Colic is a word used to describe abdominal pain. There are many different causes of colic and the types of colic behaviors can range from mild to severe. Any horse with colic should be seen by a veterinarian right away. A few examples of colic behaviors include the following:
– Rolling
-Pawing
-Flehman Reaction (curling of upper lip)
-Flank watching (frequent turning of head and neck to look at the abdomen)
-Profuse sweating
-Standing with hind limbs stretched out
-Laying down for long periods of time
-Decreased or absent manure output and/or urine output
-Decreased or absent appetite and/or drinking
-Restlessness
-Kicking at abdomen
Severity of the signs and behavior changes that your horse is showing does not necessarily correlate to the severity of the problem. Please keep in mind that some horses can be violent when they experience pain and can hurt you on accident. It is important to always keep yourself safe and remove any objects from the area to keep your horse safe as well.