b'The Rules of Poopspectiona sudden diet change (such as switching from pasture grass to dry hay). At the first sign of smaller, harder stools, encourage your horse to drink more, says Fugaro. Ambient-temperature water and additives such as diluted Ga-torade or dissolved molasses could tempt him to drink, though these sugary sub-stances are not recommended for horses with metabolic issues. Constant access to a salt block or electrolytes added into feed might also make the horse more thirsty and consume more water, he says. SHELLEY PAULSON4 Alert Thyself to Liquidy PoopA little loose stool might not be much to worry about, says Fugaro. A soupy pile of formed balls could be aWhen cleaning your horses stall, you want to see piles of moist, spongy golf-ball-sized manure.short-term reaction to a dietary change, a slight digestive upset, or even an emo- lose body condition because of a reducedWe can delineate a lot of information tional stress, he says. In this scenario,ability to absorb nutrients. about how horses are grinding their food keep an eye on the manure to see how itby looking at fiber length in feces, Fuga-evolvesstool should ideally be back to5 Introduce Biosecurity Measuresro says. For example, if fibers are gradu-normal within 72 hours, he explains. if Thou Art Suspicious ally getting longer over time, the horse Full-blown liquid diarrhea, however,As mentioned, loose stools associatedmight be having dental issues that prevent merits immediate attention. The worst- with fever or depression warrant concernhim from chewing his food properly. case scenario is when it turns to nothingfor disease spread. Even if the causeIf the fibers seem to be mixed with a but water, and theyre painting the wallsdoesnt turn out to be infectious, its betterlot of grainy material, the horse might be with it, Fugaro says. This kind of diar- to be safe than sorry. ingesting sandespecially if he lives in rhea can be caused by colitis induced byIf you suspect a horse has an infec- a sandy area, says Fugaro. Fortunately, infections and/or antibiotics in rare cases.tious disease, isolate him and implementtheres an easy home test to check that. This is life-threatening, so owners needbiosecurity protocols right away (beforeYou can float fecal balls in water to catch it before it gets to this point.the vet arrives) to minimize and potential- inside a plastic bag, he says. If sand Between the ball-soup and wall-paintly prevent disease spread, says Pantaleon.collects at the bottom of the bag (after consistencies is the cow-patty, saysUse a pre-established isolation stall, orabout 15 minutes), your horse could be Fugaro. If horses are pooping like cattle,choose a stall at the end of the row, andconsuming too much sand. they need veterinary attention. Diarrheakeep the stall beside it empty. Make sureIngesting sand can irritate, weigh can progress to the wall-paint stage in aspeople coming in and out of the stall usedown, and obstruct the gut, leading to few as two hours to up to two days.protective equipment such as disposablesand colic. Talk to your veterinarian Runny poop combined with other is- gloves, washable rubber boots, and evenabout treatment options such as psyllium sues, such as fever, lethargy, or refusingcoveralls, and have them change clothesto help clear it up. to eat, could mean the horse is fighting aand take a shower before handling other bacterial or viral infection, says Pantaleon. horses. (Ideally, they should manage the7 Note What Thine Nose and Eyes These signs suggest a high likelihoodaffected horse at the end of their rounds.)Beholdfor infectious diseaseSalmonella, Clos- Handlers should avoid sharing equip- Horse poop isnt all that stinky, and tridium difficile, coronavirus, or Potomacment, including halters, grooming tools,were not just saying that because were horse fever, to name a few, he says. Inmuck tubs, and thermometers, he says.horse crazy. Herbivore feces in general foals it could also mean rotavirus orcreate less unpleasant odor than carni-Lawsonia intracellularis (responsible for6 Consider Thine Horses Fecalvore feces, and horses have comparably equine proliferative enteropathy, whichFiber Length less foul intestinal production than many thickens the small intestines lining).Each little spongy ball of poop isother domestic animals. It still stinks a Intestinal parasites might also be apacked full of fiber strands. Pick one uplittle, though. And thats okay.cause of diarrhea, he says. Or, runny poop(with a gloved hand, of course) and see forWhats not okay is when the odor could be related to chronic inflammatoryyourself! These strands are whats left ofevolves from its normal smell and be-diseases within the gastrointestinal tractforage after its been digested for 48 hourscomes something unusual or extremely or even certain cancers. In these casesin the 100-foot equine digestive tract andfoul. If you walk into the barn and think, the horse would have loose stools overfinally pooped out onto your stall floor.Wow, thats a weird, strong smell, it a long period (several weeks) and wouldAnd theyre little upper-GI messengers.could be a sign of trouble, our sources say.30April 2020The Horse|TheHorse.com'