Analyzing Horse Feces

The appearance of your horse’s manure can be a good indicator of overall health.  As you are mucking your stalls, you can use that time as a valuable tool to prevent major problems from happening in the future.  Because a horse's intestinal tract is close to 100 feet long, it is prone to developing problems and things can go downhill very quickly.

You can consider fecal production one of your horse's vital signs, along with temperature, heart rate, and respiratory rate.  You should know your horse's normal manure production frequency and appearance.  This will help you recognize when something unusual is going on.  You can identify dry feces, diarrhea (scours), and signs of dental and parasite issues, before a major problem develops.

While every horse's fecal production differs, ideally you want to see well-formed fecal balls with noticeable stems but no real chunks of feed, uniform color, little odor (compared to carnivores such as cats or dogs), and no mucus covering.  Horse defecation normally lasts about 15 seconds.  If a horse is straining, you probably want to call your veterinarian.  Defecation frequency can depend on the horse's age, gender, and diet.  Mares and geldings defecate six to eight times per day, but stallions and foals are normally double that amount.  Stallions frequently mark other horses' fecal piles.  Just because a horse can defecate some does not rule out impaction colic.  It may not be able to pass all the feces.  A horse that has been confined to a small stall or paddock, may use the same area every day even if given a larger space to roam.

Any sign of scours doesn't always have a health issue attached, but should never be taken lightly.  It could indicate salmonella or a Clostridium bacteria in young foals.  Determining the cause for scours is important, but often difficult, especially with a mild case.  Young foals can dehydrate quickly from scours.  However, it is normal for them to get it 7-10 days of age from the mare’s hormones when she comes back into heat.  Making sudden changes to a horse’s diet can cause scours.  If you are concerned, you will want to call your Veterinarian as soon as you can.  Antibiotics could cause scours which is why it is important to use them only when needed. 

Constipation, impaction, or colic can occur if a horse's manure appears drier than usual.  Inadequate water access is probably the most common cause of dry feces.  You need to check their water supply every day.  Horses normally drink 5 to 10 gallons per day, but this varies depending on the individual horse and the environment (such as temperature and humidity).  Water availability can be a problem when water freezes in the winter.  There are also other factors that can cause issues with decreased water intake such as transporting, stress, and pain.  Adequate exercise is also important for intestinal health.  Restriction of horses to a stall can be associated with decreased feed motility throughout the intestines.

Sand colic and impactions most commonly occur in areas where horses graze on sandy soil pastures or eat off ground that is mostly sand or fine gravel.  Some horses may drop feed on the ground and then later go back and pick it up, therefore picking up sand with the feed.  A metal ring, such as in the picture below, will help those horses that sling feed out of feeders.  The ring does not allow for head motility.  

Sometimes you can see sand in the feces or you can put a few fecal balls in a glass jar.  Then fill the jar half full with water and shake it well, then let it settle for 15 minutes.  If there is sand lining the jar, it might indicate your horse is consuming sand but passing it easily.  If there is no sand, either your horse is not consuming a lot of sand, or not passing the sand that is getting ingested which puts him at risk for colic.

There are a few feeds that may cause feces to have an abnormal color:

·       Alfalfa can result in very green fecal balls

·       High beet pulp intake can lead to reddish-brown fecal balls and a sticky, clear film around the ball

·       For a horse unaccustomed to vegetable oil, too much can make his feces appear loose, gray, and oily

·       Mucus covering the fecal balls indicates delayed passage from impaction

Two colors that you want to look out for and probably call your veterinarian are red and black.  Red feces or feces with specks of blood can indicate bleeding in the lower gastrointestinal tract, possibly from a rectal tear.  Black feces (with the exception of a newborn's black pelleted first manure) indicate the horse could be bleeding from a higher point in the gastrointestinal system and blood has been digested before being passed.

Large or undigested feed particles (such as whole grains or long stemmed forages) might be noticeable in the feces if a horse isn't chewing his food sufficiently.  This could indicate that your horse needs to have his teeth floated.  It could also have an abscess in the mouth that needs treatment.  For senior horses, you may need to switch to a softer feed to allow better digestibility.  Poorly digested feed could also indicate management issues such as horses rushing to eat their feed to avoid competition from more aggressive animals.  They do not take the time needed to chew properly and may need to be divided during feeding time.

Internal parasites can cause changes in manure consistency, because they spend time in feces as part of their life cycles even though some are microscopic.  You may see tapeworms and bots in their feces.  Other parasites can be seen and counted by performing a fecal egg count with your veterinarian or at your Extension office.  Parasites can cause chronic scours, poor rough coat, weight loss, and even colic.  Even though it may seem disgusting at first, picking through your horse’s manure with a glove or stick everyday can help you to determine health issues before a major problem occurs.

Adapted from the article What Does Your Horse’s Stool Say? written by:  Stacey Oke, DVM