Ask the Expert: Free Fecal Water Syndrome

Hannah Lochner

Help! I have a horse who recently developed fecal water syndrome. What are my options? What works? Also, do you have any advice for washing his seat and legs? We do not have a heated facility.

Fecal water syndrome (FWS) refers to the presence of fecal water before, during or after passing formed manure. Free fecal water can leave your horse's hind legs and tail a mess. If not cleaned regularly, free fecal water can also irritate the skin. Do not confuse FWS with diarrhea, which is defined as loose or runny manure. Always work with a veterinarian to determine a diagnosis. They can help rule out other potential problems such as an infection. While FWS is often not a serious condition, diarrhea can be life-threatening. Stress and an imbalance of microbial populations in the gut may contribute to FWS but causes of FWS largely remain unknown. So, your horse has FWS, what now? Unfortunately, resolving FWS can be challenging. What works for one horse might not work for another. A good place to start is your horse's diet. When adjusting a horse's diet, always make gradual changes to allow their gut time to adapt. Work with an equine nutritionist, who can ensure your horse is receiving a balanced diet that meets their needs. A healthy adult horse should have 1.5 to 2.5% of their bodyweight daily in forage. Forage tends to be the primary fiber source in horse diets. During the winter months, this is often in the form of long-stem hay. Providing a variety of forage types or fiber sources may better support the gut of horses with FWS. You could try adding a different maturity or species of hay, hay pellets, hay cubes, beet pulp or a complete feed to their diet. Again, consult with a professional to ensure the diet remains balanced, meets your horse's needs and is adjusted gradually to allow the gut time to adapt. Here are a few tips to help keep your horse clean during the winter months when you do not have access to a heated facility.

• Use a tail bag or bandage wrap to protect the tail below the tail bone. While some fecal water may still collect under the dock, a tail bag or bandage wrap can prevent most of the tail from becoming a caked, frozen mess. Do not tie or wrap around the tail bone, which can cut off circulation and damage the live portion of your horse's tail. Check the bag or wrap routinely and adjust or replace it as needed.

• Apply baby oil or petroleum jelly below the anus and along the hind legs to ease cleaning and limit caking of fecal water. In turn, these products will also help prevent skin irritation.

• Use baby wipes as an alternative to soap and water. This may not be a practical option depending on the severity of FWS.

Unwanted behaviors, often called vices, are repetitive, purposeless behaviors that take up a large portion of a horse's time. Common examples include cribbing, chewing and weaving. Vices can stem from environments that limit a horse's natural feeding or social behavior.

Horses have a strong instinct to forage, move and socialize. They have evolved to eat small, frequent, forage-based meals throughout the day. When allowed to graze, horses will forage for over 14.5 hours daily while moving around the pasture. Additionally, as herd animals, social interaction is key to horse welfare. However, providing this ideal environment for horses is often not practical.

Many of today's horses spend