How do you stop a horse from bolting their feed?

"Bolting" of feed means the horse is eating their grain much too fast. Bolting increases the chance that the feed won't be properly chewed and digested, (which can mean the horse won't be getting all of the nutrients from their feed) and it's unnerving and frustrating because of the danger that it may cause choking or colic.

There are many different reasons why a horse may bolt their feed. The most common reason is competition with barn or pasture mates (or a horse that has had to compete for their feed in the past). Help your horse relax by making sure they don't have to fight to eat and that they're not stealing one anothers' food. Separate horses at feeding time and make sure each one has their own feeding dish.

If you've done that and they're still eating too fast, there are several other things you can do to make them slow down and enjoy their feed a little longer:

1. Place a few smooth stones in their feed dish so they have to nudge around the stones to get the grain (Make sure the stones don't have any sharp or pointed edges that the horse will poke themselves with and that the stones are large enough so the horse doesn't pick them up in their mouth. Remember that you want eating to be a pleasurable experience for the horse and the object is just to slow the horse down by making them nudge around the stones to get to the grain, not to make them put the stones in their mouth). If done correctly, this is a very safe and effective technique.
2. In a solid feed rack, (not a slatted one) scatter the grain on top of their hay ration;
3. Put their grain in a deep feeding dish and then cover with chaff or hayledge (a finely chopped hay product) or some hay cubes.

Using any one of these techniques is a minor change in your feeding routine and your horse will be healthier (and safer) because of it!

How likely is a horse to get tetanus?

My Quarter Horse got a couple of small cuts on his legs once. This is a fairly common occurance with horses, so I didn't think much about it. I cleaned the cuts and treated them with a spray-on medication but for some reason, I had a bad feeling about them and while my farrier was there, I asked him to take a look to see what he thought. My farrier suggested I call the vet..so, needless to say, I called the vet. (I wondered if I was overreacting or worrying for nothing. I had never called the vet for minor cuts before)

From that experience, I was very surprised when I learned that horses are more prone to tetanus than any other domestic animal! There are 2 reasons for this: 1) Horses don't have the "right" immunities to the bacteria that causes tetanus and 2) Horses are notorious for always getting injuries (even small ones) that are highly prone to tetanus.

Tetanus, (also known as lockjaw), doesn't just come from stepping on the rusty nail that your mom always warned you about. Tetanus can infect any wound that has scabbed over or is somehow cut off from fresh air. That's because tetanus grows where there is little oxygen. This can be any wound: large or small, on the body or in the hoof!

Another scary part is that your horse could actually harbor the tetanus for several weeks before showing any signs of the disease. This means that your horse could get a minor cut, the cut heal over, you think nothing more of it and weeks later, Bam! your horse is suddenly extremely sick. By that time, it may be too late to do anything about it.

Early signs of tetanus are colic and body stiffness. Next comes spasms that can be all over the body, including the jaw. The next sure sign of tetanus is what's called protrusion of the third eyelid. The horse then has a very difficult time breathing. The body stiffness will increase all over to the point that the horse is very rigid, with the neck and tail stretched out. The stiffness in the jaw will increase until they can no longer open or close their mouth, (hence the term lockjaw). Finally the horse will go down and die of respiratory failure.

For all of these reasons, I can't stress enough: It is extremely important to keep horses current on tetanus shots and boosters.

Here is a recommended schedule for the tetanus vaccine:

1. Pregnant mares - 3-6 weeks before giving birth
2. Foals - 3 - 4 months old
3. Yearlings & Adult Horses - Annually

Give booster tetanus shots if your horse gets an injury or has surgery (even minor surgery or if your stud colt gets gelded) and it has been longer than 6 months since their last tetanus shot.

A tetanus shot is so cheap (around $10 - $15 dollars) and so easy to give (some vets will sell you the vaccine and let you give the shot yourself) so it is very easy to protect your horse from this disease.

Can colic cause blindness?

Colic itself would not normally cause blindness but certain types of poisons can cause colic and blindness.

One of the most common poisonings in horses is called moldy corn poisoning. It happens most often between late fall and early spring, after corn has been stored that has too much moisture in it, or has been stored in an already damp area, which makes the corn moldy. Moldy corn will be discolored with shades of pink and/or red to reddish-brown colors in it.

Moldy corn poisoning causes what is known as the blind staggers. A horse that has eaten moldy corn will exhibit signs such as circling and staggering, doesn't blink when you wave your hand in front of their eyes, confusion and will panic for no apparent reason. A horse can die from moldy corn poisoning in just a day or two once these signs begin HOWEVER it IS possible save them if the signs are detected and a vet is called soon enough. (Of course, get the corn away from the horse or get the horse away from the corn immediately!)

If you suspect that your horse has eaten moldy corn, don't delay, call your vet!

Types of Colic

Spasmodic colic is believed to be the most common cause of intestinal colic. It can be caused when a hot horse drinks cold water. It can also be caused by fear or stress, therefore flighty, nervous, high-strung horses are more susceptible to spasmodic colic than a calmer, more laid back, "bomb proof" horse, especially during transportation, moving to a new environment, being separated from its herd, etc.

Impaction colic is very common as well. It's usually caused by the horse overeating, usually too much grain. The horse not having enough water to drink, a heavy worm infestation or the horse not chewing its food properly (due to either eating too fast or dental problems), are all common causes of impaction colic. (A good reason to keep your horses teeth checked).

There is also Flatulent Colic, also known as Tympanic colic. It's more the "indigestion" type colic which causes a lot of gas and pain, normally caused from eating too much grain or grass or eating moldy or bad feed.

Again, colic is an emergency. Call your vet immediately if your horse shows signs of colicking.

How can you prevent colic?

There are no absolute guarantees that you can totally prevent colic but there are many ways to help try to prevent it. Many horse owners manage to successully avoid it. Sometimes, it just depends on the individual horse.

Here's what you can do to GREATLY LIMIT the chances that your horse will colic:

1. Always make sure your feed and hay are fresh. Do the visual and sniff test and throw out any feed or hay that smells sour or moldy.
2. Never overfeed.
3. Keep poisons out of reach.
4. Always lock up feeding bins or buildings where feed is stored. Horses will gorge themselves if given the chance. They will actually eat themselves to death.
5. Don't allow the horse to graze on very rich green grass for extended periods of time. (Keep them away from grass clippings and never allow the horse to have freshly cut grass or someone dump the clippings from a lawn mower. This not only can cause colic, wet grass clippings can actually be fatal to a horse)
6. Avoid an irregular feeding schedule. Two small feedings a day, morning and evening if possible, (about 10-12 hrs apart) are better than one large feeding.
7. Don't ride immediately after feeding.
8. Always keep fresh water available at all times, especially after feeding. Impaction colic is vey common and can often be prevented just by keeping water available.
9. If you change feed, do it slowly, over 1 1/2 to 2 weeks. Quick changes in feeding can cause colic.
10. Don't put hay or feed on the ground. Feed from a bowl, dish or other container. Put your horses hay in a hay rack or hay net. Dirt and sand buildup in the gut causes what's known as sand colic.
11. Stay on a regular worming schedule. (At least every 3 months or every time the seasons change) Worm infestations can cause blockages and colic.
12. Give your horse regular vet checkups.
13. Be aware of plants that are poisonous to horses and get them out of the pasture or out of your horses reach.
14. NEVER let a hot horse drink cool water. Always cool your horse first.
15. GET RID OF SUGAR! Sugar not only can cause colic but is the leading cause of laminitis and founder! Be careful in the amounts of sweet treats you give your horse and please consider switching from a rich, sugar-loaded feed to a more natural hay substitute or quality whole grain. (For example, Hay pellets, hay cubes, whole oats, etc.)

What causes colic?

I guess this is just about the most common question asked, probably because colic is the #1 killer of horses and the most common fear of horse owners (and rightly so).

Colic is actually just a symptom, not a condition itself. It's a symptom of pain in the abdomen, which can be caused by dozens of things. Some of the things that can cause colic are: too much feed or too rich of a feed, spoiled or moldy feed, changing to a new or different feed too suddenly, not enough water to drink, a hot horse drinking cold water, fear, anxiety and stress, eating a poisonous plant, tetanus, as well as diseases of the internal organs such as the stomach, liver or kidneys. Those are just a few causes of colic. Only a veterinarian can tell you what probably caused the colic.

Horses have extremely sensitive and delicate digestive systems that are designed to live on almost constant grazing of varying types of grasses, and a lot of dry grasses. Pastures of rich, green grass and sweetened commercial horse feeds contain way too much sugar for the horses digestive system. Domesticated horses are so much more at risk of getting foods that are too rich for them to handle, whether we give it to them or they break into the feed bin.

Colic is an emergency. If your horse shows signs of colic, you should call the veterinarian immediately. Do not allow the horse to lie down or roll.

(*Side Note: a lot of people ask why you can't let a horse roll. Don't you hate it when people tell you to do something or not to do something and don't tell you why? So do I! So, I'll tell you why: The reason you can't let a colicky horse roll is because an average sized horses intestines are about 100 feet long and they are not attached to anything inside the stomach cavity, (they are basically "free floating"), so when a horse is in pain, they often thrash and roll violently and roll often. The rolling over and over part can cause their intestines to actually fold over on themselves or get twisted and twisted intestines are almost always fatal. That's why you should never allow a colicking horse to roll. Interesting, huh?)

So...if your horse colics, call the vet, make sure you stay calm, (which will help the horse to stay calmer), keep a halter on them, keep them on their feet and walk them at their own pace until the vet arrives.