Colic remains the leading medical cause of death in horses, not because it's always severe, but because it's genuinely difficult to tell mild from serious in the first few minutes, and horses can deteriorate fast once a case turns critical. That uncertainty is exactly why the right response to any colic is the same: call your vet immediately and let them help you judge severity, rather than waiting to see how it develops.
The early signs
- Pawing at the ground repeatedly, more than normal restlessness
- Looking at or biting the flank, a horse turning to look at their own side
- Repeatedly lying down and getting back up, or reluctance to lie down at all
- Rolling, especially violent or repeated rolling
- Reduced or absent gut sounds, a quiet or silent abdomen
- Little or no manure passed in a period where you'd expect it
- Sweating without exertion, and a raised heart rate
Why "wait and see" is the wrong instinct here
With most conditions, giving something time to settle is reasonable. Colic is the exception. Mild gas colic can genuinely resolve within thirty minutes, but the only way to know you're not looking at a twisted gut or an impaction needing surgery is to have a vet assess it, ideally by phone immediately and in person soon after if things aren't clearly improving. Waiting to see if it passes on its own is the single riskiest choice available.
What to do while you wait for the vet
Remove access to feed, keep the horse walking calmly if they'll allow it and it's safe to do so, since gentle movement can help mild gas colic and discourages rolling, and note down heart rate, gum colour, and gut sounds if you're able to check them safely. Never give medication without veterinary direction, since it can mask symptoms the vet needs to see.
Knowing what's actually normal for your horse
The details that help a vet triage colic quickly over the phone, your horse's normal resting heart rate, their usual gut sound pattern, when they last passed manure, are exactly the kind of thing that's hard to recall accurately under pressure. Halo keeps that baseline and your vet's number in one place, ready for the moment you actually need them.