Horse owners' knowledge, and opinions on recognising colic in the horse.
Authors: Bowden A, Burford J H, Brennan M L, England G C W, Freeman S L
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary: Horse Owners' Recognition of Colic Colic remains the leading equine emergency, making rapid owner recognition critical to case outcomes, yet a 2020 survey of 1564 horse owners revealed substantial knowledge gaps that could delay intervention. Researchers distributed an online questionnaire assessing owners' familiarity with normal clinical parameters, confidence in recognising colic signs, and decision-making through realistic case scenarios. Only 45% correctly identified normal heart rate and respiratory rate values, whilst 67% knew normal rectal temperature; knowledge correlated significantly with educational qualifications. When presented with suspected colic, owners reported they would assess faecal output (76%) and gut sounds (75%), but notably fewer would evaluate heart rate (54%), and alarmingly, only 9% felt confident diagnosing impaction cases compared to 49% for surgical cases. Although 61% expressed general confidence in recognising colic, there was little consensus on when behavioural signs warranted veterinary attention unless severe or prolonged. For practitioners engaging with owners, these findings underscore the value of structured client education on baseline clinical parameters and colic presentation, particularly around non-surgical conditions that may appear subtle; targeted resources addressing decision-making thresholds could meaningfully reduce time to diagnosis and improve outcomes.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Horse owners lack fundamental knowledge of normal clinical parameters; veterinarians should routinely educate clients on how to assess heart rate, respiratory rate, and temperature as baseline skills for recognizing emergencies
- •Confidence in colic recognition does not correlate with actual ability—targeted educational resources for owners should focus on practical assessment techniques and decision-making algorithms for different colic presentations, not generic reassurance
- •Significant gaps exist in owners' understanding of when to call a veterinarian for colic; clear, accessible guidelines on red flags and clinical thresholds are needed to improve early intervention outcomes
Key Findings
- •Only 45% of horse owners correctly identified normal heart rate, 45% normal respiratory rate, and 67% normal rectal temperature in horses
- •Knowledge of normal clinical parameters was significantly associated with educational qualifications (P<0.01)
- •61% of owners reported confidence in recognising colic, but case scenarios revealed poor performance: 49% confident identifying surgical colic but only 9% confident identifying impaction colic
- •Most owners would assess faecal output (76%), gastrointestinal sounds (75%), and respiratory rate (65%) if colic was suspected, but there was marked variation in responses to behavioral signs and veterinary consultation decisions