Yes, horses sometimes eat manure. This habit is called coprophagia in horses. Many horse owners worry when they see this. It is a common sight in stables and pastures. This article explains horse eating feces reasons clearly. We will look at why this happens. We will also discuss what you can do about it.
Deciphering Coprophagia in Horses
Coprophagia in horses means a horse eats its own manure or the manure of other animals. This is normal behavior for some animals. Think about puppies or rabbits. For horses, it is less common in healthy adults. However, it still happens. We need to find the real horse eating feces reasons.
What is Feces Eating in Equines?
Eating feces is a normal action for newborn foals. Foals eat their mother’s manure for a short time. This helps them get good gut bugs. These bugs are needed for good gut health in horses. After a few months, foals usually stop.
When older horses do it, it is often a concern. We look closely at their diet and health. Is the horse missing something important? We must check the horse diet and manure eating link.
Looking at Why Horses Consume Manure
There are many reasons why horses consume manure. These reasons fall into a few main groups. They relate to diet, health, and behavior.
Nutritional Deficiencies in Horses
A key factor in why horses consume manure relates to what they are eating. If a horse lacks certain things, it might look for them elsewhere. Nutritional deficiencies in horses can drive this behavior.
Missing Minerals and Salts
Horses need specific minerals to stay healthy. If their hay or feed is poor, they might lack things like salt or certain trace minerals. Eating manure can be a strange way the body tries to fix this shortage. Manure still holds some nutrients.
Fiber Intake Issues
A horse’s gut needs lots of fiber to work right. If a horse does not get enough fiber, its digestion suffers. Poor digestion means nutrients might pass through too fast. The horse might eat manure to try and “re-process” some of those nutrients. Low-quality hay can cause this.
Problems with Protein and Energy
Sometimes, horses on very low-calorie diets eat manure. They are simply trying to fill their stomach. This is often seen in horses kept on poor pasture or fed just roughage without enough supplement.
Gut Health and Digestion Problems
The horse’s hindgut is vital. It is where most digestion happens. Issues here directly affect gut health in horses.
Poor Nutrient Absorption
If the gut is not working well, the horse cannot pull out all the good stuff from its food. This is often due to an imbalance of gut bacteria. The food passes through too quickly for proper absorption. The horse may eat manure to get more benefit from already digested food.
Medications and Antibiotics
Giving a horse antibiotics can kill off good gut bacteria. This throws the whole system out of balance. When the good bugs are gone, the horse might turn to manure eating to try and repopulate its gut.
Behavioral Causes of Manure Eating
Sometimes, the problem is not food or health. It is about the horse’s mind and its surroundings. This is where horse behavior eating manure comes into play.
Boredom and Confinement
Horses are social animals that need space. When kept in small stalls for long periods, they get bored. Boredom often leads to habits like cribbing or weaving. Eating manure can become a filler activity when there is nothing else to do. This is a common cause of coprophagia in equines in stable settings.
Learned Behavior
If one horse starts horse eating feces reasons, others might copy it. Horses learn from each other. A foal might see its mother do it, or a stablemate might start, and the habit spreads.
Stress and Anxiety
Stressful situations can cause strange eating habits. Moving to a new barn, changes in the herd, or being separated from friends can cause anxiety. Eating manure can be a coping mechanism for some nervous horses.
Pica in Horses
Pica in horses is when an animal craves and eats non-food items. While manure is organic, eating it repeatedly falls under this general craving. It signals a deep need, often related to mineral lack or stress. It shows the horse is seeking something vital that its current environment is not providing.
Scientific Look at Manure Consumption
Scientists study coprophagia in horses closely. They look at the contents of the manure itself.
Re-ingesting Undigested Food
Manure is not just waste. Especially in horses, manure balls (fecal balls) still contain nutrients. If a horse’s gut transit time is too fast, food moves through before all the vitamins and volatile fatty acids are absorbed. Eating the manure allows a “second pass” at digestion. This is particularly true if the horse has hindgut issues.
Role of Cecal Digestion
The cecum, a large pouch near the junction of the small and large intestines, is key for fiber breakdown. If cecal function is poor, the horse misses out on energy. Eating manure attempts to correct this energy deficit.
Comparing Different Types of Coprophagia
Not all manure eating is the same. We see different patterns.
| Type of Coprophagia | Description | Common Cause |
|---|---|---|
| Self-Coprophagia | Eating their own droppings. | Usually nutritional or digestive imbalance. |
| Allom-Coprophagia | Eating another horse’s manure. | Often social, learned, or seeking specific nutrients present in another horse’s diet. |
| Neonatal Coprophagia | Foals eating mare’s manure. | Normal development for gut inoculation. |
Managing and Stopping Horse Manure Eating
If you see this behavior, the first step is to figure out the core issue. Management of horse manure eating depends heavily on the cause identified.
Step 1: Veterinary Check-up and Diet Review
Always start with your vet. Rule out pain, parasites, or serious illness. A full diet assessment is crucial.
Improving Diet Quality
- Ensure access to high-quality, dust-free hay 24/7.
- Test your hay for nutrient levels.
- Supplement thoughtfully. If you suspect mineral gaps, use a balanced mineral supplement, not just guessing. Avoid over-fortifying, which can also cause problems.
Supporting Gut Health
If poor gut health in horses is suspected:
- Use prebiotics and probiotics to restore healthy gut flora.
- Ensure slow, steady feeding times to keep the gut moving consistently.
- Manage parasites effectively, as high worm loads steal nutrients.
Step 2: Environmental and Behavioral Adjustments
If the vet finds no major physical issue, focus on enrichment and routine.
Increasing Pasture Time
More time outside reduces boredom. Horses are designed to graze for most of the day. More movement also promotes better gut motility.
Reducing Confinement Stress
If the horse is stalled often, break up the time. Provide toys or slow feeders in the stall. Ensure they have visual contact with other horses if possible. Social interaction is vital.
Prompt Removal of Manure
The simplest fix is often the fastest. Keep the stall and paddock clean. If the manure is not readily available, the horse cannot eat it. This is especially important for management of horse manure eating driven by simple access.
Deterrents (Use with Caution)
Some owners try adding things to the feed that make the manure taste bad. Things like plain white vinegar or baking soda can sometimes be mixed into the regular ration. This only masks the symptom, though. It does not fix the horse eating feces reasons. Only try these after consulting your veterinarian.
Step 3: Addressing Pica
If the behavior is clearly pica in horses, focus heavily on mineral supplementation based on bloodwork. Sometimes, horses with severe pica are deficient in salt, and providing a salt block might resolve the issue. Ensure the salt block is clean and accessible.
Fathoming Foal Manure Eating
We mentioned foals do this, and it is usually fine. But why does this specific horse behavior eating manure exist in the very young?
Foals are born with sterile guts. They need to acquire the necessary bacteria to digest tough grass later on. Eating the mare’s fresh manure is one way they “seed” their intestines with the right microbes. It is nature’s perfect starter kit for a herbivore. If a foal is kept overly clean or is separated from the mare too early, this natural seeding process might be interrupted.
Long-Term View of Coprophagia
For most adult horses, occasional manure eating is not a death sentence, but it points to something needing adjustment. Chronic coprophagia in equines means a persistent underlying issue exists.
It is rarely “cured” overnight. It requires consistent monitoring of the horse’s weight, coat condition, and energy levels. A horse that is eating manure but looks shiny, energetic, and maintains weight might just have a mild behavioral quirk. A horse that is underweight and eating manure frequently has a definite nutritional or digestive problem that needs solving.
We must look past the immediate action and investigate the horse diet and manure eating relationship deeply. Solving the root cause—be it a lack of fiber, a mineral hole, or deep boredom—will stop the behavior.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Q: Is eating manure dangerous for my horse?
A: Eating a small amount occasionally is usually not dangerous. However, it can be risky. Manure can carry parasites, worms, or mold spores. If your horse is eating large amounts, it might mean they are not absorbing nutrients well, which is dangerous long-term.
Q: Should I separate my horse if it starts eating manure?
A: Separation is a management tool, not a cure. If boredom is the cause, separating them might make boredom worse. If the horse is aggressive or you think it is a learned behavior, separating them from the source (other horses’ manure) can help while you fix the main issue.
Q: Can I feed my horse beet pulp if they are eating manure?
A: Beet pulp is a good source of digestible fiber. If low fiber is causing the problem, adding soaked beet pulp to the diet can help support gut health in horses. Always introduce new feedstuffs slowly.
Q: How long should I wait before worrying about a foal eating manure?
A: Foals should eat some manure for the first few weeks or months. If the foal is still heavily engaged in coprophagia in horses past six months of age, mention it to your vet.
Q: Does this mean my horse has a mineral deficiency?
A: It is a strong possibility, but not the only one. It means you should test your hay and consider a broad-spectrum mineral supplement as part of addressing nutritional deficiencies in horses.