colic

["Karen Wendt" <kwendt@ados.com>]

I have a question I hope someone can help me with. I have a three year old Tovero mare. Within a month of getting her she got ahold of some alfafa hay (less than a flake) and within a short time went down in the stall, back up and down with her front feet out in front of her. (pulled a tendon)  I didn't know what was wrong and she kept looking back at her hindquarters. Within 10 minutes she acted normal so I didn't think too much of it. Didn't even know then that it was colic.

About two months later I had a new gelding in the barn and he had some orchard hay I was weaning him off of and onto our plain old grass hay. My paint mare got about a flake of this and the same scenario. Only this time she  kept wanting to lay down and it lasted long enough to call the vet who had us give her some bantomine and we walked her. My husband doesn't think it's the hay and a friend of ours said it's highly unlikely this mare would colic on hay -- it's usually grain or change in food, worms, etc. I had a fecal test done -- it was ok. I then had her teeth floated - she had some points. You can bet I absolutely don't let anything but grass hay in my barn and it's been three months and no more colic. Is it possible for her to have colicked on hay?

Thanks,

karen

kwendt@ados.com