Why Do Horses Eat Poop?

Horses often engage in an unusual behavior known as coprophagy, or the eating of feces, due to nutritional needs, habits established during infancy, or as a result of certain disease conditions.

Nutritional Needs

Horses are hindgut fermenters, meaning they have a large cecum (part of the large intestine) where fibrous feeds are broken down by bacteria. Sometimes a horse’s digestive system doesn’t extract all the available nutrients during the first pass through the gut. Therefore, by consuming their feces, they may be seeking to recoup nutrients that were not originally absorbed.

1. Vitamins: Feces can contain residual amounts of vitamins, such as vitamin B, that are produced by the bacteria in the horse’s hindgut during the fermentation process. Young foals particularly may eat feces to gain these extra nutrients.
2. Fiber: Horses can gain excess fiber content which they initially failed to digest, especially if they are on a fiber-rich diet. This can be particularly prevalent in situations where horses are not being fed enough high-quality forage.

Foal Behavior and Learning Process

It is not unusual for a young foal to eat its mother’s droppings. This process, called allo-coprophagy, is perfectly natural and has a few important reasons:

• Ingesting Microbes: Through this process, foals are able to populate their gastrointestinal tract with beneficial microbes which aids their digestion.
• Learning: Foals learn a lot from their dams (mothers), and this is one of them. It’s a way of understanding what is food and what isn’t.

Health Conditions

Certain health conditions might also lead a horse to start eating feces. This behavior change can signal a problem and should prompt a consultation with a veterinarian. Some conditions include:

1. Parasitic Infestation: Horses with a high worm burden might start to eat feces. This could be potentially harmful as it could lead to a vicious cycle where horses eat the eggs of the parasites in the feces, and hence, reinfect themselves.
2. Ulcers: Horses suffering from gastric ulcers or other forms of gut discomfort might start to eat feces.
3. Malnutrition: Horses that are not receiving adequate nutrition from their regular diet, or horses that are starving, might resort to eating feces.

In any scenario, it’s crucial to monitor changes in your horse’s behavior. If a normally non-coprophagic horse starts indulging in this behavior, it could be indicative of an underlying problem, and professional advice should be sought. Equine nutritionists and veterinarians can best help tailor a diet to prevent nutrient deficiencies and ensure optimal gut health. Horses that are fed adequate quantities of good quality forage and have their nutritional needs met are less likely to resort to coprophagy.

Note that while coprophagy might seem unusual to us, it is a more common behavior in other species like rabbits, who routinely practise a form of it called “caecotrophy,” as a part of normal digestive processes.

Strategies to Discourage Coprophagy in Horses

While it’s important to understand why horses eat feces, it is equally vital to know how to manage this behavior, especially if the horse is under your care. Here’s a list of strategies to discourage coprophagy:

1. Quality Forage: Provide enough high-quality forage to fulfill your horse’s nutritional needs. This includes sufficient hay and pasture.
2. Balanced Diet: Ensure your horse’s diet is well-balanced with the appropriate levels of vitamins, minerals, and proteins. Consult with an equine nutritionist if needed to create an appropriate meal plan.
3. Routine Health Check-ups: Schedule regular veterinarian check-ups to monitor your horse’s health, including screening for parasites and ulcers, as well as dental health.
4. Pasture Management: Practice good pasture management by removing manure regularly. This can minimize the chances of a horse eating its own feces and helps to keep parasite levels low.
5. Feeding Schedule: Divide your horse’s feeding schedule into smaller, more frequent meals to keep their gut busy. This can prevent horses from seeking nutrients elsewhere.
6. Environmental Enrichment: Provide plenty of mental and physical stimulation for your horse. Implement toys, foraging opportunities, and social interaction to prevent boredom and curb unwanted behaviors.

Comparison with Other Species

Horses are not the only species to engage in coprophagy. Comparing coprophagic behavior in horses to other animals can provide context and understanding. Some examples include:

1. Rabbits: As previously mentioned, rabbits practice caecotrophy, consuming soft, special fecal pellets called “cecotropes” directly from their anus. This process is a vital part of their digestive system, allowing them to extract essential nutrients and maintain gut health.
2. Dogs: Dogs may eat feces for a variety of reasons, including boredom, attention-seeking, instinctive behavior, or poor nutrition. In most cases, it’s seen as an unwanted behavior and can be managed with dietary adjustments and training.
3. Elephants: Similar to horses, young elephants engage in coprophagy to acquire essential digestive bacteria and learn feeding habits.

By understanding the reasons behind coprophagy in other species, we can better understand horses’ feces-eating behavior and develop appropriate strategies to manage and prevent it.