Horse poos.....how many is too few?

Bertolie

Bertolie

Well-Known Member
Joined
11 August 2011
Messages
1,600
Location
Gloucestershire
Visit site
As title, how many poos a day approximately would you expect from a 14.2 Arab x and a 15.1 Cob x Shire/Clydesdale? They are both good doers and have 2 x 0.5 acre summer paddocks, rotated weekly, but very little grass in either paddock (to the naked eye). Both horses could do with losing a few kgs but are not massively overweight.

How many would you say were too few?

I've been told the amount of droppings is a good guide to whether they are eating enough. I'm wondering if I need to supplement the grazing with some hay
 
Thanks all. I normally get between 6-10 poos per horse a day, though the ones from my cob are normally the size of elephants poops! It's usually a barrow full per day in total. Poo picked today and there were only 8 poos in total (24 hrs worth). I have given them some hay tonight but am hoping we get some grass coming through.
 
If mine is in during the day, out during the night, he does as few as 2 in his stable. Other days, his stable is a wreck, but he rarely does more than 5, given he's in from say 5pm to 8am.
 
I'd go on general condition, energy and brightness to decide if they were getting enough food - horses vary, so unless the number or type of pops changes from their normal I wouldn't worry too much. It sounds although they're about normal anyway :)
 
My mare if in at night (6pm to 7am) after a day in the field usually only did 3 poos, and sometimes only 2. I don't know what she did during the day but I'm willing to bet that her total was only 8 in 24 hours. She had a perfectly healthy digestive tract and ate well.
 
If they will eat soaked hay it would indicate a shortage of grass, if they won't they are getting too much if you want them to lose weght.
Get them out and about rather than micromanaging, which is impossible on grazing.
I would not risk colic.
 
Bertolie said:
Thanks all. I normally get between 6-10 poos per horse a day, though the ones from my cob are normally the size of elephants poops! It's usually a barrow full per day in total. Poo picked today and there were only 8 poos in total (24 hrs worth). I have given them some hay tonight but am hoping we get some grass coming through.
Click to expand...

Yes, definitely too few. I would supplement with hay. Mine get a small amount every evening even when there is plenty of grass. It's only a token and just makes it easier for me to check them because they always come running. Even when the grass is lush they like a handful of haylage. When the grass goes off, they get lots of haylage. I know your two are overweight but they still need the roughage going through their systems to stay healthy. At least you are concerned enough to ask. Many people don't bother.

I would expect to get 3/4 of a barrow per horse per day.
 
I usually work on eight per horse per day. However, I don't worry about it (as both of ours are go doers) unless it drops below five per day each, at which point they either get moved or get hay.

I use it as an indicator as to whether they have enough going through the digestive system.
 
Thanks everyone, people at my yard thought I was being silly giving them some hay but I thought 4 poos per horse was really nowhere near enough! I'm on a DIY yard with individual turnout, although we keep the two horses together. We actually have the least amount of grazing on the yard and I have been trying for quite a few years to either swap paddocks or get extra grazing but I've never had to start feeding hay this early in the year! I think I'm going to have to speak to YO (and get my OH to back me up as YO will take more notice of men, plus my OH has known owner and his family for donkeys years!).
 
When M was on box rest he would do about 3 overnight and about 5 in the little paddock in the day. These were enormous mountains though. He's obviously not a little and often type of guy! He had ad lib hay at all times as he'd eaten all the grass in the paddock by day 4, but didn't eat much of it while out.
 
Depends on your horse tbh & what they do normally. Bill is 17h and when in would do 6-8 poos a night. And he would always have a small amount of hay left in the morning.

He normally lives out 24/7 but has access to his stable & own yard. The field he is in is 5 acres between him and 2 donkeys & has a lot of grass atm, but he would still choose to come in and eat the slice of hay I leave him!
 
Bertolie said:
As title, how many poos a day approximately would you expect from a 14.2 Arab x and a 15.1 Cob x Shire/Clydesdale? They are both good doers and have 2 x 0.5 acre summer paddocks, rotated weekly, but very little grass in either paddock (to the naked eye). Both horses could do with losing a few kgs but are not massively overweight.

How many would you say were too few?

I've been told the amount of droppings is a good guide to whether they are eating enough. I'm wondering if I need to supplement the grazing with some hay
Click to expand...

I'd say 8-10 depending on the size of the horse. But obviously if its not had a lot going in there won't be a great deal coming out!

My horse didn't poo in the trailer on the way to a competition yesterday for the first time in about 9 years so I was quite worried to see a clean trailer when we got ot the show ground! And then didn't poo for the three hours we were there either. I was concerned as its totally out of character for him, but then when he got in the trailer to come home did one straight away much to my relief! He didn't look colicy and did very well in his class coming 2nd but one never knows.....
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top