# Colic Roll vs. Feel Good Roll



## OkieGal (Dec 14, 2011)

A curious thought popped into my head as my horse was rolling our indoor arena the other day.
What is the difference between a colicy roll and a good ol' fashioned feel good, rooting in the dirt roll?

I honestly have no idea as to the difference and would love to hear your opinions on this!


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

OkieGal said:


> What is the difference between a colicy roll and a good ol' fashioned feel good, rooting in the dirt roll?


Most of my horses will roll after a good work out or on their way in or out of their stalls (they walk out through the indoor arena). They shake when they get up and perhaps throw in a happy buck or sassy squeal.

A colic roll - the horse will not hunt for a nice place, they will drop any where. It is obvious they are not scratching but hurting.


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## xxdanioo (Jan 17, 2012)

You would notice the difference.. I know my horse will go down and get up and go down and get up and he looks like he is in pain. He has had gas colic twice. He also doesn't normally have happy rolls when I'm around lol.


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## snootyfox (Jan 23, 2011)

After a colic roll they will do a big body shake. The bigger the shake the better they feel...only shaking the head and neck after a roll is a suggestion that things are okay but there is something bothersome. I have used this as a sign to start paying attention and have had that be the first symptom of simple things like body soreness or an oncoming illness. I have yet to have a vet scoff at the change in a horse's rolling patterns! 

The reverse is true as well- no rolling (finding shaving in manes or tails if they live inside) or even getting down at some point is also a sign of issues usually stiffness, sore joints or even back problems. Takes a lot of muscles to get that big bod down on the ground and back up again! I always try to pause and watch when I see one of my own horses or a client's horses getting ready to roll.


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## faye (Oct 13, 2010)

Normaly a lot of pained sounding groaning. sometimes the horse will stay on its sideand kick at its belly. When they get up they will often have a kick at thier belly.
They will often half sit up and look at thier belly.
There wil normaly be a pinching to the nostril and the horse generaly will look distressed.


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## maura (Nov 21, 2009)

Biggest difference is that the horse will have shown signs of colic or distress long before rolling. Anxious, looking at their sides, straining to make manure, pawing, elevated pulse and respiration, possibly sweating. 

Most horses will roll after a workout, and will hunt around, nose to the ground, looking for a good scratchy place. My chestnut horse is a diva and *must* roll if he's the least bit sweaty, always rolls after a bath or being unsaddled. It's a *happy* roll, if that makes sense. 

A colicky horse rolling is not a *happy* roll, and the horse will be showing clear signs of distress beforehand.


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## OkieGal (Dec 14, 2011)

Thank you, guys!

I wasn't worried if it was colic or not. Sorry if that confuses anyone.
My horse did his usual sniff, paw, half laydown, paw some more, and then....FLOP! It was quite comical.
I had worked him into a nice sweat so that makes sense that he would want to roll.


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## natisha (Jan 11, 2011)

Yep, watch for that shake


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## feistymomma (Apr 15, 2010)

When a horse is collicing, they will roll, get up, and roll again...If they keep doing this, it is something to be concerned about.


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## Corporal (Jul 29, 2010)

They also bite their sides when collicking, as if to help everything move along. Often a collicking horse has passed manure while in the trailer on the way to the Vet. The movement in the trailer rocks enough to move their intestines. NOT always, but often enough that your Vet has stories.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

Also, a colicky horse will often have a hunched appearance when they are standing. They arch their back and stand with their feet all bunched up underneath them and their head lowered.

They will also often sweat profusely, be breathing hard, and in general have a "pained" look on their face.


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## PoofyPony (Sep 15, 2011)

Heres a video on a colicing horse.... warning do not watch if you don't want to watch anything sort of 'graphic' or disterbing.


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## xXSerendipityXx (Jan 26, 2012)

They look more relaxed &happy when it's a scratch back kind of roll
A colic roll it's obvious they're in pain, &then they don't get up


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

Colic roll- they roll and roll and roll, usually don't shake when they get up (although there are some horses who don't shake), getting up and getting back down... 

Good roll- They roll and get up, usually shaking and don't get back down.


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## Bridgertrot (Dec 2, 2011)

Now I'm confused. I see some people saying if they shake after they get up it's bad. I rarely ever see a horse not shake after a good roll. But then others say no shake is bad?

Thoroughly confused. I feel that I can easily recognize the difference but just the fact that people are saying opposite things is confusing.


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

Bridgertrot said:


> Now I'm confused. I see some people saying if they shake after they get up it's bad. I rarely ever see a horse not shake after a good roll. But then others say no shake is bad?
> 
> Thoroughly confused. I feel that I can easily recognize the difference but just the fact that people are saying opposite things is confusing.


Think about it, would you shake if your stomach was hurting? No. I am not sure exactly why they shake when they roll, perhaps something to do with getting of some extra dirt.. I only know one horse that doesn't shake after he rolls.


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## xxdanioo (Jan 17, 2012)

My guy was saddled this weekend and tried rolling with everything on- I thought he had a tummy ache, but thankfully it was a happy roll- first he's done inside. (after I took all his tack off!)


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