"Colic" is a general term for a horse's demonstration of abdominal pain. It is a common emergency, and can result from simple gas accumulation or gut spasm (70% of the time), or from more serious problems involving any part of the equine intestine. Occasionally a foal can show colic signs when body systems other than the intestines are involved. Examples include bladder rupture and fractured ribs.

Foals are very sensitive to abdominal pain (colic). Foals in colic pain may roll, lie on their back, get up and down, grind their teeth, curl their lip, kick at their belly, look at their side, and engage in numerous other abnormal behaviors. Most also stop nursing and act depressed or disoriented. Any or all of these colic signs can range from mild to severe, but severity of any of the signs does not necessarily correlate to the severity of the problem. Foals may show one sign, or many signs simultaneously.

The most common Condition Causing Colic (CCC) in otherwise healthy newborns is first manure (meconium) impaction. Other signs of meconium impaction are straining to defecate and bloating (abdominal distention). Foals acquire intestinal infections that can be very painful and thus cause them to exhibit colic.

Untreated, these infections can be fatal within hours. Diarrhea is usually but not always associated with these infections. Young foals are prone to ulcers in the stomach and upper small intestine. Colic signs may also be caused by a variety of other conditions, usually involving the intestines but possibly involving other organs.

Keep in mind that a distressed foal is not easy to examine, is fragile, and handling them may make the situation worse.