Eating soil!!!!

Cazza525

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One of my 3 horses is eating soil!! Am I right in thinking i should put a salt lick out in paddock?? She is healthy, bright eyed, gleaming coat in regular work and a little fat!! I am not giving hard feed as my grazing is excellent and to be honest they just don't need it!! I bring them in most days and they munch through a small haynet. Advice please..........am i doing anything wrong??
 
No, it's something I asked my vet about. He said that if everything else seems OK, ignore it. The horse will probably stop doing it in a month or two. They seem to do it more at certain times of year.
 
I would still have the salt andmineral lick available at all times no matter what the quality of your hay/grazing is.
I bet there is some mineral being craved that the body needs or wants.
 
Mine has started licking soil! he has never done it before and he has a salt lick and a mineral lick so I'm sure it is this time of year, in fact all of the horses are acting a bit wierd at the mo!
confused.gif
 
I sometimes let our lot into the garden to cut the lawn and they go absolutely mad for the compost surrounding the pot plants on our patio - the old girl, Cassie, particularly enjoys it and goes into a bit of a trance - apparently compost is the biz!

They have a general lick in the field all the time, so they can't be missing too much, but something must be good in the compost.
 
frank licks soil, more noticeably in the winter actually when he is being fed and has gp supplement.

they have gp mineral licks in stable and field but he prefers the soil so I let him get on with it, he normally ends up with a licking patch. Other horse much prefers the proper licks.
 
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