Can horses be sick?

hotpinky

Horses can get many sicknesses. Colic is one of them. Colic is when the horses intestines get twisted. I've known horses who have died from colic. You can usually figure out if your horse has colic before the colic gets really bad. http://library.thinkquest.org/3540/horse_care.htm Aug 16 05, 2:28 PM

lanfranco

Any animal can become ill. Horses need the attention of experienced veterinarians who specialize in equine or large-animal care: http://equisearch.com/care/illness/ Aug 16 05, 4:12 PM

gmackematix

I'll presume that by "be sick" you are referring to vomiting. The answer in that sense of the question is no. Horses cannot vomit. This means that whatever a horse eats - whether it be oats, molasses, moldy hay, or rusty nails - it must go all the way through his digestive system. This inability to vomit is the most common reason colic is a big problem with horses. http://www.equusite.com/articles/basics/basicsFeeding.shtml Aug 16 05, 4:31 PM

CharlieHook

No, horses have a cardiac sphincter at the base of the oesophagus which prevents them from vomiting. Hence why they are so ill when they get stomach upsets like colic. This is a simple muscular tube that takes food from the mouth to the stomach. Because the muscles in the cardiac sphincter valve leading into the stomach are very strong, it is almost impossible for a horse to vomit. It is more likely that the stomach will rupture in the event of an overconsumption of feed. http://ohioline.osu.edu/b762/b762_5.html [Edited to add reference - McG] Mar 02 06, 9:43 AM