I've heard a bit about colic and how dangerous it is for horses, but what does it actually look like and how do you know if your horse is affected?

A friend of mine had a horse to die from colic a few years back. She said here Palamino mare, Sandy, just got sick all of a sudden and wouldn't eat. She took her to an Equine Hospital and they ended up doing surgery on her, but sadly the day my friend was to go pick her up and bring her home she took a turn for the worse and passed away. My friend was totally heartbroken over this and also ended up having to pay over $9.000.00 for the whole ordeal.

A horse with colic is normally restless looking and may want to lay down or roll instead of walk or stand. You often hear of people spending much time trying to get them to walk, including yelling, whipping, etc.

Yes, I remember my friend walking her mare all hours of the night for a couple days before she took her to the hospital, but nothing would ease her. The hospital had said her intestines had somehow become twisted and even the surgery couldn't save her. It is so sad that what starts out seeming like a common disease can also be so deadly.

So they roll, lay down and don't want to walk? But then how do you know if it's colic or if they just have sore feet?

I haven't seen a horse actually suffering from colic, but I'd be willing to bet you could tell it was something pretty serious. It would most likely be the instinct of the horse owner to be able to tell when their horse was in serious pain.