🪨 Vet Insight 2025: Preventing Enterolith Formation in Horses Through Smart Nutrition 🐴🍃

Author: Dr Duncan Houston, BVSc

Colic is common in horses, but some cases are caused by a lesser-known condition: enteroliths. These are mineral stones that form inside the intestine and can cause painful, dangerous blockages. While the exact cause is still being studied, we now know that nutrition, breed, and management all play roles. In this 2025 guide, Dr Duncan Houston outlines how to reduce your horse’s risk of developing enteroliths. 🐎🧬

🔍 What Are Enteroliths?

Enteroliths are stone-like masses made of minerals that form around a central core—often a small ingested object like a rock, nail, coin, or rope fiber. 🪙

• 🧪 Form in the colon under specific chemical conditions
• 🪨 Grow slowly, eventually causing partial or full intestinal obstruction
• 🔥 Cause signs of intermittent or acute colic

⚠️ Why Horses Are Susceptible

Horses have a unique digestive design—over 100 feet of intestine packed into a relatively small abdominal space. Any swelling or blockage is likely to cause pain. 📏

🍽️ Key Risk Factors for Enterolith Formation

1️⃣ Diet—Especially Alfalfa

• 🌿 Alfalfa contributes to high magnesium, calcium, nitrogen, and colon pH
• 📈 These elements favor stone formation

🐎 Texas horses have fewer enteroliths, likely because grass hay is more commonly fed than alfalfa. ✅

2️⃣ Limited Turnout

• 🚪 Horses kept indoors more than 50% of the time are at higher risk
• 🌳 Lack of grazing affects intestinal health and motility

3️⃣ Breed Predisposition

• 🐴 Arabians and Arab crosses are more prone to enteroliths

🧠 How Do Enteroliths Form?

They begin forming around an object the horse swallows. The mineral-rich, alkaline environment of the colon allows crystals to accumulate layer by layer, forming a stone. 🪨

🚫 Signs of Enterolith Colic

• 🔁 Intermittent colic episodes
• 📉 Decreased appetite
• 💩 Changes in manure or straining
• 🧪 Diagnosis confirmed via x-rays or exploratory surgery

✅ How to Prevent Enteroliths in 2025

1️⃣ Feed Grass Hay Instead of Alfalfa

• 🌾 Lower mineral content and better balance for colon health

2️⃣ Increase Pasture Time

• 🌳 Grazing promotes hydration and motility
• 🏃 More movement = less intestinal stagnation

3️⃣ Maintain Clean Feeding Environments

• 🧹 Prevent horses from ingesting foreign objects
• 🪣 Feed in raised containers to avoid sand and debris

🧠 Dr Duncan Houston’s Advice

"Preventing enteroliths isn’t about a single change—it’s about better feeding and turnout habits. Grass hay, clean paddocks, and movement make all the difference." 🐴📋

🔚 Final Thoughts: Block the Stones Before They Start

Enteroliths are painful, preventable, and potentially deadly. With the right diet and pasture access, you can greatly reduce your horse’s risk. 🐎❤️

Need help planning an enterolith-safe diet? Visit AskAVet.com or download the Ask A Vet app for custom nutrition support. 📱🌿