[Horse_Lover92]

Tex every once in awhile craves a little poop snack LOL, is he missing somthing in his diet or is he just weird???

[Pony Pals]

that is funny i don't no my horse well row in his own poop

[amy2120]

LOL I don't have an answer as to why, just wanted to let you know that my friends pony does the same thing, so your horse isn't the only weird one out there! I don't know how it could be that she is lacking in something, she is a show pony so she gets fed everything you can think of, but maybe its something to do with digestion? Perhaps if their not digesting properly, they put it through for a second go? LOL I don't know!

[Bella]

Horses are usually lacking some sort of mineral in their body when they eat their own manure.

-Bella

[in2horses]

Yes, they are lacking something in their diet. Do you offer free choice minerals? If not, you probably should now that he's shown you that he's lacking something.

[ILoveRedRanger!]

Can horses colic for eating there own poop ?

[Sue B]

In general, the bacteria that is used in the gut to help with digestion (probiotics) is found in poo....that is why foals often eat their mom's. Since foals are born without the bacteria necessary for digestion of forage, they are "given" it when their mom's lick them around the mouth or through when the foal eats the poo.

Most often this is an issue in the spring...after a long winter without fresh grass (the primary source of probiotics in the adult horse's diet). Other times it occurs when horses don't have access to green grass, after a course of antibiotics or wormer, during or after stressful situations, or when they are suffering digestive upset.

Generally, providing a probioitic will stop this.

[Horse_Lover92]

Well, I offerd free choice minerals, but they ate it all in a day.

Sue- What is probiotic, is it an everyday thing, it is exspensive?

[Bella]

Originally Posted by Horse_Lover92

Well, I offerd free choice minerals, but they ate it all in a day.

If the horses ate all of your minerals in one day, they were probably lacking it in their systems and trying desperately to make up for it... I'd recommend give them more if they still want it.

-Bella

[Sue B]

Probiotis are the "good" bacteria in the hind gut that are used for digestion. They come in several forms for feeding. Selecting the correct form to benefit your horse may be difficult in some cases, but there are some general rules that will help.

Probiotics is a general term that is usually divided into two types...."Pro"- and "Pre"- biotics. Probitoics generally come in a paste form like wormers and provide 1-3 doses. They usually contain 1-5 different types of bacteria, with lactobacillus being the primary or only one.

Prebiotics come in powder/meal or liquid form. The don't always contain the bacteria, but rather contain things that help support the existing bacteria and encourage new colony establishment. There are also some feedstuff that act as prebiotics....but, they probably don't offer enough support to encourage new colonies, but rather support the existing colonies. Beet pulp, flax seed (whole only) and yea-sacc (brewers yeast) are examples of feedstuff that have probiotic properties.

Probiotics are generally used as a one-time or short-term treatment after deworming, a course of antibiotics, stress or illness. Some people feed probiotics daily. Prebioitics are generally fed daily and are beneficial in cases of long-term stress (like showing or traveling), colic or lamintitis, limited or no grazing long-term health issues or digestive upset.

When looking for a quality probiotic, it should contain as many different types of bacteria as possbile...at least 7 is recommended. If the bacteria are mixed with yeast and/or enzymes, it will generally be even more beneficial.

In general, feeding probioitcs is not expensive. Depending on which type you select, it can be anywhere from around $0.50-$0.10 or less a day.