You don't need to know what's wrong before you call. These signs are reasons to pick up the phone, not diagnoses. If something feels off and you aren't sure, call your vet. That's what they're there for.
Colic: abdominal pain
Colic is a sign, not a single disease. Look for pawing, rolling, looking at or kicking at the belly, no manure, or not eating. Contact your vet promptly, especially if the pain is severe, getting worse, keeps coming back or started overnight. Take away feed and follow the vet's advice on water and walking. Stay clear of a horse that is rolling violently. Passing manure or a short improvement doesn't mean the horse is in the clear.[1]
Laminitis: new foot pain
Short, reluctant steps, shifting weight, strong pulses in the feet or unusually warm feet can mean laminitis. Call right away. Don't wait for the classic leaning-back stance, and don't force exercise.[2]
Choke: feed or saliva from the nose
Coughing, repeated swallowing, or feed and saliva coming from the nostrils can mean the esophagus is blocked. Call your vet. Remove all feed and water and give nothing by mouth, including medicine or oil. Never put a hose in the horse's mouth. Follow up with your vet even if it seems to clear on its own.[3]
Wounds and punctures: location matters more than size
Call for anything more than a minor scrape, including punctures, wounds near a joint, injuries to the head or neck, heavy bleeding or lameness. Make sure it's safe to approach, then apply steady pressure to bleeding with clean material while someone calls.[4] If a nail or other object has gone into the sole or frog, leave it in place and call immediately. Its angle and depth help the vet see what it hit.[5]
Eyes: squinting, cloudiness, swelling
A painful or injured eye shouldn't wait until tomorrow. Call your vet, keep the horse from rubbing it if you can do so safely, and never use leftover or human eye drops without instructions.[6]
Other call-now signs
- Trouble breathing at rest.
- Staggering, collapse, or being down and unable to get up.
- Sudden severe lameness or refusing to put weight on a leg.
- Bleeding you can't control.
- A horse that got into the grain bin, even before any signs show.
- Signs of heatstroke: stop work, remove tack, call for help and cool the horse continuously with plenty of water.[7]
What to have ready when you call
Say what you see and when it started. Add temperature, pulse and respiration if you can get them safely, the last normal meal and manure, and any recent changes in feed, work or medication. Keep it all on your Vet-Call Card.
Sources
- Penn Vet New Bolton Center: Colic, What You Can Do
- AAEP: Learn to Recognize the Signs of Laminitis
- AAEP: Understanding Choke in Horses (May 2025)
- University of Illinois: First Aid for Horses
- University of Illinois: Street Nails, an Equine Emergency
- Cornell: Assessment of Vision and Common Eye Problems in Horses
- World Horse Welfare: Heatstroke in Horses (June 2026); Penn State: When to Call the Equine Vet
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