Manure Analysis as an Indicator of Equine Hindgut Health

Signs of Poor Gut Health in Horses

We often receive emails from customers asking what supplement is best to feed for their horse’s with loose droppings. Unfortunately, there is no “quick fix” solution for this as the loose droppings are a sign that something is amiss in the gut - which can lead to hindgut imbalance or hindgut dysbiosis if left unchecked. We need to address overall equine gut health rather than sticking a plaster on to mask the symptom (such as feeding pure psyllium to dry up the droppings). If your horse has poor gut health they will not absorb nutrients optimally and this impacts on overall health and vitality.

The first port of call if your horse develops persistent diarrhoea is to speak with your veterinarian. Once you are happy that there are no major issues causing it, you can then consider feeding and management practices/changes where necessary, to try and assist your horse. Loose droppings can have a multitude of causes such as bacterial infection, sand accumulation, insufficient fibre intake or hindgut dysbiosis which can be caused by feeding too many uncooked grains (such as barley and corn).

Horse Manure Analysis

We will use a scale of 1-4 for dropping formation and discuss the likely causes/solutions for each in turn. Formation is more important than colour as colour is influenced by the horse’s feed – think of humans and beetroot!! 

1. DIARRHOEA

This is a sign that something is very wrong in your horse’s gut and if this persists you should contact your veterinarian. Horse’s with diarrhoea will not be extracting the full nutrients from their feed intake and alongside water loss and obvious discomfort, could end up going downhill quickly. It may be necessary to rule out bacterial infection in severe cases so it is important to work with your veterinarian to establish the cause.

2. LOOSE, SOFT, UNFORMED (Top image)

This is an abnormal consistency for horse manure that is commonly seen in modern horse management and indicates an imbalance in both the ratio of fibre to water and in the hindgut microbiome. There are many reasons why your horse may develop loose manure, these are just a few:

Excessive levels of starch in feed (whether in a compound feed or through feeding unprocessed straight grains) can significantly disrupt the hindgut leading to hingut imbalance in the microbial population when excess starch reaches the hindgut where it is not optimally digested. When starch reaches the hindgut, a more acidic environment arises due to rapid fermentation of the undigested starch by bacteria, producing large amounts of lactic acid which lowers PH level. The gut wall can be damaged by the acid and good bacteria killed off compromising overall health as 70% of the immune system is located in the gut. This can result in hindgut dysbiosis and even more serious issues like colic and laminitis in extreme cases. 

What to Feed Horses with Loose Droppings & Digestion Products for Horses

Adhere to the “little and often” rule, feeding multiple small meals a day if your horse requires higher levels of concentrates and try to keep starch levels as low as possible.

Insufficient fibre can cause loose manure as it knocks the water/fibre ratio out of balance. Lush pasture (particularly spring grass) is often attributed to loose manure as the horse lacks sufficient roughage to bind the droppings together. Horse’s may seek out additional roughage by chewing on wood/bark/fence posts/eating hedgerow etc. Providing high fibre, loose hay when the grazing is lush, even when horse’s seemingly have plenty of grass, will help your horse to form better droppings. Ensure your horse’s diet meets the 1.5-2% of bodyweight per day in fibrous intake (hay/haylage/grass/or forage alternatives for those affected). Trying to ensure that your horse has access to forage at all times will help to regulate the hindgut activity.

3. SOFT, FORMED or FIRM, FORMED (Bottom image)

These are both normal consistencies – soft is usually seen when horses have some daily access to pasture and firm when they are fed on a diet of hay/haylage. Your horse is well hydrated and consuming sufficient fibre for their requirements. 

4. DRY, HARD, FORMED

This is abnormal and suggests either that the horse’s water intake is too low or that indigestible fibre intake is too high. This can lead to dehydration and impaction colic if not addressed quickly. Causes can include:

• Unpalatable water source – sometimes horse’s will not drink the water provided if it contains chemicals or it is too dirty. Monitor your horse to understand what they prefer and ensure clean fresh water is always available.
• Cold water (often seen during cold snaps where horses drink less). Offering luke warm water or a soupy mash during prolonged cold snaps can encourage your horse to drink more – but always ensure you make any feed changes gradually. 
• Electrolyte and or sodium deficiency. Sodium is deficient in most forages and when the horse’s blood sodium drops too low they can reduce their water intake. 
• Unsafe water source – if the horse does not feel safe in the area of the paddock or stable that the water is placed then they may drink less. 
• Eating excessive levels of indigestible fibre such as horses that eat their straw bedding or horses on old fibrous pasture as their main feed source. Limit intake of straw where dry, hard manure is an issue and provide more digestible fibre for the remainder of your horse’s daily required forage intake. 
• Stress/anxiety which can be caused by traveling/competing/moving home etc. Monitor your horse’s behaviour and get them used to drinking water from containers before traveling to ensure they stay hydrated. Additional support for anxiety can be provided, if necessary, through a calmer such as Unwind. 

The bottom (excuse the pun…) line is – monitor your horse’s droppings and consult your veterinarian if you have any cause for concern. If you have addressed all potential feeding and management issues, additional gut support can be provided with UlcerAid and Güt Food. UlcerAid will give more immediate support to the formation of normal droppings and help to soothe the stomach.

Best Gut Balancer for Horses

Gut Food is a 100% natural gut balancer suitable for all horses (including horses with a sensitive stomach or hindgut upset) that provides a variety of prebiotic fibres to support microbiome diversity and horse digestion. 70% of the immune system is located in the gut so overall health and wellbeing begins with a healthy gut. Give your horse the natural ingredients they need to support their microbiome. 

Our team are on hand to answer any queries you may have with regards to equine nutrition and well-being.

~ The Equell Team