Next to old age, the most common cause of death in horses is colic. But, realistically, this is like comparing apples to oranges. Old age is caused by one thing: being old. Colic, on the other hand, simply refers to the presence of abdominal pain, has a myriad of causes, and the prognosis (chance of a positive outcome) can vary remarkably, depending on the underlying cause.

Virtually every horse owner is already terrified of colic and likely has at least one horror story to share with horsey friends. The goal of this article is to help you understand colic basics and the recent advances made in equine practice that make colic not as scary as it used to be.

"Recovery from colic episodes is quite high, and in recent years, the equine clinician’s ability to diagnose and treat horses with colic has improved dramatically," wrote Frank M. Andrews, DVM, MS, of Louisiana State University’s School of Veterinary Medicine, in the August 2009 edition of the journal Veterinary Clinics of North America: Equine Practice. In his preface, titled "New Perspectives in Equine Colic," he continued, "Recent advancements in diagnosis and treatment has led to this dra-matic improvement in outcome and improved the health of horses with colic."

The following article was written with the advice and support of Fairfield T. Bain, DVM, Dipl. ACVIM, ACVP, ACVECC, an internist/pathologist at Equine Sports Medicine & Surgery in Weatherford, Texas