8 Steps to Prevent Colic as Horses Transition to Hay

The crisp cool temperatures of fall are delightful for human and horse alike. But as nature slips toward a dormant state hay becomes the forage of choice for most horses.
Hay is dead grass. Once fresh grass is cut dried and stored as hay its vitamin content along with valuable omega 3 fatty acids dramatically decline making supplementation necessary to fill in nutritional gaps. Plus hay has very little moisture compared to fresh pasture. Most hay contains approximately 90 to 95 percent dry matter only 5 to 10 percent water compared to fresh pasture with moisture levels often exceeding the dry matter content. Therefore as hay becomes a larger percentage of your horses diet colic risk significantly increases. 

Colic basically means a tummy ache. It could simply be a mild disturbance or severe enough to be life threatening. It is the number two killer of horses number one being old age! Colic isnt actually a disease its a symptom of another problem. With increased hay consumption impactions and excess gas production are the most common causes. Enteroliths stones are often seen in high alfalfa hay diets. And ulcers often develop when a horse is transferred from daylong turnout to longer periods of time in the stall.
Here are some important ways ease the transition and avoid colic
1 Simulate the horses natural need to graze by providing hay 247. Horses that experience an empty stomach between hay meals will eat their hay very quickly. Horses that are offered hay freechoice will learn that there is always hay available and will eat more slowly and selfregulate their intake to eat only what they need to maintain condition. 
2 Limit winter stalling. Colic episodes increase when horses are brought in from pasture. Being outdoors provides needed exercise to keep the digestive tract muscles in tone.