Horse Colic (stomach ache) is a major cause of horse deaths.
The horse’s small stomach (about 10 percent of the digestive system) requires that a horse graze and eat small, frequent meals. If a horse overeats, or eats bad feed, high levels of digestive gases can paralyze the muscle that allows food to continue through the digestive tract. Many times this happens due to moldy hay or old hay. Owners should always smell and inspect food before feeding their horse. This blockage can cause the stomach to rupture. If a horse starts rolling on the ground in pain, the intestines can get twisted, also causing ruptures. If a veterinarian cannot handle the problem with treatments, expensive surgeries are sometimes successful.