Most horse health monitoring does not begin:

when something goes wrong.

It begins on:

ordinary days.

When your horse is:

eating normally

drinking normally

moving comfortably

passing normal manure

behaving like themselves

and:

feeling well.

That is when you learn their baseline.

Because when something eventually changes, you have something meaningful to compare it with.

Good horse health monitoring is not about searching constantly for disease. It is about knowing your horse well enough to recognise change.

Merck's preventive-care guidance recommends that guardians become familiar with the normal vital signs and movement of a healthy horse and work alongside veterinarians and farriers as part of ongoing health management.

Your horse's health is a pattern, not a single number

Imagine:

BELLA

Warmblood mare 10 years old

Today:

Temperature: Within Bella's normal range

Pulse: Within normal resting range

Respiration: Normal

Appetite: Normal

Water: Normal

Manure: Normal

Movement: Normal

Hooves: Normal

Behaviour: Normal

That is useful.

But what becomes much more powerful is knowing:

what Bella normally eats

how much she usually drinks

how frequently she passes manure

her normal body condition

her resting pulse

her normal respiratory pattern

how her legs usually feel

how she normally moves

and:

how she normally behaves.

That becomes:

My Horse's Normal

The daily horse health check

You do not need to create a lengthy examination every morning.

A practical daily check can happen naturally while:

feeding

turning out

bringing in

grooming

or:

riding.

Look at the whole horse.

Ask:

Is my horse eating normally?

Drinking normally?

Passing normal manure?

Urinating normally?

Behaving normally?

Moving normally?

Breathing normally?

Standing normally?

Are the legs and hooves normal?

Any wounds, swelling or discharge?

If the answer to one of these changes:

look closer.

1. Appetite

Appetite is one of the easiest health signals to monitor.

Know how your horse normally approaches:

hay

pasture

and:

feed.

A horse that normally arrives enthusiastically for food but suddenly:

leaves feed

eats slowly

stops eating

or:

shows little interest in forage

has given you useful health information.

Merck lists not eating among common signs that a horse may be unwell.

Record:

Normal

Reduced

Not eating

Eating differently

And ask:

Is this different from my horse's normal?

2. Forage intake

Forage deserves separate attention from:

bucket feed.

A horse may:

eat concentrate

but:

consume less hay.

That distinction can matter.

Most healthy horses should have substantial forage in their diet, with management adapted to the individual horse's nutritional requirements. Current Merck guidance emphasises forage as the foundation of most healthy equine diets.

So 1KAHU should distinguish:

FORAGE

from:

CONCENTRATE / OTHER FEED

rather than simply recording:

“ate meal ✓.”

3. Water intake

Know whether your horse is:

drinking approximately as expected for them.

Water requirements are not fixed.

They change with:

body size

temperature

exercise

sweating

diet

pregnancy

and:

lactation.

For context, Merck reports that a 500 kg adult horse in minimal work under moderate environmental conditions may typically drink around 21–29 litres per day on a mixed hay/grain or pasture diet, while requirements can rise dramatically with dry forage, heat, exercise and lactation.

This is why the app should not simply say:

“A horse should drink X litres.”

Instead:

“Has your horse's water intake changed relative to their normal, considering weather, diet and activity?”

4. Manure

For horses:

Manure is part of the health record.

Monitor:

amount

frequency

consistency

moisture

and:

significant changes from normal.

Merck notes that digestive problems can alter both the number and character of bowel movements. Normal horse manure is generally formed and somewhat moist, while unusually hard/dry or loose manure may provide useful health information.

Watch for:

less manure than usual

very dry manure

loose manure

diarrhoea

marked change in size

or:

blood.

5. A decrease in manure can matter

A horse producing:

less manure than normal

particularly alongside:

reduced appetite

abdominal discomfort

or:

depression

deserves attention.

Decreased bowel movements are among recognised signs associated with colic.

That does not mean:

“Less manure = colic.”

It means:

“This change becomes more significant when considered alongside the rest of the horse.”

6. Urination

Become familiar with your horse's normal:

frequency

volume

colour range

and:

behaviour when urinating.

Record unusual changes such as:

straining

frequent attempts

marked increase or decrease

visible blood

or:

obvious discomfort.

Do not try to diagnose the cause based on:

urine colour alone.

Diet, hydration and other factors can influence appearance.

7. Behaviour

Behaviour can be health data.

A horse that is normally:

engaged

social

interested in food

and:

comfortable

may become:

quiet

withdrawn

irritable

restless

or:

less responsive.

The change itself is valuable.

Instead of asking:

“Is your horse lethargic?”

1KAHU should ask:

“Is your horse quieter or less responsive than usual?”

That is easier for a guardian to answer accurately.

8. Social behaviour

Horses are social animals.

Changes such as:

standing apart from companions

reduced interaction

unusual aggression

or:

reluctance to move with the group

may provide additional context.

None of these:

diagnoses illness.

But:

Behaviour + appetite + movement + manure + vital signs

creates a much richer health picture than any one observation alone.

9. Posture

Observe how your horse normally:

stands

rests

and:

distributes weight.

Changes may include:

repeated weight shifting

reluctance to bear weight on one limb

unusual stretching

persistent abnormal stance

or:

repeated lying down.

Context matters.

A horse:

resting a hind leg

can be entirely normal.

A horse suddenly:

refusing to bear weight

is very different.

10. Movement

Watch your horse:

walk

and, when appropriate:

trot.

Know what their normal gait looks like.

Possible changes include:

shortened stride

stiffness

head nod

uneven movement

reluctance to turn

reluctance to move forward

or:

obvious lameness.

Lameness is not itself a diagnosis. It is an abnormal stance or gait that may result from pain, mechanical restriction or neurological dysfunction. Pain is the most common cause.

11. Performance changes can be health changes

For ridden or working horses, subtle changes may first appear as:

reduced willingness to work

difficulty with movements previously performed comfortably

slower recovery

unusual resistance

reduced stamina

or:

change in gait quality.

Do not automatically label these:

training problems

or:

bad behaviour.

A change in performance can be useful health information.

12. Legs

During grooming, run your hands over the legs and learn:

what normally feels like what.

Look and feel for:

heat

swelling

wounds

pain

or:

new asymmetry.

A useful question is not:

“Is this leg warm?”

but:

“Is this leg warmer than normal or different from the opposite limb?”

Comparison can be useful.

13. Hooves

Hoof health should be part of the routine health record—not a separate world disconnected from veterinary care.

Check for:

new cracks

damage

foreign material

unusual heat

stronger-than-usual digital pulse

shoe problems

or:

obvious tenderness.

Regular professional hoof care is a fundamental part of preventive equine health management.

1KAHU should therefore connect:

horse guardian + veterinarian + farrier

rather than treating each professional relationship separately.

14. Digital pulse

Learning how your horse's:

digital pulse

normally feels can be useful.

A stronger or bounding digital pulse can accompany:

inflammation or pain within the foot

but it does not identify the cause by itself.

Guardians should ideally learn the technique from:

their veterinarian or qualified equine professional

and establish:

their horse's normal.

AI Guardian should never interpret:

“strong digital pulse”

as automatically:

“laminitis.”

It is:

an observation requiring context.

15. Body weight

Exact body weight can be measured most accurately with:

a calibrated livestock scale.

Where that is not available, consistent weight-estimation methods can still help monitor:

trends.

The key word is:

consistent

Use the same method under similar conditions where possible.

1KAHU should prioritise:

TREND

over:

FALSE PRECISION

16. Body condition score

Weight alone does not tell the whole story.

Body condition scoring assesses:

fat deposition at defined anatomical sites.

Globally, different scoring systems are used, including:

1–9

and:

0–5.

AAEP materials use the Henneke 1–9 system, while international equine practice also uses other validated systems.

This is important for a global 1KAHU product:

Do not force every market into one body-condition scale without clearly identifying which system is being used.

17. Muscle condition is not the same as body condition

This distinction is important.

A horse can:

carry body fat

while:

losing muscle.

Body condition scoring primarily evaluates:

fat stores,

not muscle mass.

For:

senior horses

rehabilitation

performance horses

or:

horses with chronic disease,

1KAHU should eventually support:

BODY CONDITION

and:

MUSCLE CONDITION

as separate metrics.

18. Coat and skin

During grooming, check:

coat quality

hair loss

itching

scabs

wounds

swelling

skin irritation

and:

new lumps.

Merck includes hair loss and itchy skin among common signs of illness worth monitoring.

Grooming therefore has an important health function:

It gives you repeated opportunities to examine the horse closely.

19. Eyes

Healthy eyes should generally be:

open

comfortable

and:

free from abnormal discharge.

Watch for:

squinting

excessive tearing

swelling

cloudiness

injury

or:

new discharge.

Eye problems in horses can deteriorate quickly.

A:

painful

closed

cloudy

or:

injured eye

deserves prompt veterinary attention.

20. Nose

Know what is normal for your horse.

Watch for:

persistent nasal discharge

thick discharge

blood

abnormal odour

or:

discharge accompanied by coughing, fever or reduced appetite.

Merck includes coughing, sneezing and eye/nasal discharge among common illness signs.

21. Coughing

An isolated cough may have a different significance from:

repeated coughing

exercise-associated coughing

or:

coughing with nasal discharge or abnormal breathing.

Record:

when it occurs

how often

during rest or exercise

and:

whether other symptoms are present.

This is exactly the type of symptom where:

video + context + timeline

can help a veterinarian.

22. Breathing

Learn how your horse normally breathes:

at rest.

Watch for:

increased effort

nostril flare

abdominal effort

persistent increased respiratory rate

unusual noise

or:

difficulty recovering after exercise.

Respiratory rate is one of the basic equine vital signs. AAEP care guidance gives an illustrative resting adult range of approximately 12–20 breaths per minute, but the individual horse and circumstances matter.

Exercise, heat, excitement and stress can all increase respiratory rate.

So:

Take resting measurements when the horse is genuinely at rest.

23. Temperature

Learning to take your horse's temperature safely gives you:

objective information.

AAEP care guidance lists an illustrative adult resting rectal temperature range of approximately:

37.5–38.5°C / 99.5–101.5°F

But temperature varies with:

age

exercise

environment

time

and:

individual horse.

The objective is not simply:

“memorise 38.5°C.”

It is:

“know the general reference range and your horse's normal resting baseline.”

24. Pulse / heart rate

Pulse is another useful vital sign.

AAEP guidance provides an illustrative adult resting range of approximately:

30–42 beats per minute

Heart rate may rise because of:

exercise

excitement

pain

dehydration

or:

illness.

For example, increased heart rate can be important in assessing horses with abdominal pain.

Again:

One number does not provide a diagnosis.

25. Respiratory rate

AAEP's illustrative adult resting range is approximately:

12–20 breaths per minute.

Measure when your horse is:

calm

and:

resting.

Record:

rate

plus:

effort.

Because:

Normal rate + abnormal effort

can still be concerning.

26. Mucous membranes

The gums can provide useful information about:

circulation

hydration

and:

oxygenation.

Become familiar with what your horse's normal gums look like.

Changes such as:

very pale

blue/grey

very dark or abnormal red

or:

unusually dry

can be clinically significant.

Merck notes that mucous-membrane colour and moisture are part of veterinary assessment in horses with colic; pale or blueish colour may reflect poor oxygenation, dryness may indicate dehydration, and abnormal grey or red colour can accompany serious circulatory problems.

27. Capillary refill time

Your veterinarian may also teach you how to assess:

capillary refill time (CRT).

This involves briefly pressing the gum and observing:

how quickly colour returns.

It can provide information about:

circulatory status.

But it should not become:

a standalone home diagnostic test.

1KAHU should store:

CRT OBSERVATION

alongside:

gum colour + heart rate + hydration + behaviour

rather than interpreting it in isolation.

28. Hydration

Hydration assessment is more than:

“Did the horse drink today?”

Consider:

water access

water intake

sweating

weather

exercise

diet

manure

and:

clinical observations.

Water needs can increase substantially in:

hot weather

exercise

and:

lactation.

Any significant concern about dehydration—particularly with:

diarrhoea

colic

heat illness

or:

reduced drinking

deserves veterinary guidance.

29. Dental health

Horse teeth continuously erupt and wear through:

chewing fibrous feed.

Sharp edges and other dental abnormalities can develop, which is why routine dental care is important.

Watch for:

dropping feed

difficulty chewing

slow eating

quidding

weight loss

bad odour

or:

resistance around the mouth.

Regular dental care is part of preventive horse health management.

30. Vaccination records

Vaccination should be:

individualised

with an equine veterinarian.

Requirements can vary according to:

country

region

disease risk

travel

competition

age

pregnancy

and:

management environment.

Therefore 1KAHU should never present:

UNIVERSAL HORSE VACCINATION SCHEDULE

Instead:

VETERINARIAN-DEFINED VACCINATION PLAN

Record:

vaccine

date administered

administrator/veterinarian

batch/lot where available

next clinical due date

and, where relevant:

competition/travel documentation.

This is consistent with the platform architecture established in the horse vaccination guide.

31. Parasite management

Parasite control should similarly be:

individualised

rather than reduced to:

“deworm every X weeks.”

Preventive equine care includes appropriate parasite-control planning developed with veterinary guidance.

The 1KAHU record can include:

faecal egg count

date

result

treatment

product

veterinary recommendation

and:

next review.

32. Farrier and hoof-care history

The health timeline should include:

trim/shoe date

farrier

hoof observations

shoe type

corrective work

and:

next appointment.

That creates useful longitudinal information.

Example:

RIGHT FORE

Repeated quarter crack First recorded: March Farrier images: March / May / July Veterinary assessment: April

This is much more valuable than:

three separate professionals holding three separate histories.

33. Exercise and recovery

For active horses, establish what normal recovery looks like after:

work.

Monitor:

breathing

heart rate where appropriate

sweating

willingness to continue

movement

and:

recovery time.

A persistent change in recovery pattern can be:

health information.

1KAHU should compare:

similar activity with similar activity

rather than:

today's hard gallop with yesterday's rest day.

34. Sleep and rest

Learn your horse's normal:

resting

and:

sleeping behaviour.

Changes may occur because of:

environment

social conditions

pain

or:

illness.

Avoid generic assumptions such as:

“Horse lying down = sick.”

Healthy horses lie down.

The meaningful question is:

“Is this different from the horse's normal pattern, and are other concerning signs present?”

35. Seasonal changes

A horse's baseline is not completely static.

Expect some health metrics to change with:

season

coat

pasture

temperature

workload

and:

management.

For example:

water consumption

can change with:

weather + forage moisture + exercise.

Body condition may also change with:

pasture availability

and:

energy expenditure.

The platform should therefore understand:

BASELINE WITH CONTEXT

rather than:

ONE PERMANENT NORMAL NUMBER

36. Life stage matters

Health monitoring should change across:

foal

young horse

adult

breeding animal

and:

senior horse.

For example, Merck recommends at least annual full veterinary examinations for adult horses and notes that horses over 20 years may benefit from examinations twice yearly or more often depending on individual needs.

That is guidance—not a substitute for the schedule recommended by:

your horse's own veterinarian.

37. Senior horses

For older horses, pay particular attention to:

weight

muscle condition

body condition

dental function

mobility

hoof health

appetite

water intake

coat

and:

changes in behaviour or performance.

The key principle is:

Do not automatically explain a new health change as “just ageing.”

Age changes risk.

It does not provide a diagnosis.

38. Mares and reproductive context

For mares, health interpretation may also need:

reproductive status.

1KAHU should support:

pregnant

lactating

cycling

post-foaling

or:

not applicable.

Water and nutritional requirements, for example, can increase substantially during lactation.

This becomes important when AI Guardian evaluates:

weight

appetite

water

or:

body condition.

39. Environmental context

Record major changes such as:

new stable

new pasture

new herd

transport

competition

weather extremes

diet change

new hay batch

or:

workload change.

These may provide valuable context if health changes appear later.

Example:

BELLA

Manure changed: 3 October Pasture moved: 2 October New hay: 1 October

That does not prove:

causation.

But it gives the veterinarian:

context.

40. Know the signs of colic

Every horse guardian should know common signs of:

abdominal pain.

These may include:

pawing

looking at the flank

kicking at the abdomen

repeatedly lying down

rolling

sweating

stretching as if to urinate

loss of appetite

abdominal distension

and:

reduced manure.

A horse does not need to show:

all of these signs.

And the signs do not tell you:

which type of colic is present.

SUSPECTED COLIC → CONTACT YOUR VETERINARIAN PROMPTLY

Do not use AI Guardian to:

diagnose the type of colic.

When should I contact a veterinarian?

Contact your veterinarian when your horse develops a significant or persistent change in:

• appetite;
• water intake;
• manure;
• urination;
• temperature;
• pulse;
• breathing;
• behaviour;
• weight or body condition;
• movement;
• performance;
• legs or hooves;
• eyes or nasal discharge;
• skin or coat;
• eating or chewing;
• recovery after exercise.

Merck's routine-care guidance identifies appetite, manure, respiratory signs, discharge, skin changes and lameness among common indicators that veterinary assessment may be needed.

But do not rely on:

“wait a day or two”

when the change is severe or potentially urgent.

When is it an emergency?

Seek urgent veterinary advice for:

SUSPECTED COLIC

Especially:

persistent or severe abdominal pain

repeated rolling

marked sweating

abdominal distension

reduced manure

or:

rapid deterioration.

DIFFICULTY BREATHING

Particularly:

significant respiratory effort

or:

rapid deterioration.

COLLAPSE OR SEVERE WEAKNESS

MAJOR TRAUMA OR UNCONTROLLED BLEEDING

SEVERE OR SUDDEN LAMENESS

Particularly:

inability or unwillingness to bear weight.

SERIOUS EYE INJURY OR PAINFUL EYE

SEVERE NEUROLOGICAL SIGNS

Including:

incoordination

collapse

seizures

or:

inability to stand normally.

SUSPECTED TOXIC EXPOSURE

RAPID DETERIORATION

When in doubt:

contact your veterinarian.

The weekly health check

Alongside everyday observation, a more structured check once a week can be useful.

BODY

Weight estimate Body condition Muscle condition where relevant

SKIN & COAT

Wounds Lumps Hair loss Irritation

LEGS

Heat Swelling Pain Symmetry

HOOVES

Condition Cracks Damage Shoes Digital pulse baseline

EYES & NOSE

Clear No abnormal discharge

MOUTH / EATING

Normal chewing No dropping feed

MOVEMENT

Normal walk Normal trot where appropriate

BEHAVIOUR

Normal interaction

PERFORMANCE

Any change?

HEALTH RECORD

Anything new to record?

This should take:

minutes, not hours.

The monthly trend review

This is where 1KAHU can add significantly more value.

Instead of only storing individual events, show:

WEIGHT TREND

BODY CONDITION TREND

ACTIVITY / WORKLOAD

APPETITE CHANGES

MANURE EVENTS

LAMENESS / MOBILITY EVENTS

FARRIER HISTORY

DENTAL HISTORY

VACCINATION STATUS

PARASITE TESTING

VETERINARY EVENTS

Now the guardian can see:

patterns across time.

What should I tell my veterinarian?

Useful information includes:

What changed?

When did it start?

Sudden or gradual?

Appetite?

Water intake?

Manure amount and consistency?

Urination?

Temperature?

Pulse?

Respiratory rate and effort?

Gum appearance?

Any sweating?

Any pain behaviour?

Movement or lameness?

Current medications?

Recent feed changes?

New hay or pasture?

Travel?

Competition?

Recent farrier work?

Dental history?

Vaccination history?

Parasite-control/testing history?

Previous similar episodes?

For suspected colic specifically, Merck notes that useful history includes onset and progression, pain severity, manure passage, prior treatments, deworming and dental history, feed/water changes and activity when the episode began.

Photos and videos can help

Where safe, record:

gait changes

swelling

wounds

abnormal breathing

coughing

unusual behaviour

manure changes

or:

changes in body condition.

A short video can be especially useful for:

intermittent movement abnormalities.

But:

Never delay urgent veterinary care to collect photos, measurements or video.

Key Facts

Knowing your horse's normal behaviour, movement and vital signs can help you recognise health problems earlier.

Appetite, water, manure, behaviour, movement and performance are everyday health signals.

Illustrative resting adult vital-sign ranges in AAEP care guidance are approximately 37.5–38.5°C temperature, 30–42 bpm pulse and 12–20 breaths/minute respiration.

These ranges are reference points—not personalised diagnostic thresholds.

Water requirements vary greatly with environment, feed, exercise and physiological state.

Body condition and muscle condition are not the same thing.

Lameness is a clinical sign, not a diagnosis.

Changes in manure can provide important information about digestive health.

Suspected colic requires prompt veterinary attention.

Veterinary, farrier, dental, vaccination and parasite records are more useful when connected into one longitudinal horse health record.

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I check on my horse every day?

At minimum, notice appetite, water, manure, urination, behaviour, movement, breathing, legs, hooves and any obvious wounds or discharge. The objective is to recognise changes from your horse's normal.

What are normal vital signs for an adult horse?

AAEP care guidance gives illustrative resting ranges of approximately 37.5–38.5°C (99.5–101.5°F) for rectal temperature, 30–42 beats/minute for pulse and 12–20 breaths/minute for respiration. Individual baselines and circumstances matter, so ask your veterinarian what is appropriate for your horse.

How often should I take my horse's temperature?

You do not necessarily need to take it every day in a healthy horse. It is useful to know how to take it safely and to establish your horse's normal resting baseline. Your veterinarian can recommend when routine monitoring is useful for your individual horse.

How much should a horse drink?

There is no single correct daily amount. Water requirements depend on size, diet, exercise, weather, sweating and physiological state. Merck reports approximately 21–29 L/day as typical for a 500 kg adult horse in minimal work under moderate conditions on certain diets, but requirements can become much higher.

How can I tell if my horse has colic?

Possible signs include pawing, flank watching, kicking at the abdomen, repeated lying down or rolling, sweating, stretching, loss of appetite, abdominal distension and reduced manure. Contact your veterinarian promptly if you suspect colic.

Is less manure a concern?

It can be, particularly if combined with reduced appetite, abdominal discomfort or other changes. Reduced bowel movements can occur with colic.

How often should I weigh my horse?

Frequency depends on why you are monitoring. Exact scales are not always available, so consistent estimates and body-condition scoring can help identify trends. Horses undergoing weight management, rehabilitation or medical treatment may need closer monitoring under professional guidance.

What is body condition scoring?

It is a structured way to assess fat deposition across specific body regions. Different validated systems are used internationally, including 1–9 and 0–5 scales.

Is body condition the same as muscle condition?

No. Body condition primarily reflects fat stores. Muscle condition should be considered separately, particularly in older or performance horses.

Should I check my horse's hooves every day?

Regular hoof observation is good practice, particularly when picking out feet. Become familiar with your horse's normal hoof condition and contact your farrier or veterinarian when something changes.

My horse is slightly lame. Should I still ride?

Do not assume unexplained lameness is safe to work through. Lameness is a clinical sign and pain is its most common cause. Seek professional guidance appropriate to the severity and circumstances.

How often should my horse see a veterinarian?

Merck recommends at least an annual full examination for adult horses and notes that horses over 20 may benefit from examinations twice yearly or more frequently. Your veterinarian should determine the appropriate schedule based on the individual horse.

How often should a horse see a farrier?

The appropriate interval depends on the individual horse, hoof growth, environment, workload, whether the horse is shod and any corrective needs. Follow the schedule recommended by your farrier and veterinarian.

How often should a horse's teeth be checked?

Dental schedules depend on age, dental status and individual risk. Routine dental care is an important component of preventive equine health. Follow your equine veterinarian or qualified dental professional's recommendations under the rules applicable in your jurisdiction.

What should I keep in my horse's health record?

Veterinary visits, illnesses, medications, allergies, vaccination history, parasite testing and treatment, dental care, farrier records, weight/body condition, injuries, vital-sign baseline, travel documents and meaningful health observations should ideally be connected in one longitudinal record.

Common misconceptions

“If my horse is eating, they must be healthy.”

Not necessarily. Appetite is only one part of the health picture.

“Every horse should have exactly the same temperature, pulse and respiration.”

No. Reference ranges are useful, but individual baseline and circumstances matter.

“A resting hind leg means the horse is lame.”

Not necessarily. Horses commonly rest a hind limb. Look for a change from normal, pain, gait abnormality or reluctance to bear weight.

“Lameness tells me where the problem is.”

Not always. Lameness is a sign, and veterinary examination may be needed to localise and identify the cause.

“Body weight tells me body condition.”

Not completely. Body condition evaluates fat distribution, and muscle condition is a separate consideration.

“Every horse should drink the same amount each day.”

No. Requirements change substantially with diet, weather, exercise and physiological state.

“Less manure isn't important if the horse looks comfortable.”

It can still be useful health information, particularly when combined with appetite or behavioural changes.

“Rolling means colic.”

Not necessarily. Healthy horses roll. Repeated rolling alongside pain behaviour, appetite loss or other changes is different.

“I can tell what type of colic my horse has from the symptoms.”

No. Similar signs can occur with different causes of abdominal pain. Veterinary examination is required to determine the cause.

“My horse is getting older, so losing condition is expected.”

Ageing may change nutritional and medical needs, but unexplained weight or muscle loss should not simply be dismissed as age.