Help - eating his own poo

luane1

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9 November 2006
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Our new guy has this strange habit of eating his own poo, I have never had this with a horse before and am wondering if anyone can shed some light on it, I asked around our yard and answers range from needs worming - but he has been done, to maybe he is bored. Well I dont think this is it as he is being worked hard for an hour a day and gets thrown out for a couple of hours. We have cut his feed and our haylege is rather rich at the moment so that has been cut as well as he is a bit over weight. He is 16.2 Irish Draught. An y ideas, - could he be lacking in something in his diet?
 
One of our neds ate hers too when we fist got her, i'msure someone said it was to do with them being in a new enviroment
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It can be a number of things; habit, lacking in fibre/minerals, trying to rebuild the flora within the gut after anti-b's, worms etc.
 
So basically dont worry about it - except when he comes with a brown moustache for a kiss!! yuk or should we give him a tonic like restore or a mineral lick. He probably hasnt spent much time in a stable of done a lot of work before us so we will watch him.
 
my friends gelding was eating my boys poo!
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!We just put him on a vitamin supp to be sure he wasnt lacking anything due to feeds been cut right back,havnt seen him do it since,but am sure he just liked the taste of something my boy had eaten previously and passed through,lol!x
 
I ahve been told that if a horse eats anothers poo, it is because of the body not breaking down the sugars correctly so it is very sweet and tasty.
Not sure about eating your own poo though.
 
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