Horse eating is own poo - normal??

[littlenordic]

Hi, I caught my horse actually eating his own fresh poo! Is this normal? Is he lacking in something??? He was well and truly tucking in and got quite narked when I tried to stop him!! Suggestions please??!!

 

[CBFan]

Fibre. How big is he and how much hay is he getting?

What is his normal diet?

 

[littlenordic]

Hi, he's a 15.2 TB and is 22. He is only ad lib hay at night and is out on grass during the day. He is fed Fast Fibre x 1.5 mug twice a day with 2 handfulls of hifi plus a joint supp. Thanks!

 

[littlenordic]

he also gets brewers yeast!

 

[Fimbacob]

This could be a stereotypie called coprophagia and there a various causes. There is lots of info on tinterweb. I caught my pony having a quick nibble a year ago so put a mineral lick in stable and he has never done it again.

 

[Dry Rot]

I'd say perfectly normal. Dogs sometimes do it and some mammals (hares) do it as an essential part of their digestion. It is sometimes the animal just wanting to top up on benign bacteria in the gut. After all, they lose bacteria every time they poo and need specific bacteria to help them digest certain foods. Personally, I wouldn't worry about it -- but I expect to be contradicted!

 

[Archina]

We had a Clydesdale x on loan many moons ago who started eating her own poo, vet said it was some sort of diet deficiency. Sorry I cant remember what exactly but I was very young and my memory is rubbish. I would get your vet out though.

 

[alicem1707]

Could be lack of salt in their diet?

 

[CBFan]

Is he up to date with the dentist? Could be that he's not digesting the fibre as well as he could be? especially given his age - how much is 'add lib'?

Could also benefit from a general purpose supplement.

 

[littlenordic]

Thanks for all your comments. He does have a salt lick in his stable so unless he's not self medicating on it I could add salt to his feeds but can yuo overdose them on salt???

 

[littlenordic]

His teeth were only checked a couple of months ago so would not expect that to be the cause, for his age he has good teeth. We have wraped and baled hay (not quite haylage) and he gets a big flap each night so there is a fair bit of hay. Poos are never sloppy. What suppliemnnt would you suggest - What about pink powder?

 

[han4]

My pony did this then i gave her a salt/mineral lick and i haven't seen her do it since

 

[CBFan]

I would try something fairly cheap and chearful like equivite original - I've always found it a good all round supplement and relatively cheap.

 

[Janah]

My boy did this when he was headshaking, down to his teeth. I know now it was stress induced.

He literally ate poo in a really demented fashion, think shark feeding frenzy. Very upsetting and disturbing to see.