Trade Zone - Digestive function and colic care are complex issues in horse health

The amount of time a Thoroughbred spends in a stall may attribute to the high rate of colic
Photo by: Barbara D. Livingston

Good for the Gut
August 6, 2005

By Bettina Cohen

Colic strikes all age groups, occupations, and breeds of horse, but it is especially a threat to horses that are kept stabled and fed grain. As such, Thoroughbreds have been reported as having more than three times the incidence of colic as that reported for other breeds, including Quarter Horses, and more than double the incidence for the overall horse population in the United States.

The statistics referred to here are from the United States Department of Agriculture's National Animal Health Monitoring System (NAHMS) Equine 1998 study, which estimated the incidence of colic in the U.S. horse population at 4.2 events per 100 horses per year, while Thoroughbreds reportedly suffered 10.9 colic events per 100 horses per year. By comparison, Quarter Horses, Paints, and Appaloosas reportedly experienced 3.5 colic events per 100 horses per year, and other types experienced 2.9 events per 100 horses per year. Readers can access the study online at www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ceah/ncahs/
nahms/equine/index.htm.

The high incidence reported for Thoroughbreds could be partially attributed to close monitoring by observant attendants who detect even the milder colic cases; however, it is more likely due to the unnatural lifestyle imposed on many Thoroughbreds in training.

In a recent interview, Dr. Bradford G. Bentz explained that Thoroughbreds are exposed to multiple risk factors due to how we manage them. Bentz is an assistant professor in equine internal medicine at Oklahoma State University's College of Veterinary Medicine. He maintains a private practice, and is the author of three books in the Understanding series published by Eclipse Press, most recently, Understanding Equine Colic, published in 2004.

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