Trends in the management of horses referred for colic evaluation preceding and during the <scp>COVID</scp> ‐19 pandemic (2013–2023)

The decreasing proportion of horses admitted for colic that received surgery is likely due to the increased caseload of first-opinion care at referral practices during the pandemic, as fewer options were available to owners. The increasing number of horses euthanised intraoperatively or euthanised without receiving surgery may be due to the dramatically rising costs of medical care, particularly surgery.