The answer to this question may be surprising to equestrian novices. Even experienced horse owners can't give a full and technical answer. Yet, it's of vital importance when it comes to your horse's health. In this guide, we'll take a closer look at your horse's digestive system in order to fully answer the question “Can a horse vomit?”.
Can Horses Vomit?
Well, can a horse throw up? The short answer to this question is no, horses can't vomit their food back up. It is practically impossible for a horse to vomit. In extreme cases, however, a horse may vomit but this, unfortunately, is a very bad sign.
Horses aren't the only animals that can't vomit. Other animals that can't throw up include, rats, rabbits and guinea pigs amongst others.
It's not really known why the horse's body was designed so that they can't throw up. There are several reasonable theories around it.
The first theory suggests that because they’re such careful eaters, horses don’t usually need to vomit out toxins from poisonous food.
Another idea is that their single direction digestive system gives them an advantage when fleeing from predators.
Another reason that horses don’t vomit could be because of their grazing position. Their heads are held much lower than their stomachs for grazing. A single direction system would prevent the food from sliding back up into their throats.
Why Can't Horses Throw Up?
Physically, horses aren’t designed to vomit. They have a very strong, one way, lower esophageal sphincter muscle with a cut off valve, leading to the stomach. This muscle and one way valve makes it almost impossible for anything to get back out in the opposite direction.
Their esophagus also meets the stomach at a much lower angle than in vomiting animals. This means that if the stomach is bloated with gas, the pressure will squeeze the tube and valve even tighter.
When we vomit, we can feel the involuntary force of the abdominal muscles, heaving up our stomach contents. The horse's stomach is tucked up into the ribcage, so they don’t have this ability for abdominal heaving in this way.
As well as this, the horses long neck has a long, soft palate with a valve, that stops food going into airways and air going into the stomach. This also works on a single direction system and prevents vomiting. It doesn’t seem like horses have a vomit reflex at all if they do its a very weak one.
Can This Be Dangerous For The Horse?
Knowing the answer to the question "Can horses throw up?", could save your horses life one day.
The horse's lack of an ability to vomit hasn’t stopped them thriving as a species. But there are certain instances when this inability to throw up can be fatal.
You should never, ever, give your horse any kind of medicine to induce vomiting.
This will make the situation much worse. The biggest risk from horses not being able to throw up comes in the form of colic.
What is Colic?
For humans, colic is a mild tummy upset but for horses it can be fatal. The tight stomach valve of a horse won't release whatever is causing the problem like it does in humans.
Poor food and diet are the main causes of colic and there are two types. Spasmodic colic which is caused by a build-up of gas in the colon. And Impaction colic, which means that there's a blockage somewhere in the gut, caused by constipation or dehydration.
A big danger for a horse with colic is that he could twist his gut while he's rolling around in discomfort.
Colic can usually be managed by a vet however, 5 to 10 per cent of cases need surgical intervention. If a horse has colic it's important to keep them from rolling around, this way there is less chance of the gut twisting.
Colic is usually caused by poor diet, lack of grazing or stress. With colic, your horse may develop symptoms like sweating, a reluctance to eat, lack of droppings, straining, rolling, and lying down in strange places.
The main cause of colic is usually down to bad feed rations. One of the best possible ways to avoid digestive complaints in your horse is to provide good quality food in the right quantities. Use a horse slow feeder and grazing muzzle to assist with this. Also introduce a new food, or changes in the diet slowly and gradually.
What Does it Mean if You Think Your Horse is Vomiting?
It is very rare for a horse to vomit and if it does then this is a very bad sign. It means that the stomach has probably ruptured and unfortunately, this is most likely fatal.
Another question we can ask is "Can horse vomit be mistaken for something else?" Sometimes it may look like your horse is vomiting if it has mucus or saliva coming from its mouth. In most cases, this tends to be a choke.
A choke is caused by a blockage in the esophagus that hasn’t reached the horse's stomach yet. Most often, it's food that's become lodged in there. This can look pretty distressing with your horse coughing and spluttering. Often the horse will clear the food or whatever it is themselves. But if the horse is struggling to breathe or is becoming distressed, then it's essential to call the vet.
Symptoms of other diseases such as strangles or grass sickness, include excessive salivating and mucus production. These could also be mistaken for vomiting.
Conclusion
Knowing that our equine friends can't vomit and the reasons why will improve your skills as an owner. This is vital information, that every horseperson should be aware of. Knowing that horses don't vomit also highlights the dangers about giving your horse poor quality food or an insufficient diet.
Hopefully, this guide has successfully answered the question of, “can a horse vomit?”. Now you can confidently read the warning signs and know when to seek out help for your horse if it's having stomach problems.
