Thin manure in horses: causes and solutions

A healthy horse should produce firm, shiny manure balls. If your horse has diarrhea or produces 'cow pats', it may indicate a problem with the stomach, intestines, or elsewhere in the horse's body. What are the causes of thin manure and diarrhea? And how can you support your horse?

Healthy manure consists of a pile of well-formed, shiny manure balls. They may fall apart a little on the ground. A horse should defecate regularly, although the frequency varies greatly per horse. Between 8 and 15 times per day is normal. When a horse eats a lot of hay and also straw, the manure is brown in color, often with clear fibers in it. When a horse eats a lot of grass, its manure is greener and often a bit softer.

Causes of thin manure and diarrhea

There are several possible causes of thin manure. Some of these causes are relatively harmless and can be easily addressed, while other problems require immediate intervention by a veterinarian.

Thin manure can be caused by (among others):

• Sand in the intestines from ingestion in the paddock, grazing in a bare pasture, or a lot of sand or dust in roughage;
• A worm infection;
• Abrupt feed changes, especially eating young spring grass at the beginning of the grazing season is notorious;
• Disruption of bacterial populations in the large intestine or acidification of the intestinal contents, often due to molds in the roughage;
• Dental problems that make it difficult for your horse to chew;
• Stress, in which case the diarrhea is often limited to the stressful situation (for example, a competition);
• Gastric ulcers;
• Salmonella infection, often accompanied by fever;
• Colitis X, an acute and severe intestinal inflammation, the horse also has a fever.

What to do with thin manure?

If your horse has recently undergone a feed change or has just been turned out to pasture, you can often easily identify and address the cause of thin manure. In a healthy horse, the intestinal flora is in balance. The bacteria are adapted to the type of feed the horse needs to digest. When a feed change occurs, or the horse suddenly goes to pasture, the bacteria need to adapt before digestion is optimal again. Therefore, it is important to introduce feed changes slowly. If your horse has thin manure with a feed change, switch over more slowly or limit the hours in the pasture. If your horse has thin manure but there have been no changes to the diet, you should look for other possible causes.

Has the horse been recently dewormed? Has he had a sand treatment with psyllium? Are the teeth well maintained by a professional equine dentist? Is the roughage of good quality and does it not contain molds and smell bad? Does the coat of your horse look good and shiny, is he not thin, does he not have a fever? If your horse has very thin manure and does not look fit or has a fever, you should call the veterinarian immediately!

Supporting digestion

The health of a horse depends to a large extent on the health of its digestion. If a horse has stomach problems, he will often also yawn, have girthy behavior or show signs of pain and discomfort in general. Always consult a veterinarian if you suspect stomach problems!

The digestion of fibrous roughage takes place mostly in the horse's large intestine, with bacteria playing an essential role. If the wrong bacteria are in the large intestine – or too few good bacteria – this digestion can be disturbed. This can lead to thin manure. Reasons for disruption of the bacterial population are:

• A (previous) illness;
• Moldy or rotten hay or silage;
• Poisoning, for example by eating toxic plants;
• Fungi in the intestines producing mycotoxins (waste products).

Make sure your horse receives an adequate amount of fiber-rich roughage that is not moldy or sour-smelling. Check the pasture for toxic plants. You can support digestion with, for example, active clay or probiotics with active yeast. A high-quality herbal preparation can also have a positive impact on digestion. This way, you ensure that the good bacteria regain the upper hand and digestion in the large intestine proceeds more smoothly. When the right bacteria are in the intestinal system, your horse's manure will also improve.

Additionally, a detox can help remove toxins. If you suspect your horse has sand in his intestines, read more here about symptoms and solutions.

Severe diarrhea

With severe diarrhea, a horse loses a lot of moisture and does not absorb nutrients anymore. You must compensate for the fluid loss, the horse must not dehydrate. You also need to add nutrients, sometimes in the form of electrolytes. A veterinarian will administer an intravenous infusion to your horse for severe diarrhea to provide fluids and nutrients.

If a contagious virus or bacterium is suspected, it may be necessary to isolate the horse. If there is a bacterial infection like salmonella, your horse will also receive antibiotics or anti-inflammatory medication.

In general, you should call the veterinarian if the thin manure lasts more than a few days and/or if there is severe diarrhea and/or if your horse is clearly sick or has a fever.