Spring is the epitome of change. It is common knowledge that the horse’s gut does not cope well with quick change. One documented study states 42% of colic cases had an environmental change one week prior to the incident (Malamed et al 2012). Equine Guelph’s free healthcare tool, The Colic Risk Rater, sponsored by Intercity Insurance Services Inc. and Capri Insurance Services Ltd., helps horse owners look at their management practices to reduce the risk of colic in every season.
Getting to the guts of the matter
We know disruptions in gut function can be one of the major contributors to the incidence of colic and that bacteria in the horse’s hindgut don’t adapt to feed changes rapidly.
Feeding management is a prime consideration to maintain healthy digestive function. Most horse caregivers are cognizant of making changes to grain very slowly, but often do not consider the same should occur for forage. Making slow changes over at least two weeks gives the bacteria in the hindgut a chance to adapt.