Licking soil?

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Lucy_Ally

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So Spring is fed Happy Hoof, Equivite, oil, carrots, high fibre cubes and ad lib hay, she also has a salt lick in her stable. When I turn her out she paws at the ground and starts licking the soil, somtimes she will take a mouthful chew it and spit it out!
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At first I thought she was eating dung but its definitely soil. As far as I am aware she has access to all the vitamins and minerals she needs so I was just wondering why she does this and if anyone else's horse does it? She looks healthy and is not stressy or unhappy.

Confused of Hertfordshire!
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Soil contains lots of natural minerals so if she is lacking anything then this may be a reason.

Or perhaps she thinks it tastes nice
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it usually means they are lacking in minerals

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Well this is what I thought but she is on Equivite which is a comprehensive vit/min supplement?
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Plus Happy Hoof has vit/min in as do the high fibre cubes so if anything she may be overdosed!!
So don't think she is lacking anything.
 
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At least its only soil, horse at the yard insists on munching his way through his own poop...euuuuuuwwwwwww!

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I was worried that she was doing that so went over and investigated and its definitely just soil!
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Just found this... Interesting, as I found our little horse doing this last year, most of them were at it, at a particular spot in the field..

What is the cause of pica?

Mineral or vitamin imbalances are often cited as the cause of pica. This is not always the case. Nutritionists have found that horses have a true appetite for only three nutrients: energy, salt, and water. Horses do not typically express nutritional imbalances as pica; therefore, they do not seek ways to rectify imbalances. A horse licking its concrete automatic waterer or a pony scooping up a mouthful of soil is likely more curious or bored than nutritionally depraved.

This premise is substantiated by research performed in the 1970s. Ponies fed a calcium-deficient diet consumed no more of a free-choice calcium supplement than ponies fed a calcium-adequate diet. In a separate trial, ponies fed a phosphorus-deficient diet were offered a range of mineral salts, including phosphorus and calcium, from which to satiate their mineral inadequacies. The ponies ate more calcium than phosphorus.

If the calcium consumption were allowed to continue unhindered, it would have actually been detrimental to their condition, as increased calcium slows phosphorus absorption.
 
It's quite common for horses and ponies to do this. Annoying when we pay so much for bloomin suppliments etc. But horses know what they need, and when they need it, and quite often can be seen having a good old lick of soil at varrying times of the year.
 
My horse when taken for a daily graze in lush grass also finds a soil and then takes a huge lump and plays with it in his mouth
 
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Just found this... Interesting, as I found our little horse doing this last year, most of them were at it, at a particular spot in the field..

What is the cause of pica?

Mineral or vitamin imbalances are often cited as the cause of pica. This is not always the case. Nutritionists have found that horses have a true appetite for only three nutrients: energy, salt, and water. Horses do not typically express nutritional imbalances as pica; therefore, they do not seek ways to rectify imbalances. A horse licking its concrete automatic waterer or a pony scooping up a mouthful of soil is likely more curious or bored than nutritionally depraved.

This premise is substantiated by research performed in the 1970s. Ponies fed a calcium-deficient diet consumed no more of a free-choice calcium supplement than ponies fed a calcium-adequate diet. In a separate trial, ponies fed a phosphorus-deficient diet were offered a range of mineral salts, including phosphorus and calcium, from which to satiate their mineral inadequacies. The ponies ate more calcium than phosphorus.

If the calcium consumption were allowed to continue unhindered, it would have actually been detrimental to their condition, as increased calcium slows phosphorus absorption.

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Ooh thanks, thats interesting
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I think this is more likely the case with Spring - there isn't much grass in the field so maybe she is just bored!! She doesn't tend to do it if there is lots of grass. Mmm interesting -thanks
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I've read somewhere that horses take in about 2oz of soil a day - that is if they are turned out everyday to get it - it supposed to aide gut function. I wonder when the feed companeis will cotton onto this and start selling it in tubs - and we'll be daft enough to buy it!
 
My old mare's been doing this as long as I've owned her...but it's only specific places in certain fields....and she seems to do it more on clay soil. I've heard it can soothe their gut (like kaolin) or that it may be an instinct to help remove worms...who knows?
Mine is offered minerals etc but never licks them.
If your horse ain't broke...don't fix it!
S
 
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