defecating by force

Question
hello ma'am, at the riding club, i have seen a mare defecating by force and making some sounds. what does it mean?

Answer
Hi Rohit,

Thank you for your question.  It is not uncommon for horses to appear as though they need to push to pass manure and some may even make slight groaning noises.  It would be more concerning of the horse were straining without being able to pass manure.  This could be (amongst other things) a sign of the manure impacting in the cecum or large intestine, often stemming from dehydration or the result of a horse eating large volumes of overly mature forage.  

Thanks, Corlena