Finding Relief: Texas A&M Veterinarians Remove 13-Pound Intestinal Stone Causing Chronic Colic

For most of her life, Winterfair has been known for her strength and reliability. The 19-year-old mare is not only recognized for her Fédération Equestre Internationale dressage career but for being a reliable partner to her owner Andrea Hart. 

Over the course of their 16 years of riding and training together, Hart and Winterfair have formed a unique bond, which is why when Winterfair began exhibiting some of her quirky behavior around her food, Hart wasn’t initially concerned.

“She was never one to put her head down and eat like other horses,” Hart said. “Winterfair has always been a little funny about her feed.”

However, that uncertainty quickly became more urgent as Winterfair began showing signs of colic, a serious abdominal pain. 

A Heavy Issue

Winterfair’s colic episodes came and went, ranging from mild to more severe, but they never fully resolved. 

Multiple veterinarians treated her for ulcers, a common and reasonable explanation based on her symptoms. Medications were adjusted, feeding plans were changed, and for a while, it did look like progress was being made; however, the relief never lasted.

“It felt like we were putting a Band-Aid on something,” Hart said. “She’d get better and then it would come right back.” 

As Hart began paying closer attention, what started as concern turned into documentation, tracking Winterfair’s eating habits and behavior. Over time, those details showed her that there was more to the story.

“If you don’t advocate for them, you’re not going to get to the bottom of it,” said Hart. “I knew there was something else going on.”

A Clear Answer at Last

By the time Winterfair was referred to the Texas A&M Large Animal Teaching Hospital, she had a years-long history of recurrent colic. However, when she arrived at the hospital, nothing immediately stood out to the internal medicine team. 

With a stable physical exam but a complex history, the team took a methodical approach, beginning with foundational diagnostics before advancing to more specialized testing.

“In a case like this, we always start with the basics,” said Dr. Rebecca Legere, an assistant professor of equine internal medicine at Texas A&M College of Veterinary Medicine & Biomedical Sciences (VMBS). “Abdominal radiographs are often challenging in a horse this size, especially in the field, and not seeing abnormalities does not necessarily rule things out, but at a referral center like ours, especially with her complex and recurrent colic history, they remain an essential first step in building a complete picture.”

That step quickly proved pivotal.

“I was walking into radiology when I saw it on the screen. It was a large enterolith (a mineral stone) in the colon,” Legere said. “It was one of those moments when everything just becomes clear.”

From Diagnosis to Recovery

From that point forward, Winterfair’s care transitioned directly into the hands of the hospital’s surgical team. Dr. George Elane, an assistant professor of equine surgery at Texas A&M VMBS, and the team confirmed that a large enterolith was lodged within Winterfair’s large colon, explaining the on-and-off nature of the colic.

“These stones act like a ball valve,” Elane said. “They shift just enough to cause intermittent obstruction and pain.”

Weighing more than 13 pounds, the stone immediately explained the chronic, recurring pain Winterfair was battling.

“It was a hallelujah moment,” Hart said. “We finally had an answer.”

What made Winterfair’s case possible wasn’t just a single diagnosis or procedure but the way each step built on the last. From internal medicine to surgery to postoperative care, her case moved through multiple teams, each contributing a different piece of the solution while working toward the same outcome.

“This is very much a team effort,” Elane said. “Everyone — from the clinicians to the residents, students, and support staff — plays a role in getting these horses through safely.”

After the procedure, the surgical team performed a full abdominal evaluation to ensure no additional stones were present, which is a standard part of a complex colic cases managed at the hospital. 

Winterfair recovered well under the hospital’s postoperative care plan, which included controlled refeeding, monitoring, and antimicrobial therapy before discharge.

“She did very well from a surgical standpoint,” Elane said. “Everything went as expected.”

Winterfair’s New Normal

In the weeks that followed her discharge from the hospital, Winterfair’s recovery became visible in small, yet meaningful ways. She has gained about 100 pounds, improved in comfort, and, most importantly, returned to her fun-loving spirit.

For the first time in years, Winterfair is eating without hesitation.

“Most horses just put their head down and eat,” Hart said. “She was never that horse, but now she is.”

For Winterfair, the answer didn’t just resolve a diagnosis; it changed her day-to-day life. After years of intermittent discomfort, the difference became visible in quiet, everyday moments.

Her case is a reminder of how easily ongoing issues can mask an underlying cause, especially when symptoms seem manageable at first.

“If you feel like something isn’t right, keep asking questions,” Hart said. “Trust your gut.”