Where's the poo gone?!

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Albus15

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In the last week, we've finally managed to get another space on our amazing yard to move our other horse over.
She's gone from a small, private yard to a big 'commercial' livery yard. At the small yard, she was an absolute nightmare for being dirty in her stable (albeit had minimal bed due to this) and in the small concrete turnout pens.
At the previous yard, she'd be hayed twice a day and a haynet at night - always finished by the morning.

This yard she seems incredibly settled, but it's busy and loads going on to keep her occupied (had to spend 3 days in before allowed turnout). It's DIY so she's been given a normal (much bigger) bed to start off with, and a haybar that never runs out of hay.

She's not been eating as much as before (although prefers the new hay - it's very coarse in comparison to the previous fine hay) but I think she spends a bit of time watching the yard and being nosey. However, the massive change is how incredibly clean she is.. I turn up in the morning/at the end of the day, and there's been 2/3 poos, that are slightly hidden. The change has been absolutely baffling!

Could it be that she's not gorging on the hay anymore, as she's got ad-lib? Could it be that she's more settled, so absorbing more of the hay and nutrients, rather than it just going straight through her? Could it be that where she's been in (still going in the lunge pen while I muck out/on the walker/being ridden) her bowels just aren't moving as much?

She's nearly 18 hands, a warmblood and is going through a fraction of what my other horse eats at the moment.
 
Both my horses prefer nice big beds, have access to constant ad lib haylage which isn't too wet nor too dry, and are both on the same DIY livery yard.

I find how messy their beds are a direct comparison of what's gone on the previous night/ early morning before I get there - usually both are quite clean with a few hidden poos to keep things interesting, but if a big hoohah happens on the yard or anything that is unusual - their beds are absolutely manky to deal with the next day. Their toileting areas don't change much however - the poos will still be in the same area but just more spread out if they've had an unsettled night for whatever reason. Both my boys never clear their haynets/ hay balls - there is always some left over :) I would say enjoy the cleanliness whilst it lasts but be prepared for it to return at any point 🤣 Alternatively, if you're concerned about her gut and bowels not doing what they should be, I'd give the vets a quick phone call and ask their advice - she might need popping on a gut supplement to help things for a short period of time as she deals with the new yard x
 
She should pass droppings approx every hour so this sounds like a dramatic change which would indicate stress to me as her intake her intake must have dropped considerably. Is she reluctant to move away from the door to eat? If so, I would also hang her a haynet by the door so she can do both, at least whilst settling. You're going to start entering dangerous territory for impaction colic if you reduce the gut motility too much more
 
when i moved to where i am now lily got drastically cleaner, just to give you some hope it may last😂 she is mucked out morning and night religiously now which helps, but even if i don’t have time to muck out in a morning on days they stay in she’s still much cleaner when i come to muck out in an evening. thank god the weather is getting better and they’re out every day😂
 
If she's only doing 2/3 poos overnight I would be concerned. Doesn't sound like she's taking in enough forage. I presume she is too stressed to eat, and as said above, probably spending her time constantly keeping an eye over the door, rather then eating. Will hopefully settle in a few days.
Does she have turn out?
 
Albus15 said:
Poo production is returning to normal, she's out all day now and in overnight but we are still having a really clean bed. No evidence of box walking, which is what she did at the other yard.
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Glad to hear that the poop production is returning to normal x

Perhaps she's stopped box walking because she has settled down - my retired lad Baggs would box walk chronic if he weren't settled x
 
Glad she's ok OP.

I'm 100% certain I poo picked Lari's paddock on Wednesday evening, last night I found 13 poohs. He's only 17hh, probably about 680kg! Is that even possible (out overnight from 6pm to 8.30am)?.

I'm going to count them tonight as I completely cleared it again last night!

Lari only does 3 during the day in his stable.
 
Birker2020 said:
Glad she's ok OP.

I'm 100% certain I poo picked Lari's paddock on Wednesday evening, last night I found 13 poohs. He's only 17hh, probably about 680kg! Is that even possible (out overnight from 6pm to 8.30am)?.

I'm going to count them tonight as I completely cleared it again last night!

Lari only does 3 during the day in his stable.
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They're all different, it's knowing what's normal for them that's important, rather than an exacting number per day.
If you normally remove one barrows worth a day from the paddock, and suddenly you've only removed half a barrow, or perhaps gone the opposite way and removed two barrows after one day, that's when to have cause for concern and to look into the reasons why.
I had one for whom 12-14 big poos over 24 hours was completely normal, and another that would do 20-25 small poos over 24 hours. Both healthy and completely normal for them. Made telling the difference between poops when poopicking easy for general health and post worming checks lol
 
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