Management and horse-level risk factors for recurrent colic in the UK general equine practice population.
Authors: Scantlebury C E, Archer D C, Proudman C J, Pinchbeck G L
Journal: Equine veterinary journal
Summary
# Editorial Summary Recurrent colic represents a significant clinical and welfare concern in the general horse population, yet evidence-based guidance on modifiable risk factors remains limited. Scantlebury and colleagues conducted a nested case-control study using prospective data from 127 horses attending first-opinion practices in northwest England, tracking 59 recurrent colic cases against 177 controls over a 4-monthly surveillance period and analysing exposures in the 30 days preceding colic episodes or control selection. Horses exhibiting crib-biting or windsucking faced substantially elevated recurrence risk (odds ratio 10.1), whilst weaving behaviour conferred a threefold increase in risk; conversely, each additional hour of daily pasture access reduced recurrence odds by 1%, suggesting meaningful cumulative benefit with extended turnout. An intriguing secondary finding indicated that fruit and vegetable supplementation may modify the risk profile associated with stereotypic behaviours, though the authors appropriately flag that mechanistic understanding remains incomplete before practice recommendations can be confidently issued. For practitioners managing horses with a history of colic, these findings underscore the value of maximising pasture access as a modifiable prevention strategy and highlight stereotypic behaviour as a marker of increased vulnerability requiring heightened vigilance in colic management protocols. The interaction between feeding practices and stereotypic behaviour warrants closer attention in individual case management, particularly given the potential for targeted dietary modification to reduce recurrence risk in predisposed horses.
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Practical Takeaways
- •Horses exhibiting stereotypic behaviours (crib-biting, windsucking, weaving) should be considered higher-risk for recurrent colic and warrant enhanced preventive management strategies
- •Maximizing pasture access appears to be a practical and evidence-supported approach to reducing recurrent colic risk in susceptible horses
- •Individual horses identified with behavioural risk factors should have their feeding and management practices carefully reviewed and optimized as part of colic prevention
Key Findings
- •Horses displaying crib-biting/windsucking had 10.1 times increased odds of recurrent colic (95% CI 2.5-41.0)
- •Weaving behaviour increased odds of recurrent colic 3.9 times (95% CI 1.5-10.1)
- •Increasing time at pasture reduced recurrent colic risk (OR 0.99 per unit time)
- •A significant interaction was found suggesting feeding fruit/vegetables may modify risk associated with crib-biting/windsucking