Eating mud?

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pepperandoran

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My horse I have discovered has taken a liking to eating mud in his field - I am under the impression that this indicates a lack of minerals/vitamins. Am i correct?
However, my local feed merchant phoned up the maker of the mineral block I am looking at and was advised that my horse is bored!!

Which do I believe and has anyone any suggestions?
Many thanks
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i have always thought it was a lack of minerals.

my horses used to lick the mud off their rugs hanging up outside when i was liveried at competition yard with little turnout.

now they are out and i just have them all on a general purpose supplement they never do it.
 
Yes it could be a lack of vits/mins, my horse did it a few times and I got him a pink salt lick on a rope.

I believe NAF do one as do Hilton herbs. I like the pink ones as they are natural and contain lots of vits/mins which my horse seems to like.
 
I've come across this with a shetland we had as a companion pony, we also attributed it to boredom and invited a local little girl to come and ride him whenever she wanted. He was utterly bombproof we just didn't have anyone small enough for him, but getting him back into being ridden 2-3 times a week and buying him a horseball pretty much stopped the problem in it's tracks
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My horse, a TB gelding, who is in full work does this.
He is exercised 6 days a week, has turnout for about 8 hours, has access to pink mineral licks and is fed Baileys Condtioning cubes. He has ad-lib hay when stabled.
And he still does it. I do not believe he is deficient of minerals in his diet...I also don't really think he is bored. I have noticed that after he has done this, the other horses in the paddock go and have a little lick too!
I have come to the conclusion that he just likes the taste of mud...and its rather like a little bit of what you fancy!!!
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Two of ours have started doing this since they moved last weekend- they never did it at the last field
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They all have salt/mineral blocks and get 2 small feeds a day with a supplement in. Vet doesnt seem bothered and the feed merchant said perhaps they just like the taste
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Im with bubblegum on this one. My horse is fed all the vits and mins he needs and still does it and hes definately not bored.

He also licks windows when they are dirty - we just think hes spesh
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[ QUOTE ]
Im with bubblegum on this one. My horse is fed all the vits and mins he needs and still does it and hes definately not bored.

He also licks windows when they are dirty - we just think hes spesh
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My horse does this too, nothing lick a bit of mud or a nice dirty window to lick, I am glad I am not only in owning a funny little weirdo
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It could be the texture they like. Apparently, I used to eat mud as a toddler!

Thats funny, my horsel likes to lick cars too, he is obsessed with car licking!
 
hehe shall I also admit to the fact he gets used to remove cobwebs from stables too
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i think he likes the taste and hes the only one on the yard big enough to reach the top of the stables.

*hangs head in shame for owning a spesh horsey
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Ok thanks for replies - he has been off work for the last few weeks due to my doing exams so maybe he is a little bored but back in work now and still doing it.
Have bought today a mineral lick from Norvite which claims to balance Scottish pastures with minerals which lack up here?
Ill give it a try anyway!
He is a bit of a wierdo sometimes so maybe he just likes the taste too!!
 
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