Equine colic guidance shifts from forced walking to safe monitoring

A new The Horse explainer published May 7, 2026, addresses a common equine emergency question: should a horse with suspected colic be forced to stay up while waiting for the veterinarian? In the article and podcast excerpt, Michael Fugaro, VMD, Dipl. ACVS, says quiet movement and even lying down can be acceptable if the horse is calm and not at risk of injuring itself, while the real priority is close monitoring and preventing violent rolling or thrashing. That framing pushes back on the longstanding barn-level habit of walking colicky horses continuously until the vet arrives. (thehorse.com)

Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, the piece reinforces a more nuanced client message: suspected colic still warrants immediate veterinary evaluation, but nonstop walking isn’t automatically beneficial. Reference guidance from ACVS and Merck emphasizes that colic ranges from mild abdominal pain to surgical emergencies, and that repeated lying down, getting up, or violent rolling can signal more severe disease. The practical takeaway for equine teams is to coach pet parents to remove feed, observe pain level and manure output, gather basic history, and keep the horse safe rather than exhausting it with prolonged forced exercise. (acvs.org)

What to watch: Expect continued client education around what “safe monitoring” looks like during a colic call, especially as practices try to replace outdated advice with clearer triage instructions. (thehorse.com)