Q&A: My Yearling Ate Manure!

I found my yearling QH colt eating fresh manure from our mare that was in heat. Is this normal, and what should I do to discourage it? He will be gelded soon, and when I tried to chase him away from the manure he kicked at me, so I left him alone. Is this hormones kicking in-- what should I do?

Eating manure isn't something to get too worried about, but it can be a sign the yearling is missing something in his diet. Manure contains probiotics, which are good bacteria that help a horse digest food. If a horse is eating that, he may be lacking probiotics in his diet.

He may also be lacking a vitamin or mineral that is causing him to try to eat manure to get that in his diet.

The article Don't Eat Your Poop explains probiotics.

I would suggest you make sure he has a good mineral block, a salt block, and also consider buying probiotics to add to his feed. Since he is young and growing, good nutrition is important for him.

I doubt the fact that the mare is in heat has anything to do with him eating. But it is a concern becase if he's a yearling and being kept with a mare, there is a good chance he could get her pregnant, even at that age. Unless you want another foal I would keep them well separated until you geld him, and after you geld him to give him both a chance to heal and a chance for his hormones to adjust. Your vet should be able to advise you on how long this will take.

I don't know if his kicking is a common thing, but it does worry me. It is important for your safety that he learns to respect you. It is best to work with horses when they are young to solve these problems rather than letting them get older and develop more bad habits

Young horses often "test" to see who they can boss around. In a herd situation, an older horse would bite or kick a youngster that acts up, so if you don't correct his behavior he will think he what he is doing is OK. Try working with him in the round pen on ground manners, leading, etc. and if he tries to kick at you again correct him immediately.

Good luck!