Manure with Mucus

[SuckerForHorses]

Photos attached (they are fairly ewww)

21 year old Arabian mare, in excellent health with no medical issues.

24/7 turnout on grass pasture all summer long, 24/7 access to hay in the winter months.

Every once in a while, not regularly, I notice that her poops have mucus on them, and sometimes that mucus is a string like material. The first time I saw it I freaked out thinking it was worms, but it is not worms.

I’ve poked around online and manure with mucus seems to indicate manure not passing through the GI tract as fast as it should but I’m not sure how to “fix” this…or if it even requires an attempt at fixing?

She is very healthy, fit, active, great appetite, etc. I don’t want to go looking for trouble if there is none, but the strange looking poop every once in a while is odd.

[Texarkana]

Water intake? Sometimes the grass gets crispy or overgrazed this time of year, too.

FWIW, my older mare has the same thing occasionally. Hers seemed worse when she was on Ultium, although I don’t know if that was just coincidence.

[SuckerForHorses]

@Texarkana

Water intake? Sometimes the grass gets crispy or overgrazed this time of year, too.

FWIW, my older mare has the same thing occasionally. Hers seemed worse when she was on Ultium, although I don’t know if that was just coincidence.

I haven’t noticed water intake change at all - neither less or more for her. Nothing is crispy here this year - we’ve been flooded with rain :lol:

I guess I’ll just keep an eye on it. Sometimes its not there, sometimes its barely noticeable, and sometimes its clearly noticeable and gross, like in these pictures.

[buck22]

My aged gelding gets this from time to time, and has for years. I have always assumed it had something to do with his history of severe ulcers, though he’s been symptom free for many years now. I’ll be interested if someone has more information.

[SuckerForHorses]

@buck22

My aged gelding gets this from time to time, and has for years. I have always assumed it had something to do with his history of severe ulcers, though he’s been symptom free for many years now. I’ll be interested if someone has more information.

She’s definitely been suspected of having ulcers to some degree. I’ve not scoped her, but I have extensive experience with ulcers in a previous horse. This mare’s lifestyle is as “anti ulcer” as I can get - I limit her stressors, provide forage around the clock, low grain diet (she gets a ration balancer), and I use UlcerGard as a preventative before even stepping foot on a trailer to go anywhere.

I’m going to see if I can just sort of make note of when she seems to have this. These photos were taken after we had trailered somewhere that was a 3 hour trip. I don’t recall if I’ve seen it like this at home, so I will pay more attention to when this occurs.

[Jetster]

her manure looks very “hard” to me, id try some Magnesium to draw more water into the intestines , Magnesium Malate /Mag restore works great, i have a large pony that tends to do that in the winter. available white salt with some salt added to feed as well to help boost her drinking

[Argo]

I saw that once in an older Arabian mare who had a terrible colic, then died. I think she had a lipoma. Of course I hope that’s not your case, and look forward to seeing other insights here.

[SuckerForHorses]

@Jetster

her manure looks very “hard” to me, id try some Magnesium to draw more water into the intestines , Magnesium Malate /Mag restore works great, i have a large pony that tends to do that in the winter. available white salt with some salt added to feed as well to help boost her drinking

Yes, it does here. It’s not typically though. This was after trailering 3 hours. At home, its not so “individual-nugget-like” but I suppose the dryness here could be why it brought some mucus with it on it’s way out?

[Texarkana]

@SuckerForHorses

Yes, it does here. It’s not typically though. This was after trailering 3 hours.

I think you might have just answered your own question regarding the cause of the mucus.

E-lytes and probiotics before/after an event like a long trailer ride will probably prevent it.

[SuckerForHorses]

@Texarkana

I think you might have just answered your own question regarding the cause of the mucus.

E-lytes and probiotics before/after an event like a long trailer ride will probably prevent it.

Yep, this time around I think it was definitely a contributing factor. I’m going to try to note her poop at home, to see if or how often this happens under non-stressful circumstances and see how frequent or infrequent this is.

[tabula_rashah]

I’ve seen this a couple times before- always after a long trailer ride and I’ve used Ulcergard. It freaked me out the first time I saw it too

[findeight]

Sure it’s coming from the anus and not the vulva?

[SuckerForHorses]

@findeight

Sure it’s coming from the anus and not the vulva?

Positive.

[Horseman15]

My mare has this sometimes too. It’s not common but it seems to be more apt to happen when I take my gelding out for the day and leave her home. She’ll pace and yell for him until we get back. The neighbors say she walks the fence and calls constantly, so maybe what you’re seeing is stress related. I’m thinking that’s the case for my girl.

[SuckerForHorses]

Sounds like its nothing to be too concerned about since its occurrence is few and far between.

I’m trailering again this coming weekend and will give UlcerGard as always, but will also provide electrolytes starting the day or two before and see if that makes a difference.