In less severe cases, the horse can be observed for a short while before the veterinarian is contacted. While you wait, the horse should be kept in a comfortable stall without food or water. Try to keep it from lying down, walking it slowly if it tries to roll. Some information the vet may ask for could include behavioral signs, the horses general appetite and bowel activity over the last several days, recent changes in food or exercise, amount of recent water intake and medical history. One of the more common types of colic is an impaction resulting from a firm mass of food blocking the intestine at one of the flexures.
Gas is another common cause, resulting in pain from the intestine being stretched.
Another type comes from the displacement of part of the intestine. Volvulus or torsion is a type of colic that results from a piece of the intestine twisting. This requires immediate surgery. Another dangerous type comes from enteritis or colitis, an inflammation of the small or large intestines. Gastric distension occurs when a horse gorges itself or eats something that expands its stomach.