Horse ate too much corn, colic, founder ?
I had 2 horses get out last nite. Late this afternoon I noticed a brand new bag of corn (for poultry) was open and almost gone! If they split it, that would be about 15lbs each. I know too much corn is a real bad thing. No signs of pain or illness as of now-at least 12-15hrs after they ate it. I would love to hear some input on what to do and watch for...and the new hotwire has been purchased. I have put the two horses in a smaller pen so we can watch them better for the nite. (it's Sunday and I DO have a call into the vet)
Horse biting at his sides? NOT colic.?
Does he ever show signs of colicky pain after a meal? This can be a sign of stomach ulcer, but you would most likely see some other signs of discomfort especially when a meal of grain or other concentrated feed is eaten. I would think if it were an infestation that you would see signs of it in other areas besides just at his sides. Why don't you call your vet and get his/her opinion? He/she might advise you to make some other observations that would help with diagnosing this.
Horse ate duck food? Can she colic?
It may, depending on the horse. I'd call the vet to be on the safe side. My gelding has a stomach made of iron, I swear. 3 nights ago he broke into the hay stall, ate 5 bales, a bag of peppermints, 2 bags of horse treats and a 50 pound bag of cow feed and didn't colic. Depends on the individual horse.
My horse is kicking himself in the stomach?
Horses kick at their abdomen when it is irritating them. It can be from bugs, or from something going on internally. If there is no explanation for it externally, and you are seeing no flies bothering him, then it should be seen as colic until proven otherwise. That makes it a potential medical emergency. Colic is abdominal pain. Some causes are minor, and others are life threatening emergencies. You need to get the vet to examinine your horse asap. In the meantime, don't let him roll, and remove all feed, and only allow him water to drink. Until you know what this is, consider it to be a serious condition.
Do horses lie down? Why or why not?
Yes, horses do lie down to sleep, just not all the time and only for an hour or so at any one stretch. Young horses lie down much more than older animals. As we do, they need to rest their body while it is being repaired, but they can do it while standing, they kip for an hour or so mostly. (They have a ligament bracing system that keeps their legs straight to brace them while dowsing.) Horses do not like to lie down unless there is another horse by them that's on their feet (on guard). They will sleep comfortably on shavings or soft ground in a half sitting position with their legs tucked under them. When one or two horses are standing near them (on guard) they will lie flat out for REM sleep. (In that state their brain is off duty and undergoing repair, except for hearing which seems to remain full on.) If your horse does not lie down, even in the dead of night, there is a problem and that's usually the psychological isolation of a horse with no others around. In that state they are anxious most of the time, they may well walk a lot in their stall, or gallop about in a field. As isolates they are liable to tendon and joint strain and are likely to pull up lame after work. Either the result of a lack of sleep (and tendon repair) or the stall walking or galloping causes too much pressure on their joints from turning, which then goes unprepared. You might find them resistant to schooling and noticeably cranky in their sleep-deprived state. If your horse lies down much more than usual, especially in daylight, it is a good information that they have sore feet (soles or navicular bone) or painful joints. Check them when standing and see if they take their weight off a particular leg consistently; if it's a front leg they will most likely "point it" with that sore leg placed slightly in from of the other and taking less weight. If a hind leg they will rest that leg from the hip with the hock and fetlock flexed.
Horse ate too much feed?
Last night my horse somehow managed to get out of his stall, and ate quite a bit of his feed before I found him. He is standing outside now. He ate a little hay but now won't move and he looks like he is sleeping. I could hear some digestive sounds when I was out there, and I'm wondering what I can do. He hurt his leg a couple years ago in a racing accident (before we got him) and now it is painful because of the cold. I don't really want to walk him around but would it help? Anything else I can do?