Hay/haylage dunking...habit or something sinister?

[Tr0uble]

At the risk of sounding over protective...I've notice Rhythm dunks his hay and haylage in his water.

He was doing it in his drinker occasionally, but the drinker is at the back of the stable, away from his hay. Now he has a water tub at the front (because in winter we freeze!) and ive noticed him doing it more often.

Is this just a quirky little habit or is it a sign he has something going on, excess stomach acid maybe?

He's on a fibre only diet...75%hay/25% haylage with a twice daily bucket feed of graze on, fast fibre and build and glow, with a daily dose of selenevite e.

Any ideas? Am thinking some sort of gut balancer just to see? But which one?

And yes, I am aware that I'm a paranoid, obsessive owner....such is Snip's legacy.

 

[BonneMaman]

I used to have a pony that would take a mouthful of water and spit it on his hay! Moved water under hay and moved hay next to door - only problem I came across was an icy slide on a frosty morning.

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

Mine both do it with their hay - god forbid they would waste their haylage like that...

They don't always do it and sometimes there is a lot in the bucket sometimes none at all there is no pattern to it - they have really good quality meadow hay so its not dusty as they still do it if it is soaked first With my two it is because they are both so greedy that they can't stop eating long enough to stop and have a drink and when they do drink they have a mouthful of hay....

 

[Bertolie]

My cob does this. I don't think he actually drinks any water whilst in the stable at night but gets through at least half a big tub just by dunking his hay! Never heard that's its a sign of anything sinister. Hay must be quite dry for them to eat so my boy "just adds water"!

 

[magichorse]

My horse dunks his haylage all the time. I've never thought it was anything sinister- hes done it for ages.

 

[Tr0uble]

Fabolous...I shall stop worrying then!

In my defense, I just lost a horse who's quirky habits ALL (literally) were related to health issues...it's not been a full week since I lost him and I'm still adjusting to owning a nice, well adjusted, healthy, normal horse!

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

......to owning a nice, well adjusted, healthy, normal horse!

Never said mine were well adjusted or normal.......

 

[fuggly]

one of mine does it all the time , i tried wetting his hay and steaming it to try and stop it but he still dunks . i used to worry about him not getting enough fresh water to drink as he fills the bucket with hay , so now he has a tub by his hay for dunking and one well away on other side of stable for nice clean drinking water and this seems to work . never thought of it as a sign of a problem he has done it for years and is fit and healthy and no issues .

 

[littlescallywag]

Caught my horse dunking haylage the other week, was quite surprised, nothing wrong with him as far as I know and horse at my yard spends all evening, every evening dunking his hay before eating it, won't eat it if been soaked in haynet though !!! Makes a right old mess but he's happy

 

[Holzdweaver]

Mine does this too, with hay or haylage. Doesnt matter where i put his water bucket, he will grab a mouthful, walk over to the water, dunk it, eat it then go back for more hay xD

I just think mines another compulsive habit he has got when stabled, as he also weaves, boxwalks and head tosses to amuse himself. He doesnt dunk in the field, even though his water is next to his hay feeder so i put it down to another odd stable habit he has learnt from his racing days.

He is out 24/7 and doesnt display any of his habits except the odd weaving at feed time.

 

[rockysmum]

My boy has been doing it ever since I bought him, hay and haylage. Doesn't matter what the quality is. He was gutted when his waterer went in so I have to put him a tub in as well.

Health problems? Did you see his birthday thread last night - 36 And touchwood the vet has only been out to him (other than routine) once in 31 years I have owned him.

 

[Honey08]

My mare does it too. We changed her stable last year, and the water buckets are now on the other side from the haylage net, so she doesn't anymore. Last week our Sunday groom didn't tie her net tight enough, and when I got on the yard my mare had dragged the net across to the water and was happily dunking away! I may put her a dunk bucket near her haylage, but it can be a pain in freezing weather - you get hay frozen into the edges of the buckets.

When I used to have her on full livery the YO used to worry about it a bit, but it seems perfectly harmless to me, and I've met others that do it too. They've all been well adjusted horses in general. They were ISH too! In the field she will tromp around in the wetter areas of the field, so she obviously just likes the wet stuff..

I wouldn't worry. I've had my mare nearly seven years without any problems.

 

[Janette]

My girl dunks her hay in her water - and fills the automatic waterer bowl with hay which has a;ready been briefly soaked.......

I'm going to have to put a water bucket in so that I know that she has access to water

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I've known loads of horses which dunk their hay, it's really not a sign of a problem but I know exactly where you're coming from, OP.

 

[Orangehorse]

I used to look after a point-to-pointer that dunked his hay in his water bucket. He did make a mess.

 

[DuckToller]

My daughter's horse dunks, and what a mess he makes too. He fills the waterer up with haylage so it leaks slightly all night, and he dribbles water too with each mouthful, so his bed is soaking by the morning.

It obviously makes him happy though, and at his old yard he always had soaked hay so I am guessing he just likes moist food. So like others I have started giving him a bucket to drink and a bucket under his waterer to catch the overspill. Keep meaning to video him doing it has it obviously keeps him amused!

 

[Happy Hunter]

Michael Eilberg has two very high up dressage horses that both do this - Interestingly Mother and Daughter I think,,,
He doesnt seem worried - Just supplied them with a bucket to stop them wrecking the auto drinkers!

 

[Ladylina83]

Yep - both of mine do it mother and son, I know she has taught him ! I've moved the stables round so the water buckets are at the back and they now just have a square bed in the corner rather than it taking up the whole back wall and they have stopped - it seems they just can't be bothered with the walk ! Some one once told me a lot of Irish horses do it but that could be cobblers - I started a thread on it myself about 6 months ago as I was interested in other peoples experiances of it

 

[TBB]

My daughter's horse dunks, and what a mess he makes too. He fills the waterer up with haylage so it leaks slightly all night, and he dribbles water too with each mouthful, so his bed is soaking by the morning.

I have a TB broodmare who does exactly the same and always has a swamp around her water trough. I don't worry about it I assume its just the same as with people dunking biscuits in their tea, some do and some don't.

 

[Goldenstar]

One of mine does this too it makes a a terrific mess now I just put a bucket under his net and one by the door as it stops him making quite so much mess.
He does not like to drink the water he dunks in so has a separate bucket for drinking.