MONITORING MANURE

Whilst it’s not the most pleasant topic, understanding more about your pony’s manure can help you know how he is doing health-wise.

What to look for

Manure should be made up of firm, well-formed balls. Very loose droppings or very dry droppings are always a cause for worry, and your vet will need to come and see your pony to give them a check-up. Ponies generally pass manure every couple of hours, so if your pony goes for a couple of hours without passing manure, you should also think about giving your vet a call.

This manure is not well formed.

You should regularly check manure for any signs of undigested food (like whole oats or long bits of grass), as this can be a sign that your horse is struggling with his digestive system in some way. It could be that he needs to see the dentist; that he is getting too much food, so it is passing through too quickly; that his gut does not like the food he is getting; or that he has a problem with his digestive system. Again, the best thing to do would be to discuss the issue with your vet.

The other thing to look out for in manure is worms. Most worms can only be seen under a microscope, but some can be visible with our naked eye if we look for them. If you see worms, you can be confident that your pony has a lot of worms in his system, and you should speak to your vet about the best dewormer to use.

Summary

The ‘bottom’ line with manure is that if you notice any changes from the norm, you need to get it checked!