This week is colic awareness week in the UK. The timing is not by chance, as Autumn is one of the times when colic cases increase, Spring being the other. We know that changes in diet or management are major risk factors for colic and this fits with these periods of increase. In Autumn level of work, turnout time, forage, hard feed and management often all change and as a result, we see an increase in colic.
Colic Awareness Week 2020 is being run by The British Horse Society in collaboration with the University of Nottingham to raise awareness of colic and help horse owners to recognise and manage colic. Whilst spasmodic colic (colic caused by contractions of the smooth muscle in the gut) is probably the most common form of equine colic and of low-medium severity, impaction colic and colics requiring surgery are all relatively common and more severe.
Colic Awareness Week is also highlighting the REACT campaign with the hashtag #PLEDGETOREACT.
