Eating poo

chunky monkey

Well-Known Member
May 2, 2007
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Im sure there was a recent thread on poo eating but i cant find it.

I seem to recall it discussing why horses eat it.

One theory was a lack of minerals.

I wanted to refer to it as i caught Billy eating Chunkys the other evening. Hes a fat balloon at present. I was thinking grass belly. Theyve been roaming 3 acres on the track i set up. So they have access to the hedges. The ground is poor but has a variety of flora and fauna. Ive cut them just to 2 acres of track this week to restrict them to get some weight off but if there lacking something then theres no point in restricting as it could make things worse.
They are getting soaked speedi beet, tumeraid, linseed, heygates mix, apple cider, vinegar, salt, molasses.
Without having bloods done i wont really know if there lacking something but i was trying to rule out any other reasons.
 
My understanding is they do it to get good bacteria from a healthy gut, that’s the reason vets occasionally prescribe putting another horses poo in some feed.
 
Looking for any info on vampire ponies I came across this, the poo eating bit is below the hippo picture
It made me think too, at the ranch I spent time at years ago the cows would Hoover up horse poo, the rancher said it was for the protein that the horses didn’t fully digest from their oats, because the land was so poor there (to keep 1 horse you need 10 acres) the cows didn’t get much in their grass diet.
 
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