Licking metal...

[Rosie'smum]

Rosie licks rusty metal and her new one is the metal drain cover! Is she trying to tell me something or just has werid habbits?

 

[SCMSL]

Could be for the taste, or some sort of deficiency. Are you feeding a general sup/balancer?

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Horses like the taste of rusty iron, That is why many horses get on well with sweet iron bits.

 

[Rosie'smum]

Yeah she gets pro balance and a full scoop of it.
I thought it might be just a weird habbit but wernt sure!

 

[oldie48]

My stable windows are a bit rusty and every horse we've had has liked to lick them, ditto the bars etc. i think they just like the taste.

 

[starryeyed]

My mare's obsessed with the anti-crib metal strips on the doors - licks them all night

 

[TigerTail]

Salt deficient

http://www.calmhealthyhorses.com/solution/salt.html

Basically a salt lick isnt enough when on short over grazed grass like vast majority of uk horses - you need to add at least a tablespoon to their feed.

 

[TPO]

TT - I feed 2 tblspns daily but mums horse still licks metal stable fixtures. Has good gp supp plus extra zinc, copper, mag ox, salt and bicarbonate soda. He has access to salt & mineral blocks but never touches them.

Adlib hay when in.

Any ideas why he's licking metal?