Is there such a thing as too much fibre? Droppings advice.

[Rockman]

My tb has always had very loose droppings. He is 13 and in what I would call light work (hack 2x a week, school 2x a week lunge 1x a week and the other 2 days either an added hack or schooling session or free schooling) and currently stabled most the time with limited winter turnout (4 hours per day-I know not ideal but he doesn't like being turned out anyway especially not in mud and rain). He is fibre beet in the morning as he needs to build up some muscle and I was told this is good for adding weight and then fed happy hoof in the evening, he also has ad lib haylage. He is not underweight at all and he has a lovely shiny coat and seems happy with his feed.

However he has always had very loose droppings with a lot of water which comes out and runs all down his bum and legs (sorry) he was on soaked hay for the whole of the summer but was still exactly the same. He is also fed brewers yeast, turmeric and salt in his feed as he won't use a salt lick of anything.

Could it be possible he's just getting too much fibre or is there something else going on? Any suggestions of better feeds would be gratefully appreciated just nothing too sugery or starchy please!

Thankyou!

 

[ihatework]

It won't be too much fibre that's for sure!

It could be the haylage.

If he is loose then I'd give him a protexin quick fix and then maintain on protexin gut bancer

 

[Rockman]

It won't be too much fibre that's for sure!

It could be the haylage.

If he is loose then I'd give him a protexin quick fix and then maintain on protexin gut bancer

Thankyou, a few people have said the haylage but he was exactly the same on soaked hay which I didn't think he would be?

Thankyou I'll look into getting him that today

 

[EffyCorsten]

I had this problem last year with a loan. in the end steroids and ERS pellets did the trick

 

[Toby_Zaphod]

However he has always had very loose droppings with a lot of water which comes out and runs all down his bum and legs (sorry) he was on soaked hay for the whole of the summer but was still exactly the same.

We have a horse that has similar issues. We tend to mix hay in with the haylage & we also give him a haylage balancer in his hard feed. We've not managed to stop the problem entirely but it has got better than it was.

 

[soulfull]

It's ver common. Feed companies have Told friends to give hay and big buckets if almost dry chaff
My mare can be like it sometimes. I too add hay to the haylage and give drier food than I used too and it does help a lot!

Others have tried all sorts if haylage Balancers and supplement with no improvement

 

[Goldenstar]

I would give him a double dose of protexin for six weeks and see if that helps , then try the normal dose if you see a difference if he gets worse again go back up to the double dose for longer .

 

[Nari]

The fibrebeet would do that to my lad, beet & alfalfa both upset his gut if fed in any quantity. He's fine on hay & high fibre haylage, always has both on offer & eats whichever takes his fancy though oddly if his gut is iffy he tends to go for the haylage more until it's stabilised. Horse is cushingoid with a history of ulcers so not the easiest to manage.

I've tended to get away with Spillers High Fibre nuts in the past, changing to their slow release nuts if he needed more calories. Recently he went off those though (he can be faddy) & I've come across a feed called Stay Cool by Keyflow that currently seems to be ticking all his boxes & it's making a very pleasant change to have something he'll eat more than a mugful of at a time & the bowl is licked clean! No loose droppings on it either , & not even much liquid when he poos. I've only been using it a week but so far I'm very impressed & looking forward to seeing how he does on it longer term.

 

[tangoharvey]

Give lots of hay but unsoaked.

 

[Rockman]

Thankyou everyone I'm glad I'm not alone on this I've been feeling like it's something I'm doing wrong! I will give the protexin a go and see how that is. I have tried other gut balancers but he either won't eat his food if he has it in or it doesn't make a difference!

He can't have complete unsoaked hay as he is also on straw so with both he coughs a lot!

Just wish he wasnt so mucky!

 

[bakewell]

Has he got a mineral/ salt lick? (he'll only use it if he needs it)

edit: see you've addressed this, I know some people have had positive results with adding salt.

 

[lornaA]

To start with I would give him the same for his breakfast and dinner instead of 2 different meals then I would try soaked hay again but make sure it is well drained before feeding so it's still damp enough to damp down the dust but dry enough to see if it makes a difference to his tummy. You could also maybe try yeasac instead of the Brewers yeast and see if it suits better.

 

[Palindrome]

Thankyou everyone I'm glad I'm not alone on this I've been feeling like it's something I'm doing wrong! I will give the protexin a go and see how that is. I have tried other gut balancers but he either won't eat his food if he has it in or it doesn't make a difference!

He can't have complete unsoaked hay as he is also on straw so with both he coughs a lot!

Just wish he wasnt so mucky!

perhaps you can try steamed hay instead? have been told you put haynet and boiled water (content of a kettle) on top in a bin, leave it for a bit and voila you get steamed hay. Haven't tried it myself though.

 

[BlueSocks]

Another vote for Protexin, I had problems with my lad last winter so I bought a starter pack with the quick fix and gut balancer and it returned him to normal within two days, it's great stuff. He's been on the gut balancer since at a maintenance dose. He's a fussy feeder but as it's not really flavoured with anything I've never had a problem getting him to eat it.