• Mix the drug into a fresh feed – some medicines have coatings and as soon as they come in contact with damp feed they can break down and become bitter. Horses, by instinct, won’t eat bitter foods, so prepare things near to feeding time rather than in advance.

• Consider the type of feed – a damp feed makes it easier to mix a powdered drug and disguise it. Most horses will happily consume a bowl of soaked sugar beet, maybe with some molassed chaff or alfalfa added to it. The key is to make the feed large enough to taste sweet and cover the medicine, but not so large your horse becomes full and won’t finish it.

•  Add the drugs to highly appetising food. You may need to try several different additives but things like molasses, grated carrot, grated apples, apple sauce or juice can all work well as tasty disguises! Be aware that molasses and sugary feeds are not suitable for laminitic horses. In this case other flavours like mint could help. 

•  Mix a paste - A horse that still refuses to eat a ‘treat’ laden feed may need dosing by mixing the medicine into a paste. Thick ‘carriers’ work well and allow you to suck up the medicine mix into a dosing syringe (like a wormer syringe) and administer it in the same way. It may be useful to have an experienced handler to help you do the job effectively and safely,

• Use the right equipment - If you are feeding a competitively banned substance, then you need to consider contamination to other horses. Use a specific bucket and feed stirrer for your horse that is labelled so others on your yard know what it is being used for. Prepare your medicines away from other feeds and try to use a bucket that is new and has a smooth surface, so that powders or granules are easy for your horse to consume and clean away afterwards.

As with any equine health issue, make sure you always take your vet’s guidance and keep a clear record of what you have fed and when. 

What is a perfect horse poo?

Did you know that a 450kg horse produces approximately 22kg of manure per day, spread over around eight poos, sometimes more in young stock or stallions?

Is there anything you should look for when doing your daily muck chores?

A horse’s diet can have a huge impact on the droppings that that they produce, as can external temperature, gut health, general wellbeing, age, exercise and access to water. In a healthy horse, the ‘perfect’ poo should have well-formed faecal balls with noticeable fibres but no real "chunks" of food. Is should have a fairly uniform colour, little odour, and no mucus or blood specks. A small amount of liquid before or after is fairly standard.

What do droppings contain?

Droppings contain a mixture of everything the horse consumes. It can also contain shedded cells. Approximately ¾ of the total weight of muck is water, so to maintain good gut health, and therefore healthy poos, you need to make sure your horse is hydrated and has access to good, fresh water in a suitable container.

How feed can change things

As many owners know, a horse that grazes on lush, fresh grass may soon be having very ‘cow patty’, green, loose and smelly poos. In this sense, what goes ‘in’ can determine what comes ‘out’. For example:

Fresh, bright green hay may make your horse’s poo a brighter green colour, as can alfalfa.

A diet high in sugar beet pulp can lead to a more reddish brown poo that has a slightly sticky nature.

A high vegetable oil diet, that isn’t introduced gradually, can lead to looser, almost greyish and oily poo.

What to be aware of

Although feed can change a horse’s droppings, there are key things you need to look out for and call a vet if you are at all concerned.

Fewer poos than normal, or ones that have a mucus covering can indicate a delayed digestion passage, such as an impaction. It is important to look for signs of colic at this stage and call your vet for guidance if you are at all unsure.

Poos of a very foul smelling nature can be caused by a rapid diet change, with too much fat or protein. However, they can also show signs of ulcers, salmonella, or internal parasites.

Undigested food and very long pieces of grass and hay fibre can be indicators of dental issues or trouble chewing, particularly in veterans. So again it is wise you have your horse’s teeth checked so they can chew and digest in comfort.

An overweight pony is as unhealthy as one that is underweight and can lead to more complex health issues later down the line.  So, what can you do when your pony has piled on the pounds?

Strip grazing or making a pen with electric fencing or specialist metal fence panels can work well and means that your pony will only be eating the grass as it grows. As they eat a section down, the fence can be moved slightly. This method relies on suitable fencing and regular poo picking so the pasture stays in good shape. However, even then grass can grow quickly and ponies that are already overweight will maintain weight – they need to be monitored carefully to make sure it doesn’t increase.

Some owners without access to strip grazing fencing use grass muzzle, particularly in the morning when the grass sugar levels are high. A suitable muzzle should fit well, not rub, and have a hole at the bottom so the pony can drink and nibble at small amounts of grass. This method can work well for ponies that aren’t keen on being stabled, but relies on the owner being present to put on and remove the muzzle.

Another approach is to restrict grazing by keeping ponies stabled during the hours of the day when the sugar levels in the grass are at their highest. If you are choosing this option, consider feeding very well soaked hay (to remove the sugars) hung in a small holed hay net. This will provide some restricted low calorie feed and will mean your pony will be kept busy in his stable. Stable toys can also help keep ponies occupied so they are thinking less about their bellies!

It is important to remove grain and other concentrated sources of calories from diet, ideally gradually, until weight is lost, but it is important to ensure that the horse is being fed a high fibre, low calorie diet, to support his digestive system.

Strict as it may seem, you also need to consider the feeding of “treats” like apples and carrots as these all contain extra calories. Stick to a couple of grass nuts that are still a treat but not so sugar laden.

Lastly, look towards increasing your pony’s exercise programme. Diet can have a massive impact on weight loss, but exercise will support this further and will add to many other areas of wellbeing, plus you get to enjoy your pony too!