This word must surely be the one word that sends any horse owner rushing to their phones to phone the vet, home remedies, boere rate and 11 herbs and spices! If you've ever had a tummy ache and nothing has helped, this is what colic in a horse generally refers to - tummy cramps magnified to 400kgs of horse.
Seeing Peanut go down with colic on monday, after doing so well in the arena on Sunday, was just hearbreaking. Fortunately, with Tuesday being a Public Holiday, I managed to go home early on Monday and had to watch helplessly as Peanut just did not have the will or the energy to get up. Time and again I managed to chase, drag, beg and rock her to her feet. I would walk her around for a bit, then let her rest again, waiting and watching.
The decision was made to call the vet, and another marathon session on the phone ensued. No vets available until the morning. I sat with her until late into the night, feeling helpless as she looked at me with her big eyes. I know that colic can get so bad that the horse would thrash, heart rate would be way up and the horse would often sweat profusely. Peanut showed none of those symptoms, would still graze every now and again and passed manure every time I walked her around, so I assured myself that it wasn't that bad. I wasn't very convincing...
The next morning I called the owner and asked her to again contact a few vets to see if we could get someone out. Sunrise had brought about no change to her condition. She was eating listlessly and taking in no water. She kept looking around at her tummy and seemed very uncomfortable.
Later that Tuesday morning, the vet came and examined her all over, listening to gut sounds and heart rate, taking temperature and giving her a good once over. Impaction colic was the verdict. He also examined her internally. My poor daughter, Annelise, was straight in the line of view of the procedure, and I could not help but laugh as she was turning green at the vet's "unauthorized entry" into Peanut's nether orifices! Peanut was a trooper and although she was not impressed, she tolerated the exam without too much fuss and didn't try to kick the vet when he had his hand up to his bicep up her bum.
After an injection for pain, and sticking a tube up her nostril all the way in through to her stomach and flushing her with water and Epsom salts, she looked considerably brighter. On Wednesday evening we gave her a small quantity of concentrate, soaked with plenty of water and she slurped up every last drop and looked serene and content with life in general.
I think she is over the worst, but it was not an experience I care to repeat anytime soon. I'm glad it's over, but I learned so much in such a short space of time.
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