Performance outcomes are not reduced following colic surgery in warmblood jumping horses

To provide performance data of warmblood jumping horses following colic surgery.

This retrospective case series reviewed clinical records of 5 equine hospitals with the inclusion criteria of warmblood horses undergoing colic surgery between January 1, 2011, and December 31, 2021, surviving to discharge, and being registered as a hunter or jumper with the US Equestrian Federation. Clinical data included age, sex, and lesion type. Performance data included discipline, jump height, number of starts, number of wins, and number of placings. Pre- and postoperative data were analyzed separately.

90 horses met the inclusion criteria. Sixty-eight percent of horses returned to competition (26% to a lower level, 27% to the same level, and 16% to a higher level). Jumpers were 3.38 (95% CI, 1.57 to 9.60) times more likely to return to competition than hunters. Neither discipline showed a significant difference between performance data before and after surgery. Each additional year of age was associated with a 0.71 (95% CI, 0.56 to 0.80) times lower chance for return to competition at the same level or higher. Compared to horses with large intestinal nonstrangulating lesions, horses with large intestinal strangulating lesions (0.31; 95% CI, 0.10 to 0.99) and small intestinal strangulating lesions (0.34; 95% CI, 0.12 to 0.99) were less likely to return to competition at the same level or higher.

The majority of jumping horses return to performance following colic surgery.

This performance data should assist veterinarians, owners, and trainers to adopt a more positive attitude toward the effect of colic surgery on performance.