How do you tell if a horse has colic?

Call your veterinarian to notify him/her of the problem and request an emergency call for assistance. Get a halter and lead rope or lunge line on your horse and start walking - you want to keep your horse moving for two reasons. First, you want to keep your horse from rolling, which can turn a simple impaction colic into a life-threatening strangulation colic. Second, walking helps to gently massage the intestines and may help to relieve the colic.