Feed can play a major role in colic. I know there are some feeds out there that can reduce the chance of colic. I have a horse who is 26 and has had a major bout of colic every year for the past few years. He keeps his weight up easily so he has always gotten the same mixture of sweet feed. After a close call and ending up at the vet's office 3 days in a row, I switched to a pelleted feed, Nutrena Safe Choice. He is still butterball fat and has not had even the slightest case of colic for almost 2 years.