Horse Health Woes - When to Call the Vet

It's beautiful the snow starts falling, and there's nothing more magical about winter. It's cold, of course but it also brings about cuddling and family time. One thing that winter can be bad on though is your animals, especially horses. Did you know that horses can have a lot more health problems in the winter than any other season? Why is this, well as the temperature drops a horse tends to get sick faster, especially if they have no protection? 

Some of the major health problems a horse can have are listed below with descriptions and ways to try and prevent them.
Colic- What is it, you ask? Well it's a stomach ache, it doesn't always happen in the winter time, but the horses are more susceptible to it then. It's not so much the stomach ache; it's the way the horse reacts to having Colic. They won't eat, they tend to lye down and keep getting up, trying to soothe the pain. If the pain is really bad, some will roll and thrash violently. They will kick at their bellies and grind their teeth. If your horse has any of these signs immediately call the Vet, they need to get serious medical help. 

Are you wondering why they may get Colic, or how they could have gotten it? Some major factors are linked to Colic in a horse. They are listed below…. 

Dehydration-As winter sets in and it gets colder, horses don't care to really drink cold water, especially if it's frozen. They can't get enough nutrients from the snow, so when they actually do drink their body temperature starts to drop. The body then has to work double to produce heat. When a horse becomes hydrated the intestines are the first thing affected. This in turn can cause the extreme pain, if you don't want your horse to get dehydrated in the winter, set a pan of Luke warm water in the barn. Or fill their water troughs a couple times a day with warm water.