[Naimi95 Original Poster Topics Started: 4Replies Posted: 14]

I changed my mares grain from alfalfa pellets and oats, barley and corn with molasses to smartcombo, smartcalm ultra and smartvite thrive over the past week and a half and now she has loose poop. It’s not super bad but it still gets in her tail and on her legs. Should I start over and change it slower or should I just give her time to get used to it?

[Joe-Joe Topics Started: 17Replies Posted: 1205]

She needs hay. Changing feed is something that should always be done gradually, as animals cannot process such changes as well as people.

It is never the horse's fault

[Naimi95 Original Poster Topics Started: 4Replies Posted: 14]

She gets plenty of hay, two flakes twice a day and a half a flake in between regular feedings to keep her busy as we don’t have grassy pastures.

[Joe-Joe Topics Started: 17Replies Posted: 1205]

You did not mention the hay (or I totally missed it). In any case, the rest of my answer stands – animals cannot process such drastic changes in food, and horses cannot vomit (which dogs do everywhere if one suddenly changes their food), so they just produce loose stool. Did you just get her? She is really cute.

It is never the horse's fault

[Naimi95 Original Poster Topics Started: 4Replies Posted: 14]

I added a bit of her new grain and took out some of the old everyday but I guess a week and a half isn’t slow enough. I’ve had her for about 2 years.

[Joe-Joe Topics Started: 17Replies Posted: 1205]

Why did you feel she needed her feed regimen changed?

It is never the horse's fault

[Naimi95 Original Poster Topics Started: 4Replies Posted: 14]

I heard it helps coats and hooves which she’s had trouble with cracking. and she’s also high strung and someone had said it calmed there horse down. So I thought I’d give it a try.

[Joe-Joe Topics Started: 17Replies Posted: 1205]

Aren’t those meant to be supplemental to the regular feed? Not the only things one feeds? My horse is on supplements, but they are in addition to his feed. Or did I misunderstand your original post? I thought you meant you stopped what you were feeding, and are now feeding these other things.

It is never the horse's fault

[Naimi95 Original Poster Topics Started: 4Replies Posted: 14]

Oops, I ment supplements in my original post not grain. I switched supplements because I want to see if these work better. My brain is not working today.

[Naimi95 Original Poster Topics Started: 4Replies Posted: 14]

I just looked back at my original post and realized I messed it up. She gets alfalfa and oat, barley and corn with molasses and I’m changing her supplements. My bad..

[Joe-Joe Topics Started: 17Replies Posted: 1205]

Ah – that makes a big difference! It is possible that the additions are causing the loose stools and that once she gets used to them, the problem wil disappear. However, if it doesn’t, I would really recommend that you take a sample to your vet, to see if there is something else going on. Being neurotic, I would probably have the stool checked anyway. I added my supplements one at a time, so I have no personal experiece with what you are going through.

It is never the horse's fault

[Joan Fry Topics Started: 11Replies Posted: 324]

So you have changed something–her diet. This may be the cause of the “lumps” along her backbone, too. Barley and corn aren’t particularly good for horses because they’re high in starch and low in just about everything else. And molasses can cause a sugar high in horses just the way too much candy can in kids. I’d be careful of over-supplementing, but that’s just me.

[Naimi95 Original Poster Topics Started: 4Replies Posted: 14]

The lumps started before the change

[Joan Fry Topics Started: 11Replies Posted: 324]

If the bumps continue to bleed–and if her loose stool doesn’t firm up–I would definitely call a vet in.

• This reply was modified 4 years, 3 months ago by  Joan Fry.

[C-Mac Topics Started: 0Replies Posted: 1]

Go back to basics. Your horse should be receiving 15% – 20% of its body weight in forage, per day. Don’t evaluate hay rations by “flakes”, evaluate by weight based on the average bale weight. Forage means hay, hay cubes, unsweetened chaff or grass. You can substitute beet pulp (Speedi Beet is a great product) for some of the daily forage. Use a small hole haynet if your horse is a hay vacuum.

An alfalfa, corn, oats, barley feed may be the reason you feel you need SmartCalm. Concentrated feeds are generally only required if a horse is in heavy training or work, gestating or lactating or you are trying to increase body condition for some reason. Chronic loose poop (lasting a week or more) can be a sign of serious health issues, such as parasites, colitis, ulcers. If it continues contact your vet.

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