I'm curious to know how horse owners out there go about managing colic and when you start to get concerned.

Myself, I treat all colic as being serious, and even if it gets better without veterinary assistance I would still recomend getting a vet out to see the horse as soon as possible.

I've always been taught the same. despite all the technology and medical advances colic is still hard to treat sometimes and thus it should be considered life threatening every time.