Journal of Veterinary Research and Clinical Care

Prevalence and Risk Factors for The Presentation of Colic in Three Breeds of Dancing School Horses

Abstract

Rubén Petatán-Baylon, Edgar Díaz-Rojas, Heladio Moreno-Melo, Abraham Rosario-Rendón, Vicente Homero Gonzalez-Alvarez

The domestic horse revolutionized the way of life in different cultures; currently, its functions are not only for work, but also in the presentation of shows, as dancing horses. These animals suffer from conditions that can seriously damage their integrity, one of the most common is what is known as equine colic. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of colic in a stable of dancing horses. In total, we used data from 52 horses of three different breeds that form the stable population. The total prevalence was 29%, the smallest number of cases occurred in the Iberoamerican breed, followed by the Spanish breed, while the most susceptible were the Friesian breed. The number of cases observed was 15, some of those horses presented only one case, while three horses repeated with two cases per year. Among the most common factors attributable to the cause of site colic are a change in diet, lack of water and overwork. Future studies are needed to further examine risk factors for colic in other show equine populations.

PDF