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Institutions launch colic awareness campaign
Horse in field
Over 90 per cent of horse owners do not feel confident in spotting the early signs of colic.

New research sheds light on deadly condition

A new campaign to help horse owners combat the life-threatening condition of colic has been launched by the British Horse Society (BHS) in conjunction with the University of Nottingham.

The ‘REACT Now to Beat Colic’ campaign aims to educate horse owners about the wide range of issues relating to colic, in particular identifying the more subtle, early signs of the illness.

To help horse owners prepare for colic, the institutions have produced a comprehensive library of new resources, including an educational video.

They have also put together a simple acronym, REACT, which aims to help horse owners spot the early signs of the condition.

R - Restless or agitated
E - Eating less of dropping reduced
A - Abdominal pain
C - Clinical changes
T - Tired or lethargic

“We know how daunting colic can be for horse owners, and a lot of people don’t know how to spot its early signs,” said Emmeline Hannelly, BHS welfare education officer. “The guides will support horse owners in dealing with colic; from its prevention to the worst case scenario of emergency decision making,”

According to a study by the University of Nottingham, over 90 per cent of horse owners do not feel confident in spotting the early signs of colic.

The research, revealed yesterday at the BHS’ 2016 welfare conference, also found that colic accounts for one in three emergency veterinary call outs to horses.  At least one in ten of these cases may be critical, and up to 80 per cent of these critical cases result in death or the horse being euthanised.

Professor Sarah Freeman, from The University of Nottingham’s School of Veterinary Medicine and Science, said: “For the past five years we have been conducting systematic reviews of the evidence on risk factors for colic as well as different diagnostic tests.

“We have also generated new evidence on what happens when vets first see horses with colic and have run surveys, workshops and consensus voting to ask vets and horse owners about their experiences and opinions of colic. We have identified where more research is needed and generated important new information to inform this campaign.”

Further information and downloadable materials can be downloaded from the BHS website: www.bhs.org.uk/colic

Image (C) Redwings Horse Sanctuary

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Applications open for MMI research grants

News Story 1
 RCVS' Mind Matters Initiative (MMI) has launched round two of its veterinary mental health research grants.

Researchers have until 11.59pm on Wednesday, 28 May 2025 to apply for a grant for research which reflects MMI's 2025 focus areas.

Only one Impact Grant was awarded last year, and so this year there are two Discovery Grants and one Impact Grants available. Each Discovery Grant is worth £5,000 and the Impact Grant is worth £15,000.

For more information or to apply, email researchgrants@rcvs.org.uk to contact the MMI team.

 

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News Shorts
BBC Radio 4 documentary addresses corporate fees

BBC Radio 4's File on 4 Investigates has released a documentary exploring how corporate-owned veterinary practices may be inflating bills to increase profit.

Released on 15 April, 'What's Happening To Your Vet Bills?' revealed the policies which many corporate groups have in place to increase their profits. This included targets and upgrades which veterinary teams are tasked with meeting on a regular basis.

It also features Anrich Vets, an independently-owned practice based in Wigan. Following the case of Staffordshire terrier Benjy, who is diagnosed with a tumour, the documentary shares how the team were able to offer contextualised care and advice to make the procedure as affordable as possible for his owners.

The documentary can be heard on demand on BBC iPlayer.