The digestive tract of horses is much smaller than cattle and has evolved to accommodate more frequent, smaller amounts of roughage. The horse does not graze and then later regurgitate and rechew the grass cud. Instead, the passage of food through the intestinal tract is much more rapid than in ruminants. The horse lacks a gall bladder as does the rat.

The microbial population of a horses' cecum is similar but not exactly the same as those bacteria found in the rumen. Horses are similar to ruminants in that any change in feeding can result in the relative population numbers of these bacteria getting out of balance which can lead to a life threatening condition.

Make Gradual Changes to Feeding - Amount, Type of Food and Time. Use only good quality feedstuffs. Dusty or moldy feed may cause health problems.

Overfeeding or misfeeding may result in colic, as well as laminitis. Colic is a term that means abdominal pain and may be evidenced by the horse being restless; glancing at, or kicking and biting at his abdomen; abnormal posture such as sitting like a dog on the rump and rolling on the ground. Other common presenting signs include: pale or brick red mucus membranes of the mouth and nose, weak pulse and profuse sweating.

Colic may be due to many factors including: parasites, ingestion of sand or gravel, ingestion of lush grasses, ingestion of large quantities of grain and almost anything else that upsets the digestive tract. Sometimes colic pain is due to a blockage of the intestinal tract, therefore feces may be reduced in quantity, or change in consistency.

There are many possible causes of "laminitis" or "founder", which is actually a symptom rather than a disease process.

In severe laminitis, the hoof may actually slough away and the bone of the foot rotate to protrude from the sole of the hoof. In these advanced cases, the animal is usually euthanized. Treatment is most effective when started early and aggressively followed.

Access to clean, fresh water is mandatory. The adult horse drinks an average of 10-12 gallons of water each day.

Never allow an overheated horse to drink cold water or eat feed until the horse is cooled down. Cooling down is best done by walking the animal in shaded areas until the temperature is normal and respiration near baseline levels.

Horse feces normally are brown, firm, roughly baseball-sized and shaped and when broken open are soft and greenish on the inside. Horses on pasture may have loose, greenish stools which are not formed into "balls". Horses produce from 30-50 pounds of feces each day and they defecate from 8-10 times daily.

Caretakers need to examine the feces each day, as early signs of intestinal problems may exhibit a change in fecal quality or quantity. Any stoppage of feces is of special importance since it may indicate an intestinal impaction or twisting of the gut.

The Farm Animal Veterinarian should be notified of any problems.

Foals which are still nursing will have a yellowish, soft stool due to the milk diet. This is normal.

Urine varies depending on diet, water consumption, exercise and age and sex. It is usually a deep yellow color and opaque or cloudy.

Horses normally stop other activities such as eating and walking to urinate and slightly stretch out their hind legs behind them. Males will extend their penis from the sheath.

TETANUS - The tetanus organism is a normal component of intestinal flora and is excreted in human and animal feces. The organism may form spores which are hardy and remain in the soil for years. These spores enter the body through wounds or through mucus membranes.

ALL HORSES ARE HIGHLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO TETANUS! The bacteria replicates and produces toxins which affect the nerves of the body, leading to muscle spasms-including the muscles of the heart and respiration. Common symptoms include abdominal stiffness, retention of urine and constipation. Death usually occurs in 4-10 days.

Puberty for mares is about 12-15 months, although most are not bred until 3 years of age. The normal breeding season extends from February to June. The mare's estrus or heat period lasts about one week and there is about a two week interval between heat periods. A mare in heat may urinate more frequently, back up to the stallion (or other mares) and contract and relax the vulva (termed a "wink"); often there will be a mucoid discharge around the vulva.

Geldings are safer and easier to handle than stallions, so colts are castrated unless being saved for breeding purposes. Although colts may be castrated at a few days of age, most people wait until they are 8-15 months of age to allow maximum bone development under the influence of androgens.

The gestation period ranges from 310 to 370 days with an average being 336 days. Foals are usually weaned from four to six months of age.

As a mare approaches parturition, the udder may begin to distend or fill and a "waxy" substance may be seen on the tip of the nipples about 4-6 days prior to foaling. As foaling time arrives, the mare may drip milk from her nipples, she may become restless and move about, she may sweat, urinate more frequently, and lie down and get up several times.

In general, human attendants should be near but not in sight as the foal presents. The newborn may need birth membranes removed from the mouth and nostrils, and the navel cord treated to avoid infection.

The foal should be handled in full view of the mare and usually is placed near the mare's head to allow her to smell and lick her baby. A strong healthy foal will be on its feet and ready to nurse within a couple of hours.

 Life Span                                    20-50 yrs
Puberty                                         1-2 yrs
Minimum Breeding Age                   3-5 yrs
Weaning Age                                 4-6 mo
Daily Food Consumption             17-36 lbs
Daily Water Consumption              5-12 gal
Daily Fecal Volume                     30-50 lbs
Daily Urine Volume     3-18 ml/kg. body wt.
Chromosome #                                     64