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Post by stillonly1wu on Sept 23, 2008 20:27:51 GMT
I'm looking after my friend's Haflinger while she is on holiday. The little guy has been here for about 7 weeks. He arrived looking like an advert for the Brooke Hospital, but has since put on 41 kilos. He also had lice, but we've dealt with that. When he arrived he did not recognise cubes, Hi-Fi or sugar beet as food. He does now... He shares fields with Travers and they have become good friends. Shortly after he came I noticed that the poo-picking in the fields was taking longer, but thought nothing much of it. Now that I have sole care, however, I realise that he is poo-ing about 17 times a day in his box, that is between 6.00 pm - 9.30 am. Presumably he carries on in the field. This is not a small amount, but very large dollops.  He seems well enough in himself and enjoys hacking out, lessons and TTeam pole work. He is on a diet of Hi-Fi, Happy Hoof, High Fibre Cubes and sugar beet. He also has Formula4Feet because we keep having his shoes put on and they keep falling off. Is this amount of poo normal?? Please do not laugh at this enquiry ;D ;D It is a serious request  Wu  |
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Post by lizziebrandy on Sept 23, 2008 20:33:29 GMT
Umm my pony poos 7 times a day, he's really accurate. Is food just going straight through him if you get me meaning? havn't really got any expereince of this though, never heard of a over active pooer before...
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Post by jack on Sept 23, 2008 20:36:49 GMT
does it look lose or normal jack can fill a wheel barrow a day, though i havent counted it
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Post by stillonly1wu on Sept 23, 2008 20:40:56 GMT
Lizzy: I don't think the food can be just going through because he is gaining weight nicely. But maybe the food is not right for him, because it could be stimulating his bowels too much. Jack: The poo looks normal. Breaks when it hits the ground. Not smelly either. It's just the sheer amount of it!! Thanks, both! Wu |
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Post by jack on Sept 23, 2008 20:42:40 GMT
it could be that he is just on a good diet now
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Post by spotti on Sept 23, 2008 20:42:49 GMT
I've never really thought about it before, but Faith only seems to poo about 4-6 times over night and perhaps the same in the field.
Maybe he is poo-ing a lot because he's on quite a high fibre diet??? Fibre, afterall, isn't actually absorbed by the body but is instead used to help move excrement down the intestines and out of the anus, where the fibre is then deposited along with the poop. So if he has a lot of fibre, he will do a lot of poops!
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Post by stillonly1wu on Sept 23, 2008 20:53:57 GMT
Mmm. Think that might be right. Travers has such a diet because he got laminitis 2 years ago and needs the fibre moving through. My friend put the little Haffy on the same. Maybe he needs something different. Any suggestions? |
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Post by florence on Sept 23, 2008 21:56:55 GMT
I'd agree with spotti about the fibre causing it. My friend's horse poos so much more than my horse even though they're both living out at the moment. If you suspect he's not processing his feed properly, you could get it tested at the vets. Maybe it's worth ringing them to see what they suggest about changing feed - you don't want it going to the other extreme. If your friend's coming back soon, you might want to wait and ask her if he's always been like that.
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Post by ceej on Sept 23, 2008 21:58:09 GMT
harry poos for england, but then he eats for england...it doesn't matter how much hay I give him he will eat it...whereas willow will eat a biscuit or two, delicate sole that he is and he poos only a little amount. Both are in the same condition....if the poo looks healthy and he seems healthy I wouldn't worry, and I wouldn't decrease fibre because of it...I hope you are keeping him for good if he got that condition with your friend (or did he arrive with her like that?)
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Post by racaille on Sept 24, 2008 4:55:16 GMT
I'd say that if he's putting on weight and the poo is normal it's fine, probably just the amount of food he's getting! I don't know the brands you mention but I prefer good quality hay, rather than processed food, to put weight on but perhaps this is not possible with Travers alongside?
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Post by scattymare on Sept 24, 2008 11:30:07 GMT
I wouldn't worry if the poo is normal looking. Doof and myric (who does little rabbit dropping poos!!) do about a wheelbarrow and a half a day - so probably 10 ish poos each when theyre out 24/7. In winter I pick out about 8 poos from Doofs stable in the morning.
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Post by brigadier on Sept 24, 2008 15:31:38 GMT
HI Wu
agree with most of above- could be that he is just getting too much and lots of fibre to boot.
Calm and condition is fantastic for putting on weight without the down sides but you also cant beat good hay, if he is not getting loads of work Id cut the food right down and feed more hay or haylage, then it doesnt matter how much they poo. A short feed just to contain a vit and mineral supplemnt should be sufficient! (and lots cheaper after all he is simply pooing money at the moment by the sounds!)
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Post by finefilly on Sept 24, 2008 18:17:07 GMT
Beauty poos for England too but she is so greedy and eats for England. she is not losing weight so i am not too worried. vet came to do vaccinations and noticed how much she had pooed in her stable. he looked at her and said there was nothing to worry about. he did a rectal examination to see if she was still in foal to save having a scan and the amount of poo that came out was horrendous. but vet said some horses do poo more than others
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Post by stillonly1wu on Sept 26, 2008 21:03:49 GMT
Many thanks, peeps. The little Haffy is still fine and still poo-ing, but I have a lot of good advice to pass on to his mum when she gets back from her hols. Really grateful for that  Wu |
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