eating mud

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rowy

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My mare has started eating mud.
I noticed she always does it after coming out of the lush field. It's not really long but really green. She's only in it for max 2-3 hours cos she needs a bit more condition on her. The other field she is in all night and eats mud out of is got medium length yellowish grass.
I put my youngster in with her today and he came out and started eating mud too but I.don't know if he was just copying her. He did lick a bit of mud last winter but we think that was because the field he was in had like no grass and he was getting bored.
Could it be a deficiency in the lush grass it overload of nutrients causing mud eating?

Thanks for any help.
 
she could be well looking for some minerals in the mud - are you on sand or clay though? cos if sand, stick her on sand out pronto to ensure that the sand doesn't stay in her gut (easy test - take a bucket, put a load of droppings in, top up with water so poo disolves pour out water - sand will stay behind)
 
Yes normally lacking in a mineral. Although when mine did this I put a salt lick in stable when he was in and it sorted the problem. Or in the field if not in stable worth a try.
 
My horses started eating mud a couple of months ago, they have access to a salt lick in the field. I have been giving them NAF Pink Powder and they have stopped eating mud. x
 
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