The annual slog to prevent colic

[twistyizzy]

Ground frozen since Sunday so horses can't go out. Unfortunately due to the constant rain since September most of the fields are trashed and now they are frozen it is far too dangerous to turn out.
Horse is prone to impaction colic so now on regime of walker/handwalking, 4 large mash feeds a day and massively reduced hay. So horse is in foul mood as he lives for his hay which is usually ad lib on the floor and now the only way he is getting it is half the usual quantity through the really tiny holed nets.
Pipes have frozen so having to lug water carriers up to yard and back.
Basically I just hate this time of year and I'm counting poos, checking how much water he is drinking and listening to his gut obsessively. Oh the joys!

Our vet told me that meadow hay, being much finer, is better for preventing impaction colic, as is damping it. I was also advised to give a little salt in the feeds, or make sure he has a salt lick, as that encourages drinking, and in very cold weather to take a thermos of boiling water to add to his water bucket (so it ends up slightly warm) as lots of horses won't drink much very cold water, regardless of if it's frozen. You can also add a little apple juice, to encourage drinking, but if so have 2 buckets, one with, one without in case he doesn't like it. I personally also feed well soaked sugar beet, as it doesn't seem to 'clag up' the way the mashes can, so helps prevent blockage, too. It's a real pain, and such a worry isn't it?

Soaked grass pellets can help, too, but make any changes gradually xxx

Can't soak it in freezing temperatures though 😊.
Yes I have tried warm water, tepid water, water with apple juice jn, with recovery mash in etc.
Tried it all and finally settled on the 4 x hay replacer/mash feeds per day + lukewarm water with apple slices in. Epsom salts on Day 3 + 4 of confinement to stable plus daily handwalking + walker regime.
I can manage him with it it's just a total pain in the arse.

I still damp my hay with warm water in the day - it's not so cold that it freezes before they eat it, at the moment (although the next couple of days are going to be sub zero all day, so will see how that goes). I definitely found the sugar beet helped, plus carrots etc.

Good luck xx

It is -6 here today and we usually get below freezing temperatures regularly from Dec-Feb so it just isn't possible to soak or damp hay unfortunately.
Lots of hay replacer + speedibeet instead

It is -6 here today and we usually get below freezing temperatures regularly

That's the problem then OP. You need to move. (Yes, I'm being silly).

Sounds miserable for both you and the horse

😄 I agree with you, I DO need to move

I hope you have decent thermals! Here only just below zero, and has been just above in the daytime all but a couple of days.

Thermals head to toe inc thermal socks, wellies and gloves 😁. The Michelin man has nothing on me!

I too am a total fashionista when I'm up the fields......😁