Equine Colic: NAVLE Study Guide

Colic is the leading cause of emergency death in horses, and it shows up constantly on the NAVLE. Not because it's rare — it accounts for 10–15% of all equine visits — but because the decisions are genuinely hard and the stakes are high. The exam tests your ability to triage fast: who gets fluids and a walk, and who needs a trailer to surgery right now.

The anatomy is the whole story. The equine large colon is 3–4 meters long, holds up to 76 liters, and has almost no mesenteric attachments to the body wall. It just floats. That freedom is why it displaces, twists, and becomes trapped in ways no other species can manage.

Medical vs. Surgical Colic: The Decision That Defines the Case

The first question in every colic case is not "what type of colic is this?" — it's "does this horse need surgery?" Most colics are medical. But missing a surgical case costs a horse its life. These indicators push you toward the OR: