Navigating downed logs, trudging through muck and crossing streams are regular obstacles encountered on trail rides by Mary Lewin and her horse, Spirit. The 6-year-old American Paint Horse has logged many miles through moderate and challenging terrain—and taken it all in stride.

“He's been a real trooper,” Lewin says. “We've hauled our horses to various state parks for four-day camping trips, which he has accepted very well. He enjoys hauling places, as he gets to see different surroundings away from home.”

Lewin’s other paint horse, 11-year-old Buddy, has been Spirit’s mentor through it all. A four-hour trail ride in September 2025 started as any other for the pair and their riders, but soon took a drastic turn. After finishing the ride, something was off.

“Both horses were sweaty and tired, but Spirit seemed more fidgety than normal,” Lewin recalls. “He wanted to roll immediately after being unsaddled, something he had never displayed before.”

Lewin and her son loaded up and made the hour-and-a-half trip back home. Once out of the trailer, Spirit was still sweating and acting off. An emergency phone call to their local veterinarian clinic led to an initial diagnosis of colic and a referral to the Veterinary Medical Center (VMC) at the University of Minnesota. 

Colic refers to discomfort in the gastrointestinal system, and while some episodes respond to pain control and supportive care, others are more severe and require surgery to treat. Signs of colic often include rolling, sweating, restlessness, and decreased appetite or manure production.

“A lot of horses are very good at telling you if they’re experiencing pain,” says Sarah Lewis, a Large Animal Internal Medicine Service resident who worked on Spirit’s case. “But there are certainly horses who are more stoic and don't really tell you everything that's going on, which can be frightening for owners.”

At the VMC, a team examined Spirit and gathered information through diagnostic tests to pinpoint the cause of his colic. Lewis says Spirit’s abdomen had become distended, his lactate levels were elevated, indicating compromised blood supply to the intestine, and rectal palpation indicated the colon was in an abnormal position.

Based on these and other findings, the team suspected that the horse’s large colon had become displaced, preventing the movement of manure through it. Surgery would be needed to correct the displacement.

Lewin had no reservations about proceeding with surgery, noting that some of her other horses had undergone surgical procedures at the VMC over the years.

“All of them have been a success,” she says. “I knew Spirit would receive the best of care.”

During Spirit’s procedure, surgeons with the Large Animal Surgery Service found that his colon had twisted, also known as a torsion. An impaction, or blockage, had also formed within his colon. Surgeons corrected the position of his colon and flushed it to remove the blockage.

Following the surgery, Spirit spent two weeks in the hospital being monitored while he recovered. Every day, Lewin says she received a call from Lewis updating her on Spirit’s progress.

“I looked forward to her daily calls and appreciated all the information she shared on his recovery,” she adds. 

One issue that can arise with male horses who have undergone abdominal surgery—and did with Spirit— is urinating on their incision, which can cause skin irritation called scalding. To prevent further skin damage, Mary purchased a belly band, which would cover and support Spirit’s incision site while it healed. The belly band also helped to prevent a hernia while healing.

Putting an elastic band around a horse that is recovering from surgery and has to remain on stall rest was no easy feat.

“It can be really challenging for owners, but Mary was very dedicated,” Lewis says. “Spirit had to wear the band for three to four months after surgery, and it was changed once or twice a day. Any aftercare is a big commitment for an owner, and she took that on board.”

For a horse not used to being stalled, he tolerated it for the weeks required to heal his incision. For Lewin, all the hard work was worth it to see Spirit recover, and she attributes his successful healing to his youth and strength. 

In late March 2026, after six months of recovery, she and Spirit saddled up for their first ride since his surgery. She's happy to report he’s back to his “old self” and incredibly grateful to have the opportunity for many more rides with him.

“I'm extremely pleased with how everything with Spirit was handled and would definitely refer anyone who has a life-threatening issue with their horse to take them to the Veterinary Medical Center,” she says. “It's nice to know I have access to a top-notch equine veterinary hospital only about 40 miles away from home.”