Many horse owners try everything when their horse walks around with a dirty tail and constantly has manure water coming out. Unfortunately, supplements usually have little (or only a temporary effect) on this problem.

By the way, manure water is not the same as diarrhea.

Difference between unpackaged and packaged (pre-cut) hay

A good bale of roughage smells fresh, is nicely stemmy, and the grass inside it is in bloom. It is important that the grass is dry enough at the time it is baled, otherwise mold formation can occur.

There is a significant difference between dry and unfermented hay and packaged hay and pre-cut silage. Unpackaged hay is the driest. There is no acidification (fermentation) happening in it, the hay is only baled when it has a dry matter content of 80-85%. Almost all the moisture is then out of the grass. Often, this hay is also very stemmy.

Packaged pre-cut hay or pre-cut silage, made for horses, has a dry matter content of 60-75%. The drier the hay is before it is packaged, the less fermentation (acidification) occurs. Fermentation is a natural process caused by lactic acid bacteria. These bacteria are also found in yogurt, for example. The wetter the hay goes into the packaging, the more fermentation occurs and the more acidic the pre-cut silage becomes. But even pre-cut hay with a dry matter content of around 85% has a slight fermentation process.

Due to the fermentation process, there is a disturbance in the pH throughout the horse's body, which changes digestion in the stomach and interferes with the absorption of minerals. Minerals help increase the pH, making it more alkaline. If mineral absorption is disrupted, the body slowly becomes acidic and there are fewer nutrients in the body. In addition, an acidic body leads to disrupted gut flora. All reasons to avoid giving pre-cut hay/silage to your horse.

Very wet and acidic silage, such as that used for cows, is not suitable as horse feed. Horses often enjoy somewhat fermented hay, but not all horses can digest this slightly acidic hay equally well.

Gut flora determines digestion

Horses have a sensitive digestive system. The plant residues in roughage are digested with the help of the 'gut flora' in the cecum and colon. This gut flora is the complete set of bacteria, fungi, and yeasts present in the digestive tract. The gut flora varies slightly for each horse. A healthy and well-composed gut flora is essential for proper digestion. The gut flora 'digests' the plant residues and makes the nutrients and energy released available for the horse to absorb.

The horse's gut flora easily becomes imbalanced

The normal gut flora of a horse is a balance of different bacteria and other microorganisms, adapted to the type of feed the horse is given. Changes in feed should therefore always be made gradually. The gut flora of a horse needs time to adjust to the new 'digestive requirements'. The effect of roughage on gut flora and manure also depends on the fiber content (crude fiber), the amount of protein, and the sugar content in it.

The gut flora consists of a variety of species, with a balance between good and less good bacteria, fungi, and yeasts. As long as the good ones are predominant, there is no problem. However, once a horse has a slightly less good gut flora, it can persist for a long time. Excessive acidity in the roughage, insufficient fiber, high sugar content, and even stress can disrupt the gut flora.

Sensitivity varies per horse

If the gut flora is not well composed or becomes disrupted, digestion may be affected. A common symptom of this is manure water. After the manure balls, a stream of water follows. This usually occurs because the breakdown of feed in the colon is not going well. Roughage could be a cause, as some horses are sensitive to the acidity of packaged hay.

The sensitivity varies per individual horse. Not every horse will have issues with the same feed. It is possible that two horses on the same ration will have very different manure. For horses with a vulnerable gut flora, a small change in the quality of roughage can have greater consequences than for horses with a stable gut flora. For sensitive horses, you can use pro- or prebiotics to support the good bacteria, but usually, that only helps as long as you provide such a supplement.

Unpackaged, dry hay is often the solution for manure water

If your horse constantly suffers from manure water and loose manure, it may be a good idea to experiment with unpackaged hay. Many horses improve greatly when fed hay that is not at all acidic. After two months, you should see good results from this.

Additional tips for manure water

If it is impossible to feed unpackaged hay due to storage issues (such as on a large boarding stable), at least pay attention to the following:

• Choose as dry-packed pre-cut hay as possible (highest possible dry matter content and lowest possible acidity).

• Feed an opened package of pre-cut hay as soon as possible.

• Avoid stress.

• Avoid sugars.

• Support with pro- or prebiotics if necessary.