Bit concerned

[First Time Mum]

My 19 year old mare has started eating the faeces of the other horse in the field (her daughter - 19 months have been weaned etc).

She is out 24/7, permanent access to hay, fed morning and night also has a shelter bedded down with straw. The grass isnt brilliant but there is enough to keep her occupied when she fancies a change from the hay.

She is fed: fibre beet conditioning, and conditioning cubes.

Looks in good condition.

My assumtion would have been that lacking vitamins and mins but she is fed just over the recommended amount of hard feed which include vitamins and mins. The Hay should be providing plenty of fibre and the feed plenty of protein.

I have had her for 11 years and never seen her do this before. She is due to be wormed shortly do you think that it would be worth bringing it forward?

Would you be concerned?

 

[TarrSteps]

Is she getting enough forage? Any other signs of intestinal discomfort or similar?

It would be worth worming or possibly getting a count done. It is also possible that for some reason her nutritional needs are not being fully met - perhaps your hay is not as nutritious this year? Perhaps she's a bit low post weaning?

Does she have access to a salt block? It might be worth seeing if a simple vitamin supplement does the trick for her even though you are sure she's adequately fed.

It's worth getting on it a bit as it can become a habit and while it's not a national emergency, it's not the best either.

 

[Queenbee]

Have a look at this link

http://www.petplace.com/horses/coprophagia-in-horses/page1.aspx

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

It's not so much the fibre or protein content of the feed, more the horse trying to rebalance the gut flora and fauna! Has the horse been on antibx recently? That can kill off the "good" bacteria as well as the bad, causing gut pain and digestive upset. I'd get either a proprietory gut balancer or buy some live yogurt, same as you'd do for yourself if you got thrush after antibx!

 

[First Time Mum]

Hi
Thank for the responses.
she hasnt been on any antibx recently. She wont touch a salt lick or any of the other nice licky things you can get.
Will try her on some gut balancer to see if that makes a difference - will the youngster be ok with some gut balancer as they tend to share buckets?
She is on ad lib forage so cant give her anymore.

Thanks