When a colicking horse can lie down while waiting for the vet
Bottom line
Letting a colicking horse lie down while waiting for the veterinarian is generally acceptable if the horse is calm and not at risk of injuring itself, according to a May 7, 2026, The Horse report featuring Michael Fugaro, VMD, Dipl. ACVS, of Mountain Pointe Equine Veterinary Services in New Jersey. The guidance pushes back on the long-standing idea that horses with colic must be kept walking continuously. Instead, the emphasis is on close monitoring, removing feed, and preventing violent rolling or repeated attempts to throw themselves down while veterinary help is on the way. Broader clinical guidance from ACVS, Merck Veterinary Manual, and Penn Vet aligns with that approach: mild, quiet horses may rest, while persistent pain, repeated getting up and down, dark gums, dehydration, or an elevated heart rate raise concern for a more serious lesion and need urgent evaluation. (thehorse.com)
Why it matters: For equine veterinarians and ambulatory teams, the update is useful client education. It gives practices a clearer, lower-stress message for pet parents and barn staff: call early, withhold feed, collect basic observations, and use walking selectively rather than reflexively. That matters because delay, exhaustion, or unsafe handling can complicate an already time-sensitive emergency, and early recognition remains central to deciding which horses can be treated on-farm versus referred for surgery. (acvs.org)
What to watch: Expect more practices to fold this calmer, risk-based advice into colic triage scripts, discharge handouts, and after-hours client communications. (thehorse.com)
Key facts
- Topic
- Colicking horses can sometimes be allowed to lie down while waiting for the veterinarian if they are quiet and not endangering themselves.
- Source date
- May 7, 2026
- Expert quoted
- Michael Fugaro, VMD, Dipl. ACVS, Mountain Pointe Equine Veterinary Services, New Jersey
- Main emphasis
- Monitor closely, remove feed, and prevent violent rolling or repeated attempts to throw themselves down.
- ACVS guidance
- Mild, quiet horses may rest, but persistent pain, repeated getting up and down, dark gums, dehydration, or an elevated heart rate need urgent evaluation.
- Penn Vet guidance
- Walking can encourage gastrointestinal motility, but incessant walking is not a solution and may exhaust the horse.
- Red flags
- Repeated lying down and getting up, violent rolling, sweating, abdominal distention, reduced manure output, and increased heart rate.
- What to do
- Call early, withhold feed, collect basic observations, and use walking selectively rather than reflexively.
A new The Horse explainer is giving horse practitioners a practical answer to a common emergency question: yes, a colicking horse can sometimes be allowed to lie down while waiting for the veterinarian, as long as the horse is quiet and not endangering itself. In the May 7, 2026, piece, equine surgeon Michael Fugaro says the priority is not forcing nonstop movement, but monitoring closely and preventing violent rolling until veterinary care arrives. (thehorse.com)
That advice reflects a broader shift away from the old barn rule that every colicky horse should be walked continuously. Current reference guidance treats colic as a spectrum, from mild abdominal pain to surgical emergencies. ACVS notes that signs can range from flank watching and pawing to repeated lying down, getting up, and violent rolling, and warns that delays in treatment can worsen survival odds. Merck likewise emphasizes that colic is a broad clinical syndrome, not a single disease, and that severity depends on the underlying cause. (acvs.org)
The practical distinction is whether the horse is resting quietly or escalating. The Horse reports that calm movement and even lying down are acceptable if the animal is not likely to injure itself. Penn Vet’s New Bolton Center similarly says walking can encourage gastrointestinal motility, but incessant walking is not a solution and may exhaust the horse. Other educational guidance aimed at horse caretakers echoes that limited, purposeful walking may help some horses, especially if it reduces discomfort, but it should not replace prompt veterinary assessment. (thehorse.com)
The red flags remain familiar and clinically important. ACVS lists repeated lying down and getting up, violent rolling, sweating, abdominal distention, reduced manure output, and increased heart rate as warning signs. Penn Vet flags persistent pain, dehydration, and a heart rate above 60 beats per minute as particularly concerning, especially when pain continues after medication. Merck adds that high heart rate and abnormal mucous membrane color can indicate pain, dehydration, or circulatory compromise. Together, those markers help determine whether a horse is a candidate for at-home medical treatment or needs rapid referral for advanced diagnostics, fluids, decompression, or surgery. (acvs.org)
While direct outside commentary on Fugaro’s remarks was limited, the wider industry message is notably consistent. The Horse’s own colic guidance says to walk only if it is safe and veterinarian-recommended, and to avoid exhausting the horse. Penn State Extension advises calling the veterinarian regardless of apparent severity and specifically says not to walk a horse for hours. That consistency matters because colic remains one of the most common equine emergencies, and mixed folklore-based advice can still shape what barn staff do before the veterinarian arrives. (thehorse.com)
Why it matters: For veterinary professionals, this is less about a novel treatment change than about refining triage communication. A simple message, let the horse rest if calm, intervene if it’s thrashing, remove feed, monitor vitals, and call early, can reduce handler risk and preserve the horse’s energy while improving the quality of history collected before arrival. It also helps practices standardize what clients should report, including manure output, feed intake, duration of signs, gum color, hydration status, and heart rate. Those details directly affect decisions about sedation, tubing, pain control, recheck timing, and referral threshold. (vet.upenn.edu)
For ambulatory equine practices, the operational takeaway may be just as important as the medical one. Updating website FAQs, voicemail instructions, and emergency handouts to reflect current guidance could prevent both unsafe “walk until he poops” behavior and the opposite problem, waiting too long because the horse seems quiet. ACVS notes that most horses respond to medical treatment, but some require surgery, and outcomes improve with prompt intervention and early referral when indicated. (acvs.org)
What to watch: The next step is whether more equine hospitals, associations, and field practices formalize this advice into client-facing colic protocols, especially around after-hours triage, referral timing, and what observations pet parents should gather before the veterinarian gets to the farm. (vet.upenn.edu)