Q: I keep finding these strange clumps of hay around my horse’s hayrack. It looks like he just chews it up and spits it out. Some one told me that he was quidding. What is quidding? And what can I do about it?

A: The clumps of partially chewed roughage (hay or grass) you see are called "quids". 

"Quidding" is a sign of an ongoing dental problem.  Other signs may be: chewing with a slight head tilt chewing with his head elevated; dropping feed/grain around his feeding area, eating slowly, halitosis (bad odor in the mouth), increased salivation or weight loss.

Quids can be formed when there are broken, missing or excessively worn teeth and roughage gets gets rolled around in the mouth instead of positioned properly between the teeth.

Quids may be found on the ground near where the horse eats or in the feed tub.

In order to prevent or treat quidding, it is important that you have your veterinarian examine and/or float your horse's teeth yearly.  Some horses need to be examined two times a year. 

If you notice quidding, or any of the above signs, it is important that you contact your veterinarian immediately so a proper course of action may be discussed and implicated.