Can a horse poo too much?

[squidsin]

Poppy poos a LOT! When I ride her or she's lunged, she poos several times within half an hour, which I've generally put down to nerves, her being the stressy type. She makes a horrible mess of her stable by pooing so much, then churns it all up with her feet, which causes thrush! Generally the stools are normal looking but sometimes they seem quite soft. I just wondered if this could have anything to do with her liver condition? Or ulcers has been suggested to me? Or is it entirely normal?

Yes, I am doing a thread about poo.

 

[Jane&Ziggy]

Listen, we all do threads about oop:

We are horsey types, obsessed with such things.

It does sound as though Poppy is stressy. I can tell if Ziggy is anxious (for example when travelling) because his poo frequency increases. They can poo a lot, though, without it being cause for concern.

As for her liquidising her bed at night, it must be infuriating, but she is just a mucky mare. My friend's mare Bella is just the same, she is like an electric blender. When Ziggy was on box rest he would poo in one corner and try to avoid walking in it! Get yourself a nice clean gelding! :wink:

 

[TBminx]

My gelding poos at the front mainly so his bed is clean. My mare poos in bed never at front near her food lol and then covers it like a cat and the filly poos everywhere but wee poos so hidden mostly too or flat cos lay on them.

Ive found mares to be messier than geldings and their stools vary according to grass, feed, hay or haylage.

Mine also poo if nervous. You can test for ulcers from a poo sample if worried or you could just ask your vet his thoughts tp put your mind at rest,

 

[Dannii5691]

Womble poos in piles in designated spots in the field. I agree they can poo an AWFUL LOT ... im regulary shocked by what a 13 hand pony can produce

 

[newforest]

My cob must store them because I do have to look at what she produces and her! For a wee cob she done half produce the Himalayas.

 

[Joyscarer]

There are 2 aspects to the question, whether they can poo too much and the quality of that poo.

I look at both with my 2. The qualities of the poo tells me how they are doing, if they are ill, need their teeth doing, if the grass is too rich, if they are drinking enough etc.

As far as if they can poo too much? Well yes, if there is too much going in the pretty end to start off with! Mine only need to produce 8 a day to hold their weight. Any more than that and they gain weight, much less and they need more fibre. Of course that too doesn't mean a lot if they remain doing on 8 poos but they are suddenly mountainous!

 

[Trewsers]

Storm will poop extra if she is cross and stuck in her box! For example, if she is waiting for her evening meal, or thinks that Chloe is getting a net before her, or if she thinks she should be fed asap!! She seems to have the ability to force it out on cue!!!

Input and output though on the whole, they poop what they're eating in their boxes. Field wise, I am a slacker about poo picking - atm they are out on 2 acres (just over) and seem to do it mainly in the one place - there is quite a lot!lol

 

[squidsin]

Poppy isn't overweight but her liver condition (which she's had the all-clear from) meant she processed food without it really touching the sides, so she lost weight even though she was eating plenty. I wondered if that could maybe have caused ulcers? But she's had the all clear for the liver thing so maybe I'm just being a worry wart, as usual. I've bought some of that Happy Tummy stuff anyway in case she has gastric ulcers - it won't do her any harm if she hasn't and might do her some good if she has.