Why Horses Eat Manure: Coprophagy in Foals and Adults
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By Dr Duncan Houston
Seeing a horse eat manure can be surprising, but the meaning depends strongly on the animal’s age and circumstances. A curious young foal and an adult spending long periods without forage need different responses.
Coprophagy, also called coprophagia, simply means eating faeces. It is an observation to place in context, rather than a diagnosis of a particular mineral deficiency or a reason to punish the horse.
Quick Answer
Eating manure is common in young foals and usually declines as they mature. Persistent or newly developed coprophagy in an adult should prompt a review of forage access, the overall ration, social conditions and health. Seek urgent veterinary care if it occurs alongside colic, diarrhoea, weakness or a foal failing to nurse.
Foals and adults are different
The Merck owner guide to equine behaviour describes manure eating as normal in foals, particularly during the first two months. A bright foal that nurses, grows and passes normal manure does not need treatment simply because this behaviour is noticed.
In adults, low roughage intake or an inadequate ration can contribute. Restricted opportunities to forage and problems accessing feed should therefore be considered. However, watching one episode cannot tell you which nutrient, if any, is deficient. Adding several supplements at once may make the ration less balanced without addressing the reason the horse is doing it.
A practical decision guide
| Situation | Reasonable next step |
|---|---|
| Young foal, bright and nursing normally | Maintain routine observation, clean surroundings and the foal’s planned veterinary care. |
| Adult with occasional manure eating but otherwise well | Review actual forage access and record when it happens. |
| Adult with persistent behaviour, weight loss or poor appetite | Arrange a veterinary and nutritional assessment. |
| Any horse with colic, marked diarrhoea or weakness | Contact your vet urgently. |
| Foal that stops nursing, becomes dull or cannot rise normally | Request immediate veterinary help. |
Check what the horse actually eats
A ration written on a feed chart is not necessarily the ration an individual receives. Hay may run out overnight, be wasted in bedding or be guarded by another horse. Dental discomfort can also make available forage difficult to use.
Weigh the forage offered and note leftovers rather than estimating by a scoop or an inconsistent flake. Record concentrate and supplement amounts, turnout time, body condition and the longest gaps without forage. The University of Minnesota’s mature-horse feeding guidance provides a useful framework for matching a ration to body size and individual needs.
Do not respond by giving unrestricted rich feed to an overweight horse or one with metabolic disease. A veterinarian or equine nutritionist can design a suitable forage plan that supports chewing time while controlling energy and carbohydrate intake where necessary.
A step-by-step management review
- Keep a brief diary of when manure eating occurs and whether the horse had forage available at that time.
- Watch group feeding from a distance. Check that a quieter horse can reach forage and water without being displaced.
- Review forage quality and the complete ration with your vet or nutritionist. Make recommended changes gradually.
- Arrange an examination if the behaviour is new, persistent or accompanied by weight or appetite changes. Discuss dental care and any difficulty chewing.
- Provide appropriate turnout, compatible social contact and safe opportunities to forage within the horse’s medical plan.
- Remove manure routinely and keep feed and water areas clean. Reassess the behaviour after addressing the identified issues.
Parasites and other possible explanations
Coprophagy does not prove that a horse has worms. Weight loss or diarrhoea may need investigation for parasites, dental disease, digestive illness or other conditions, but the appropriate tests depend on the whole picture.
The AAEP parasite control guidelines recommend targeted programmes and checking whether dewormers remain effective. Faecal egg counts help guide parasite management, but they do not diagnose every parasite-related illness or explain manure eating by themselves. Avoid repeated unscheduled deworming as a behavioural remedy, and remember that foals need an age-appropriate programme.
Emergency signs should not be explained away
Call your vet promptly for abdominal pain, repeated rolling, severe diarrhoea, marked depression or weakness. A foal that stops nursing can deteriorate quickly. Describe the illness and its timing first; manure eating may be an incidental observation rather than the cause.
While waiting for instructions, keep the horse in a safe area and avoid forced feeding, oral drenches or leftover medicines. Do not delay because a supplement or dewormer has just been given.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Punishing or frightening a horse for eating manure.
- Diagnosing a specific deficiency from the behaviour alone.
- Using extra dewormers without a veterinary parasite plan.
- Restricting forage further to stop an adult reaching manure.
- Deliberately feeding another horse’s manure as a home microbiome treatment.
Frequently asked questions
Should I separate a foal from its dam to prevent this?
Not simply for normal manure eating. Maintain appropriate mare-and-foal care and discuss any signs of illness with your vet.
Will a mineral lick fix adult coprophagy?
Only correcting an identified dietary problem is likely to help that problem. A lick cannot replace a complete ration and management review.
Should I use a muzzle?
Do not use one solely as a quick behavioural fix. Any medically indicated muzzle must fit safely and allow the intended access to forage and water.
Is manure from a healthy horse safe to feed?
Do not deliberately offer it. Apparent health does not establish freedom from infectious organisms or parasites.
Age, health and access to forage provide the most useful context. A calm review of the horse’s daily routine usually gives better direction than treating the behaviour in isolation.
For help understanding your animal’s care and preparing questions for your veterinarian, visit ASK A VET™.
