptoms include:

• Not able to stand still
• Loud gut sounds/ random gut pain
• Sweating
• Frequently tries to roll

 The Causes of Impaction Colic:

• Parasites in their system
• Dehydration
• Consuming sand or stones (ex: small pebbles)

Symptoms:

• Not wanting to eat
• Stomach pain
• Not being able to use the bathroom
• Laying down for a long time

Diagnosis:
 


First your horse's vitals signs will be evaluated and the vet would listen for any unsual gut sounds. You will be asked about yours horse’s recent behavior. If need be the vet may sedate the horse to help keep them relaxed and make the horse safer to work with.

The vet will then see if the horse has any gas build up by preforming a rectal exam. Your vet may insert a nasogastric (NG) tube (long plastic tube is inserted through the horse’s nose and down their throat into their stomach. This allows fluids directly into the stomach so its able to be cleared out.

Treatment

There are different treatments depending on the severity and type of colic. Banamine which is the most common treatment can help control the stomach pain. A nasogastric tube which was talked about earlier may also be used. If the horse is suffering from an impaction colic, the goal is for it to be removed. Usually the horse is held off-feed until he is able to go to the bathroom, which indicates that it has passed and the horse is in the clear.

If the vet thinks there is a twist in the stomach, surgery is required. Colic is a very serious problem that not very many people know about because I have known many horses who have died from this because it wasn't caught in time. Time is critical when it comes to colic so don't waste it. Once a horse colics they then become more prone to colic again in the future. Horses can't tell you wants wrong so it's up to you to be able to detect the warning signs of colic and get veterinarian help immediately.




 

Background behind PMU or Nurse Mare Foals

 I first found out about Nurse Mare Foals two years ago when I adopted my orphan filly named Athena. She was rescued from a farm in Canada along with hundreds of other babies. I adopted her when she was only seven days old having to bottle feed her twice a day a least wasn't always as easy as it looks in the movies. Athena a is now two years old and when people say terrible two's it goes for horses to she is quiet the Houdini when it come to getting out of the field.

The background behind this saddening topic starts here. Premarin is a very common drug prescribed to millions of women worldwide as a hormone replacement therapy. The name stands for "PREgant MAres uRINe",this drug is produced from the hormones  in the mare's urine. The horses used to produce this drug are referred to as "PMU" horses, for short. The mares are kept in small standing stalls to keep them from moving around and to keep the urine bags in place. The mares are kept in this environment for a lot of their pregnancy, normally around six months of their pregnancy. Once the mares are ready to deliver, they are turned out to have their foals. The mares are able to nurse their foals until weaning age which is about 4 months. At that time they are separated and the mare's are back to repeat the whole process again. This cycle of breeding has created an overabundance of unwanted foals, most of which are sold to the slaughter industry. "PMU" farms exist all across the USA, and are also in Canada. Conditions at "PMU" farms vary, and some farms work very hard to place their unwanted foals in a good home while many others are not as responsible.

Many "PMU" babies are well bred, and some are even registered purebreds which means that both parents are the same breed. These foals can be adopted online through multiple rescue groups, like Last Chance Corral in Athens, Ohio which is where I adopted Athena from. Unfortunately most of the foals that are bred in Canada are sold directly to slaughter houses, and in Canada, a "PMU" filly has a less than one in ten chance of escaping slaughter. A colt has a less than one in fifty chance at life. The mares suffer a much more grim outlook, as they are not sold until they are no longer able to become pregnant, and at that point many are unsafe to handle and beyond the point of being trained again so they are sold to slaughter or just left to die. This practice is beyond cruel and needs to stop! There are only so many rescues out there but way to many foals and mares in need of help.

Adopting an Off the Track Racehorse

My goal with this blog is to give some tips and advice to the people out there wanting to adopt an off the track race horse because they make some of the best versatile horses out there and I know first hand what its like to work with on and off the track race horses. I have owned two off the track racehorses within the past couple of years. Right now I have an off the track mare with the registered name of Empire Princess or as I call her Brandi. A little bit of her background is that her father Empire Maker is the winner of the Kentucky Derby in 2008 and just recently her nephew American Pharaoh won the Triple Crown this past year. But unlike her "family tree" she wasn't much of a racer. She has a condition where she gets herself so excited she pops blood vessels in her chest and bleeds out of her nose and the drug they use to treat that condition on the track she just happen to have an allergic reaction to which ended her racing career. I got Brandi when she was only three months off the track and she was three about to turn four years old when I got her and she is now seven years old.  We have had many ups and downs over the years but I have learned so much from her and wouldn't change any of it.

When it comes to training a horse that has only been trained to run full speed ahead at 40mph you have to have a lot of patients. They are kind of like working with a small child you have to teach them in baby steps. You can not ride them like you would with any other horse. There will be a video at the bottom of this blog that I'm hoping will help explain more about the training process of an off the track thoroughbred or OTTB.

Off the track race horses are not like any other horse to work with. They will challenge you like you've never been challenged before but they are also some of the best teachers. They are a very unique breed because they come with a past that not many other horses come with and sometimes their past is unforgettable. While you might only think they are just athletes of the horse world they also have a story to tell and I think are one of the best breeds to work with.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rz9HF8X4duk

Tips for the First Time Horse Buyers.

Going horse shopping for that perfect horse can be stressful and scary at times. Finding that right horse takes a lot of time too. I remember when I went looking for my perfect first horse. In my eyes all the horses I saw were perfect but you have to remember that when it comes to buying your first horse, the horse's looks only go so far. So if you’re thinking about buying a horse and you consider yourself to be a beginner or first timer then here are a few tips that will help you avoid being put into a situation where you end up with an animal that’s not suitable for you.



1. Take riding lessons.
It is very important that you have some horse experience before getting your first horse. Horses are big animals that could drag you around if they wanted to which could cause you to get hurt if your not careful. Taking riding lessons will help you learn to control and understand horses and how they work. Everyone who buys a horse should have some basic knowledge on how to care for a horse, control a horse and how to ride.



2. Take an experienced horse owner/trainer with you.
This is very important especially if your new to the horse world and you're not quiet sure what you are looking for.  An experienced horse owner or trainer will know what to check for. For example she will check if the horse is sound, healthy and rides well. These are things that can easily be missed if you aren’t yet familiar with what to look for. If you’ve been taking lessons ask your instructor to come with you if you know of no one else.



3. Ask about the horse’s history.
This is an important step because I have off the track race horses and it's good to know their past history and pedigree. You can ask questions like how long have they owned the horse? Why are they selling the horse? Does the horse have registration papers that will be signed over to you upon the sale? You can never ask too many questions. If the seller doesn't say much, or hasn’t owned the horse long enough to provide this information, find out if there was a recent or previous owner you can get in contact with.



4. Handle the horse when you get there.
If the seller suggests having the horse all ready to ride when you arrive, ask if they could wait to tack up the horse until you get there. You’ll want to see how the horse acts coming out of the stall or pasture, being led around, and getting groomed and tacked up. If the horse is giving its owner trouble before it even gets the saddle on, you may want to move on and keep looking.



5. Find out who they use for their veterinarian and farrier.
Ask about who they use for their vet and farrier and get in contact with them so that way you can ask questions about recent or past health issues. Make sure the horse is up to date with its shots and coggins. Ask the farrier about the horses past hoof care and if there has been issues in the past with the horse.



6. Ask the seller to ride the horse first before you.
If you find that the seller is hesitant about on getting on first don't even think about getting on. This shows that the horse is unsafe and it's not worth getting hurt over. So, in other words move on to a different horse.



7. Keep your options open.
Really make sure you clearly think about that perfect horse before you get it. If you go home after looking and your second guessing your choice take some more time. Like I said finding that perfect horse takes time and patients never rush into your decision.



8. Never quit learning about horses.
I've learned so many new things over the years and it has helped me be a better horse trainer and owner. I still take lessons and I've been taking lessons since I was 6 and I'm 18. So always continue learning because you can never learn too much when it comes to horses!