How to test for sand colic at home

Colic often strikes a horse without warning. When it does, panic can set in quickly for us horse owners. Educating ourselves on the causes, symptoms, and treatments for colic can disarm a lot of anxiety. Sand colic is a common ailment. However, when caught early, we can take quick action to protect our horses. 

Test for Sand Colic at Home

Much of the anxiety over a horse in distress comes from not knowing what is going on inside. Is an intestine twisted? Is something ruptured? Our minds can run wild with what might or might not be happening. In an uncertain situation, we pine for control. We want some way to take action and help our horses. Thankfully, sand colic is easy to test for at home. Using the "Bucket Test" also called the "Fecal Sand Test," you can have some answers quickly as to what's going on and what the next step of action is.

The "Bucket Test" for Sand Colic

1. Pour 1 quart of water into a bucket or large jar.

2. Take six pieces of fecal matter from a fresh pile of your horse's manure and place it into the bucket. Make sure it is from the center of the pile, as not to pick up sand from the ground.

3. Stir the fecal matter until it breaks up in the water.

4. Let the bucket stand for 15 minutes, then pour off the water and any floating contents.

5. Examine the bucket to see whether sand has settled at the bottom of the bucket.

If sand is evident in the bucket, your horse likely has sand in its diet. It might be accumulating within their digestive tract, leading to their discomfort. Now is the time to take early action. Read our article on how to mitigate sand in your horse's diet, introduce psyllium husk into your horse's feed to clean their gut, and call your veterinarian.

If you do not find sand, your horse's discomfort might be a sign of a different and possibly more severe type of colic. You've done well to eliminate a possible diagnosis of sand impaction, and now it's best to call your veterinarian for a thorough exam.

Take Preventative Action Against Colic

Whether or not sand colic is the diagnosis, it could be the initial cause of whatever is taking place in your horse's digestive system. Ingesting sand or dirt can lead to worse conditions down the road. We can help protect our horses by regularly cleaning their guts with a consistent regimen of ColiClenz Plus Pellets. Using Psyllium husk, one of earth's highest naturally occurring soluble fiber sources, we can rest assured our horse's system is cleansed of unwanted debris. ColiClenz Plus Pellets act as a natural sponge, expanding within a horse's stomach, then traveling through the rest of their system, cleaning it thoroughly before everything is expelled in the feces. Read more about using Psyllium husk to help prevent colic.