What do your horse’s stomach sounds mean?

Question:

Is it good for the horse’s belly to rumble and make noises while eating? Tracie

Answer:

It is completely normal for a horse’s intestinal tract to make rumbling noises while he eats and digests his feed. In fact, a complete absence of “gut” sounds is bad and one of the things we check for when examining a horse suffering from colic.

As food passes through the horse’s intestinal tract, it is mixed with fluids and churned around by the intestines to aid in digestion. The resultant gas and fluid sounds you hear are the result of the digestion process.

Dr. Tom R. Lenz of AQHA Corporate Partner Fort Dodge Animal Health

For more advice from Dr. Lenz, check out AQHA’s popular “Your Horse’s Health” DVD.