For horse colic, what to do while waiting for the vet comes down to four jobs: take the feed away, keep yourself safe, gather the answers the vet will ask for, and give nothing unless the vet tells you to. The University of Florida's owner guide to colic says to remove the feed but not the water, to walk the horse only if that can be done safely, and never to walk the horse or yourself to exhaustion. If you have not called yet, call now. The same guide warns that colics needing surgery can begin with signs similar to milder ones.
That last point is the reason this page does not help you decide whether it is "just a bit of gas." Nobody can tell that from the barn aisle, however many colics they have seen. What you can do in the next half hour is make the vet's job faster and avoid making the horse's situation worse. This site is written from the owner's side, not by a vet, and nothing here diagnoses or treats anything.
Call first, then do everything else
The American College of Veterinary Surgeons is plain on its owner page about colic: "Horses exhibiting signs of colic should be examined by a veterinarian immediately" (ACVS, Colic in Horses, read 2026-09-24). UF's guide, written by Dr. Amanda M. House, a diplomate of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine, gives the reason: surgical causes of colic can begin with signs similar to milder cases, so it is critical to involve your vet as soon as the horse shows any sign of colic (UF College of Veterinary Medicine, A Horse Owner's Guide to Colic, read 2026-09-24).
The same guide adds a warning about the slow version: chronic mild signs of colic over several days or longer may also indicate a serious problem and need veterinary evaluation. A horse who has been "a bit off his feed" since Tuesday is still a phone call.
Once you have called, you have a job to do while you wait. It starts with the questions.
What the vet will ask you
Penn Vet's New Bolton Center, the University of Pennsylvania's large animal hospital, lists the history the vet will want: "how long the colic signs have been going on, when the last manure passed, when and what type of food was last eaten, and if there have been colic episodes in the past" (Penn Vet, Colic: What You Can Do, April 2025, read 2026-09-24). UF's guide adds the physical numbers, the medical and diet history, and one more question: have there been any changes in the horse's routine?
Put together, this is the call you should be ready for:
| The vet will want to know | What the sources say | How to get it |
|---|---|---|
| How long he has shown signs | Penn Vet: first on the history list | Note the time you first saw something wrong, not the time you called |
| When he last passed manure | Penn Vet: on the history list. UF: most horses pass 6 to 10 piles of well-formed manure in 24 hours | Check the stall and field. Leave any fresh pile where the vet can see it |
| When and what he last ate | Penn Vet: on the history list | Last hay, last grain, any change of batch or pasture |
| Whether he has colicked before | Penn Vet: on the history list | Dates and what happened, if you know them |
| His heart rate | UF: take it before the vet arrives. Penn Vet: normal is around 40 beats per minute | Count for 15 seconds and multiply by four, as Penn Vet describes |
| Gum color, moisture and refill | Penn Vet: gums should be moist and healthy pink, not dry, dark or bright red or purple; refill over two seconds suggests dehydration | Lift the lip in good light |
| Gut sounds | Penn Vet: normally several gurgles a minute with a louder rumble every minute or two; silence is not good, and neither is excessive noise | Listen on both sides, high and low |
| Temperature and breathing rate | UF: take them before the vet arrives | Only if he is standing quietly enough to do it safely |
| Recent changes | UF: any changes in the routine | Feed, hay, turnout, work, travel, weather |
| What you have given him | UF: pain-relieving drugs only under your vet's direction | Ideally nothing |
If you are not confident taking a heart rate on a restless horse, how to check a horse's heart rate and get a real reading covers both the stethoscope and the pulse at the jaw. The gum check has its own walkthrough in horse gum color and capillary refill, and horse gut sounds, and what silence means covers where to put the stethoscope. None of those checks tells you what kind of colic it is. They tell the vet how the horse is doing now, and a second set taken just before the vet arrives shows which way he is heading.
Write every number down with the time next to it. Under stress, times and numbers blur, and a written sheet is something you can hand over at the gate.
Horse colic: what to do while waiting for the vet
Remove the feed. UF's guide says to remove the feed but not the water from the stall. If your vet gives you a different instruction about water on the phone, follow the vet.
Keep yourself safe first. UF's guide says walking can help prevent injury if the horse is trying to go down and roll, "but remember to first consider your safety as well as your horse." If he is too painful to be walked safely, it says to leave him in the stall until the vet arrives. Kansas State University's Veterinary Health Center adds that for your own safety you should avoid approaching a down horse alone (K-State VHC, Equine Emergency Preparedness, read 2026-09-24).
Walk, but not to the point of exhaustion. Penn Vet notes that walking can encourage gastrointestinal motility. UF's limit is blunt: do not walk the horse or yourself to exhaustion. Neither source gives a set number of minutes, and this page will not invent one.
Watch and record. Is he getting worse, staying the same or settling? Has he passed manure? Is he eating anything off the floor? Changes between your first call and the vet's arrival are exactly what the vet will ask about.
Get the practical things ready. Good light, a clean bucket of water, somewhere safe for the vet to work, and someone to hold the horse. If your vet mentions referral, you will want the trailer ready and the route to the equine hospital known. Knowing the most direct route to an equine surgery center in advance is on the American Association of Equine Practitioners' preparation list (Be Prepared for an Equine Health Emergency, read 2026-09-24).
What not to do
UF's guide is unusually direct here, and each of these is on its list:
- No pain relief unless your vet directs it. UF says pain-relieving drugs should only be given under your veterinarian's direction. K-State is broader: avoid giving any medications or home remedies unless specifically advised by a veterinarian, because medication can interfere with the vet's ability to make an accurate diagnosis.
- No tubing and no mineral oil. UF says to "absolutely" not try to pass a tube or force-feed mineral oil, because mineral oil in the lungs can result in a fatal pneumonitis.
- No enemas. In an adult horse, UF does not recommend inserting a hose or anything else rectally to give an enema.
- No walking to exhaustion. For the horse or for you.
Add one of our own: no forum remedies. Whatever a stranger online swears worked for their horse, it was not your horse, and it was not today.
When the vet arrives, and the decision that may follow
UF's guide describes the veterinary evaluation as typically a complete history, a physical examination, a rectal examination and passing a nasogastric tube, with blood work, a belly tap or ultrasound depending on the equipment available. ACVS lists the same core checks: heart rate, breathing rate, rectal temperature, gut sounds and gum color, plus checking for reflux through the tube.
Your notes feed straight into that. Readings you took before the vet arrived sit alongside the vet's first set, so the vet sees how the horse has changed since you called, not just how he looks at that moment.
The part owners are least ready for is the decision that can follow. UF's guide says that mild intestinal upsets and colics that need surgery can start out with very similar signs, and that persistent pain remains the number one indicator for exploratory surgery. ACVS says surgery should be considered if the horse stays uncomfortable despite medical treatment or shows specific indicators of a surgical problem, and that referral to a surgical facility may need to be considered.
That is a financial and personal decision as much as a medical one, and it is a hard one to make for the first time at midnight. If you have insurance, know what your policy requires of you before this happens, and if you do not, whether horse insurance actually pays out is worth reading on a calm day.
What this page will not tell you
- What kind of colic it is. Milder colics and surgical ones can look alike at the start, per UF.
- Whether he needs surgery. That comes from the vet's examination and how he responds to treatment.
- Any medication or amount. Pain relief is your vet's call.
- How long to walk. Neither source gives a figure.
FAQ
Should I let my horse lie down if he has colic?
UF's owner guide says walking can help prevent injury if the horse is trying to go down and roll, but that your own safety comes first. If he is too painful to be walked safely, UF says to leave him in the stall until the vet arrives.
Should I take water away from a colicking horse?
UF's guide says to remove the feed but not the water. If your vet gives a different instruction on the phone, follow the vet.
Can I give my horse something for colic pain before the vet comes?
Only if your vet tells you to. UF says pain-relieving drugs should only be given under your veterinarian's direction, and K-State's Veterinary Health Center advises against any medications or home remedies unless a vet specifically advises them.
How long should I walk a horse with colic?
The sources used here give no set time. UF's limit is not to walk the horse or yourself to exhaustion, and walking only makes sense if it can be done safely.
What will the vet ask when I call about colic?
Penn Vet lists how long the signs have been going on, when manure was last passed, when and what the horse last ate, and whether he has colicked before. UF adds heart rate, breathing rate, temperature, gum color and moisture, medical and diet history, and any changes in routine.
Sources consulted, all read 2026-09-24: University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, "A Horse Owner's Guide to Colic" (Amanda M. House, DVM, Diplomate ACVIM), for the early involvement of the vet, chronic mild signs, the manure reference, the owner steps on feed, water and walking, the list of things not to do, the veterinary evaluation and the surgery indicator; University of Pennsylvania School of Veterinary Medicine, New Bolton Center, "Colic: What You Can Do" (April 28, 2025), for the history questions, the heart rate method and reference, gums, capillary refill, gut sounds and walking; American College of Veterinary Surgeons, "Colic in Horses," for immediate examination, the veterinary checks and the surgery and referral considerations; Kansas State University Veterinary Health Center, "Equine Emergency Preparedness" (Dr. Bethany Roof, updated March 27, 2026), for the medication warning and approaching a down horse; American Association of Equine Practitioners, "Be Prepared for an Equine Health Emergency," for planning the route to an equine surgery center.
This site is not written by a veterinarian. Nothing on this page is a diagnosis, a dose or a treatment plan.