Winter faecal water syndrome

[Highmileagecob]

My friend and I each have an elderly cob gelding, and both cobs suffer from faecal water syndrome in the winter. Washing bottoms, tails and feathers in the depths of winter is not pleasant for man nor beast. They are kept at DIY livery with daily turn out. the herd lives well together, and we don't have a bullying problem. Friend's horse has soaked hay, mine has soaked haylage (COPD) each forage is from a different supplier. Small bucket feeds of fast fibre and a balancer are given, and recently they have both had Protexin added to the mix. My cob has better gut sounds, but no appreciable difference to the water content. Common sense tells me that the gut contents are whizzing through before compete removal of free liquid takes place, which would mean that the high fibre diet is maybe too high in fibre. Apart from changing the bucket feed for something inert such as bran, has anyone else had success in drying up the faecal water? I am reluctant to start buying an array of off the shelf products and would prefer to manage this through diet. Both cobs have been regularly tested for Cushings, my 27yo was in regular work until last spring.

 

[Fanatical]

I have tried just about everything for my veteran gelding including veterinary tests/ supps and nothing has worked. He has COPD and has always had soaked hay but I have even tried switching to dry hay just to see if it helped - it didn't. I think it's just something they and we have to endure, but will be thrilled to hear if anyone has something revolutionary that will work.

 

[holeymoley]

This is interesting as mine has started this in the last few weeks. Droppings are normal but he is messy behind. Mine is IR laminitic so on a very high fibre diet. I’ve been giving protexin too which has helped but I took him off it for a few days and we are back to square one. Interested to hear thoughts too.

 

[ozpoz]

I gave protexin when severe but horse has not suffered any since being fed agrobs mash. He has ad lib hay, grass turnout too and produces healthy normal poos.

 

[meleeka]

Mine gets it when her hay increases, she’s fine all summer.
She’s currently doing well on big bale meadow hay :franticallycrossesfingers: but it can’t be course or it starts her off. Gut Balancer does nothing for her, but Acid Ease works. She’s currently on Coligone powder which also works.

I can’t feed her too much soaked feeds, but thankfully as a good doer she’s fine on Dengie Healthy Tummy just to put her supplement in. She has cushings too, but was like this years before she was diagnosed.

 

[milliepops]

One of mine had this all year round, nothing i did made any difference until she had a diagnosis that ended her ridden career and i retired her. dried up practically overnight. i think she was stressed +/- in pain previously without it being obvious and that seemed to be the cause of her issues.

such a frustrating problem

 

[HBB]

The only thing that worked for my daughters elderly pony was the Science Supplement Gut Balancer.
We only got good results for 4-6 months at a time, so we fed it from December through to May and then had a break for summer then back on it again December.

 

[blodwyn1]

Two of my three mares have just started this a week ago and I have no idea why. One is 22 and has Cushing's and the other is 7 . No change in diet just the weather is up and down in temperature.

 

[planete]

Totally unscientific but Woody stopped suffering from fecal water after a couple of weeks on Spillers Lean and Healthy. I can only think one of the ingredients helped.

 

[Highmileagecob]

One of mine had this all year round, nothing i did made any difference until she had a diagnosis that ended her ridden career and i retired her. dried up practically overnight. i think she was stressed +/- in pain previously without it being obvious and that seemed to be the cause of her issues.

such a frustrating problem

Interesting. My old cob has been on Previcox intermittently. No actual pain detected, but happier and more bounce when medicated. I have removed all medication, removed balancer, cut out the fast fibre and will see where we go from there. He now only has 500gms Pink Mash soaked and mixed with a couple of large handfuls of bran. This is split between two feeds plus nets of soaked haylage. He was retired at the beginning of summer, and I have wondered whether change of routine has something to do with it.
If anyone knows of a way to waterproof his backside and feathers I would pay you for the information!!

 

[meleeka]

I always keep the tail plaited all the way to the bottom. Waterless shampoo works well in the depths of winter.

 

[Crazy_cat_lady]

Think this is what my Welsh D has this winter as nothing has changed in his diet but his tail and back left leg are grim. He's 22 now so wondered if it was just everything not working quite as well as it used to, in addition to his cushings. It's interesting a few others are experiencing it too.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

If anyone knows of a way to waterproof his backside and feathers I would pay you for the information!!

7 day mud away is good for this.

.

 

[Tiddlypom]

Protexin gut balancer works pretty well for the 15yo PPID IDx mare, and since I've added the Equibiome prebiotic as well she *fingers crossed* hasn't had it at all.

 

[cauda equina]

Psyllium worked for mine

 

[Izzwizz]

The horse I ride has this. I think it's linked to stress and a lack of routine previously with him. I researched a bit with a Feed Company and he is now on Healthy Tummy with Fibre nuggets and hay only. He has Protexin Gut Sponge in along with the Protexin Gut balancer. Seems to help him a lot, not cured it but much better than he was. He is quiet by nature for a youngster but does occasionally seem a bit stressed, doesnt show it massively, but just a feeling I get as being the possible cause

 

[bouncing_ball]

Interesting. My old cob has been on Previcox intermittently. No actual pain detected, but happier and more bounce when medicated. I have removed all medication, removed balancer, cut out the fast fibre and will see where we go from there. He now only has 500gms Pink Mash soaked and mixed with a couple of large handfuls of bran. This is split between two feeds plus nets of soaked haylage. He was retired at the beginning of summer, and I have wondered whether change of routine has something to do with it.
If anyone knows of a way to waterproof his backside and feathers I would pay you for the information!!

Pig oil / any oil you have eg baby oil / mineral oil.

 

[NightStock]

Didn't know this had a name! My elderly warmblood mare has had this the last few winters, bar last winter when she was able to live out, so not sure if it stress related to being stabled or eating more hay but previous years it has settled down after a few weeks.
I have just started adding Bio-Mos to her meal but having to start with very small amounts as she is so fussy, will report back if she does appear to improve on it.

 

[Griffin]

A gelding I looked after had faecal water syndrome in winter (fine in summer) too. We tried pretty much everything, Dengue Healthy Tummy helped a little. I think Protexin now do a product called 'Gut Sponge' which is supposed to help.

 

[Bonnie Allie]

Engage a qualified equine nutritionalist to solve this. In my mare it was a simple as supplementing with DCP, Mag, Calcium carbonate to solve her problem. I’m not advocating you do this however, you must deal with your own equine nutritionalist and your own circumstances.

Please find an independent qualified one, not one associated with a supplement or feed company.

I had tried every powder and potion and wasted time and money that I could have redirected into something else. Lesson learnt.

 

[spotty_pony]

Off topic - but soaked haylage? I was always told you cannot soak haylage…

 

[Highmileagecob]

Off topic - but soaked haylage? I was always told you cannot soak haylage…

Not exactly soaked - a bucket of water is poured over each net and left to drain. I have had issues in the past with his respiration and breathing. He has to be kept away from hay and the hay store and will start coughing if the haylage is fed straight from the bale. He also has no issues with his guts when turned out in the summer.
I am also trying to source haylage locally that has not been grown with fertiliser other than good old fashioned muck spreading, to see if that is a factor.

 

[Highmileagecob]

Engage a qualified equine nutritionalist to solve this. In my mare it was a simple as supplementing with DCP, Mag, Calcium carbonate to solve her problem. I’m not advocating you do this however, you must deal with your own equine nutritionalist and your own circumstances.

Please find an independent qualified one, not one associated with a supplement or feed company.

I had tried every powder and potion and wasted time and money that I could have redirected into something else. Lesson learnt.

Thank you - this could be the answer, and I will bear it in mind. Sometimes the array of supplements could themselves be the problem, which is why I try to stick to a balancer and a pre/probiotic. My cob has always been kept grain free, and heavily reliant on forage to keep him healthy.

 

[OldNag]

I had never heard if this before this thread but realise I think ours has this. He is quite yukky round his hind end at the moment. Poos are normal.

Thanks to the tip upthread, have used 7 day mud away and will try protexin.

Nothing has changed in his diet , the only change is being in at night rather than during the day so he is eating more hay.

 

[MotherOfChickens]

My two have had this a bit although not to the extent of mucky behinds. They’ve been mostly grass-free for 6 weeks and on ad lib organic oat straw and very nice hay.

They’ve had more grass over the last few days and it’s gone. I have ordered some pink mash as I usually just feed fast fibre for their supps. They’re on a progressive earth balancer, salt and linseed.

I didn’t foresee this with them tbh when I had the track put in, it’s not something that I’ve read is associated with being grass free.

 

[OldNag]

My two have had this a bit although not to the extent of mucky behinds. They’ve been mostly grass-free for 6 weeks and on ad lib organic oat straw and very nice hay.

They’ve had more grass over the last few days and it’s gone. I have ordered some pink mash as I usually just feed fast fibre for their supps. They’re on a progressive earth balancer, salt and linseed.

I didn’t foresee this with them tbh when I had the track put in, it’s not something that I’ve read is associated with being grass free.

Interesting. Mine has plenty of grass when he us out at the moment, but reduced grazing hours.

Mine also has pro balance, salt and linseed - and also brewer's yeast - I use Agrobs weisenflakes as the carrier. I will add in protexin gut balancer and see if that helps.

 

[Cragrat]

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0737080616302210


https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC8465618/pdf/animals-11-02552.pdf

https://feedxl.com/how-to-treat-free-fecal-water/


My older horse developed this when he first started coming in at night for the winter, and his haylage consumption went up. I tried various pro/prebiotics, and eventually, reluctantly, offered him hay as well as haylage to eat . We actually have some nice hay this year, and so far it hasn't made him cough. He chooses to eat a small amount of hay compared to his haylage (both are adlib) . Whether it's the hay or that he has adjusted, I'm not sure, but thankfully he is 95% improved, with just occaisional bouts. Interestingly, he is a bay gelding, at the top of our 3 horse herd, but he is a massive stress head.


ETA or maybe he improved because I threatened to make him a poo tea to damp his food with!

 

[Highmileagecob]

Update.
Early days on the change of diet, but things have improved a little. Still leaking fluid, but the volume has definitely reduced. From reading all the posts, it seems to tie in with hay/haylage consumption. Does anyone have access to forage that has been grown naturally, with no artificial fertiliser, and still have the same problem? I'm clutching at straws here, and maybe overthinking things, but after five winters of dealing with this both the horse and I would like to find a cure!
Next week I will start to phase out the Pink Mash, and feed bran mash with a handful of Alfa A just to reduce the fibre a bit more.

 

[Chappie]

Following with interest, as my loan of 7 years has had this for over a decade. Seems worst in winter when the grass is off. But a good doer, so on restricted grazing all year.

Can't be washed much as he's terrified of hoses and only tolerates bucket & sponge if distracted by large feed, its taken years of hard work to get to this stage. 7 Day Mud Away helps, and Show Sheen.

Also prone to colic so I'm ultra cautious about diet changes/trying new things. Owners aren't knowledgeable and don't come to the yard; they live a fair old journey away; he was bought for a family member who gave up years ago - there was a vet investigation also years ago but they said there was "no point" in investigating further, which was perhaps the wrong thing to say in finality as he was then just left; when I took him on, was dirty, matted and underweight, on a strange feed combination which didn't help at all. Also he gets mites and mallanders, it's a lot to cope with.

He's a lot better on the Protexin and kept appropriately rugged, if he's cold its worse. After a LOT of research is on Spillers Lean & Lite & Thunderbrooks chaff.

I'd sedate and clip out the back end & legs, (don't care if it looked weird!) and keep tail short but its not my place to, so I just do my best with what I can.

I'm interested to read about the nutritionist - our hay comes from more than once source so it would be difficult to analyse properly though. They also sometimes are given haylage and I can't control that; seems worse then.

I worry that years of this is doing something bad to his digestive system - he had some bad bouts of colic in the spring this year for the first time.

 

[maddielove]

This is such a frustrating condition, my two cents to this would be I find my mare is very much triggered by wet haylage also. They are fed round bales in the field and days/weeks where it is wettest there is more likely to be a flare up, things also were bad when she was eating a lot of fallen leaves also. She's suffered with this for the 5 years I've owned her and only just getting to grips with triggers/management now.
I'd say we are 95% on top of it now, maybe only 2 or 3 days with a little dribble out of a month, stopping the wet haylage isn't an option for us on the yard we are at, tried every gut balancer under the sun and none were worth it (I think Protexin made things worse in fact)
Key things for us to counteract it have been: equibiome, agrobs mash, psyllium (feeding small amount long term), and mycosorb.