It’s Colic Awareness Week! Can You Spot the Early Signs?

Colic Awareness Week is back: Monday 5th  to 11th October and this year the ‘React Now to Beat Colic’ campaign, run by The British Horse Society (BHS) and The University of Nottingham, is asking all horse owners to make a pledge and sign up to receive a free equine care and emergency plan that could make all the difference when dealing with colic.

This follows the success of last year’s first Colic Awareness Week, which focused on how to spot the early signs of colic. This year the BHS and the University’s Vet School will be providing free daily 10-minute webinars on a range of colic subjects, top tips via social media as well as a free care and emergency plan.

Veterinary practices across the country that are part of The BHS and the university’s ‘Vet REACT Colic Champions scheme’ will also be raising awareness by sharing information with their clients and across their social media channels throughout the week.

Emmeline Hannelly, Welfare Education Manager at the BHS said:

We are really pleased to be hosting our second Colic Awareness Week with the University of Nottingham. When we launched ‘REACT Now to Beat Colic’ in 2016, we wanted to educate as many horse owners as possible about how to spot the early signs of colic, as critical colic can be a race against time to save the horse’s life.

The campaign has been well received by horse owners and vets; however, we are aware that many people may not have a care plan in place, this really can make all the difference, and, in some cases, it can be the difference in saving your horse. We are asking everyone to ‘Pledge to React’ and receive a free care plan during the week.”

Dr Katie Lightfoot, Teaching Associate in Equine Welfare at the School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, University of Nottingham, said:

We are delighted to be continuing our collaboration with The British Horse Society to improve the health and welfare of the horse. The School of Veterinary Medicine and Science have continued our research into colic and emergency planning which underpins this educational campaign. Colic awareness week gives us a fantastic opportunity to share the evidence-based information as widely as possible within the horse community.”

Horse owners can access their free care and emergency plan at bhs.org.uk/colic 
Follow the BHS’s social media channels to watch the free 10-minute webinars throughout the week.

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