Colic in Arabian Horses: Warning Signs, Enteroliths and When to Call a Vet

Emergency: repeated pawing, rolling, kicking at the belly, sweating without exercise or passing little manure can all be signs of colic. Call a vet immediately [1].

Colic means belly pain in horses. It's a sign with many possible causes, ranging from mild discomfort to emergencies that need surgery [1][2]. For Arabian horse owners, one cause stands out: intestinal stones, called enteroliths [1][2].

What is colic in horses?

Colic is an umbrella term for abdominal pain, not a single disease [1][2]. Documented causes include [1][2]:

• Gas or fluid building up in the gut.
• Impaction: a blockage from dried food or other material.
• The gut twisting or moving out of place.
• Inflammation of the small intestine.
• Fatty growths (lipomas) in older horses.
• Enteroliths: stone-like formations in the intestine.

Because it ranges from mild to life-threatening, treat every episode as a possible emergency [1][2].

What are the signs of colic?

Merck advises calling a vet immediately if a horse [1][2]:

• Paws the ground again and again, or looks at or bites its flank.
• Curls its upper lip or kicks at its belly.
• Lies down or rolls repeatedly.
• Sweats without having exercised.
• Strains to pass urine or manure.
• Has a swollen belly.
• Stops eating, seems dull, or passes less manure.

Why are Arabian horses linked to intestinal stones?

Merck notes that enteroliths are commonly seen in Arabian horses [1][2].

• They form when mineral crystals build up in layers around a small object, such as a splinter of wire, a stone or a nail, inside the large intestine [1][2].
• They're rare in horses under 4, and most affected horses are around 10 years old [1][2].
• Arabians are also among the breeds at higher risk of one type of impaction (of the cecum) [1][2].

One caution: the breed is popular in regions where enteroliths are common, so a true breed link hasn't been fully separated from regional and dietary factors [1][2].

What did a Saudi study find?

A peer-reviewed case series from Saudi Arabia described 15 purebred Arabian horses that had surgery for enteroliths, from the Jeddah and Dammam areas [3].

• Enteroliths made up about 1.9% of the 756 colic cases treated surgically at the centre during the study periods [3].
• All 15 horses ate alfalfa-rich diets, drank desalinated seawater, had no pasture access and lived in a hot, dry desert climate [3]. A larger group of alfalfa-fed horses without stones drank deep well water instead [3].
• Horses with enteroliths often had repeated, milder colic before a severe episode, because a stone can partly block the gut before blocking it fully [3].

Keep in mind: this is one small study of horses that needed surgery. It describes factors seen alongside these cases, not proven causes, and it isn't a national figure for Saudi Arabia [3].

Can colic be prevented?

There's no guarantee, but good management lowers the risk [1][2]:

• Follow a deworming programme set by your vet.
• Keep up regular dental care.
• Change the type or amount of feed gradually, never suddenly.
• Make sure clean water is always available.
• Avoid feeding on sandy ground, and use a feeding surface off the ground where possible.

Alfalfa-heavy diets favour enterolith formation [1][2]. In hot, sandy places with little pasture, like those in the Saudi study, review your horse's diet with a vet [1][2][3].

FAQ

Is colic always an emergency?

Colic ranges from mild to life-threatening, so treat every episode as a possible emergency and call a vet straight away [1][2].

Does sand cause colic in horses?

It can. Swallowed sand is a named cause of intestinal blockage, especially when there isn't enough pasture and the horse is fed on the ground [1][2].

Can diet cause colic?

Yes. Coarse feed, sudden feed changes and not drinking enough water are named risk factors, and alfalfa-heavy diets are linked to enteroliths [1][2].

At what age do enteroliths appear?

They're rare before age 4, and most affected horses are around 10 [1][2].