Question:  My horse will not poop on the trail — yesterday we started tacking up at 10:00 a.m., road for 2 and 1/2 hours, stopped for lunch,where he did drink out of a river, road home and 2 and 1/2 hours — probably total 6 to 7 hours — absolutely no poop.  On the way home he seemed very anxious and wouldn’t listen well, and I can’t help but wonder if he was very uncomfortable.  As soon as we
got back and I tied him up to untack him, he went —

I have owned him for 9 years and I can probably count on one hand how many times I’ve seen him let go on a trail ride.  But most of his rides are only 2 1/2 hours long…

Is there anything that you would recommend that when going on long rides that I can give him or do to help him defecate on the trail so he’s more comfortable.

Question: My friend’s horse went through some trauma entering a horse trailer. Now she bobs her head up and down when longeing her, when before, she would hold her head up high. Can you tell me what this means?

 Answer: Several things could have caused the change in this mare’s behavior. Two initial thoughts crossed my mind when you said the horse was bobbing its head. A horse that is lame in a front leg will bob its head when it walk or trots. Since your friend’s horse “went through some trauma”, I assume it may have sustained some sort of injuries. It is possible that the horse is lame and may need veterinary attention. Longeing a horse will often make a lameness issue more obvious than when the horse is walked in a straight line. More force is placed on the horse’s joints and limbs when moving in a fairly small circle versus a straight line, and therefore lameness is sometimes easier to diagnose. Another possibility is that the horse injured its eye or scratched its cornea during the event. Again, I would suggest seeking veterinary treatment.