Is my horse colicing?

If the only sign of colicing is that she rolled once, she's probably fine. When she got up from that roll, did she give herself a big body shake? If so, I wouldn't worry. The last thing a colicky horse wants to do is shake its innards!

Horses poop when they need to, and they don't do it on schedule. The average horse poops 6 to 12 times a day, but not at equal intervals. It's entirely possible that your horse had just pooped, and won't do it again until hours from now.

If you're still concerned, you can check her respiration rate, her gums, and her gut noises quite easily. Count how many times a minute she breathes by watching her flank or her nostrils - normal is 8 to 15 breaths per minute. Her gums should be pinkish whitish. And if you press your ear to her sides, you should be able to hear gut noises every few seconds. You can also check other signs that take a bit more skill or effort - http://www.equusite.com/articles/health/healthVita...

If she passes all these, relax. She's fine. If she doesn't, call your vet.

Good Luck.

A horse that is truly colicky will not eat and will not willingly lunge. They may pace and then roll, again and again and sometimes if the pain is very bad they will break into a sweat and even bite at their sides. One or two rolls, interested in food and water and no obvious distress means no colic.

Get to know what is normal for your horse and what is not by watching her behavior. Once you know how she acts on a day to day basis, you will instantly know when something is wrong. And....as others have said, only change grain or feed gradually, a little bit to start and slowly increasing. Horses just can't handle sudden feed changes.

Through the years, horse owners have thought that a horse with colic should be walked until the pain has abated, even if this means for hours on end. However, this approach is not in your horse’s best interest and does little to help his plight. Although your horse may be exhibiting discomfort or a lack of appetite related to his colic, if he’ll lie quietly, then you can leave him be while waiting for your vet. It’s best if he conserves his energy resources by resting calmly—either standing on his feet or lying on the ground. The stomach is sensitive and the stress of walking can make pain worse.

But if the horse wants to roll and thrash around, as yours does, try to keep him on his feet and let him stand quietly. Whenever he shows signs of trying to lie down just move him a little. If he's constantly trying to lie down then you have to walk him, while your waiting on the vet.

Since you don't really seem to know, it would be wise to call the vet. IF it is colic (and it doesn't sound like it is) it can turn bad FAST. It's better to get the vet out and be sure, than to wait and possibly lose the horse.

Also, when your vet is out (now, or another time) ask to be show where/what to listen for in terms of gut sounds.

IF she is colicky, it is okay to allow her to lay down, but don't let her roll. Some walking is good, to see if the gut starts moving things, but you don't want to wear out the horse either. So a bit of walking, then resting, then a bit more walking, etc.

You should change your horses feed slowly, otherwise they can colic. Call a vet for a opinion and see if one needs to come out

They say horses never colic until they do~ just keep her walking and call a vet

My horses never want to eat grass or hay when they are colicking, so the fact that she will eat is a good sign. Keep an eye on her, though.

If your worried phone a vet and then you can help your mare or get your mind to rest

yep. keep her walking and dont feed her anymore... I'd get a vet on the phone ASAP

Why would you not slowly transition her feed?