My horse had dug a hole!

[dragonflys]

Tonight I went to feed my horse and check him over. It had been quite windy but not as bad as some places and he lives out 24/7 with field shelter and sheltered fields.

While he ate his tea I had a quick field check and found he had dug a huge hole approx 2ft deep!!
I cant imagine how he could have got that deep. He has dug a little in the past but nothing like this. There were no other signs of hooning about or anything else.
Just a huge hole.
Field owner thought maybe he was digging himself a swimming pool and i was glad he saw the funny (??) side of it.

Any ideas why he would do this....?

 

[Foxhunter49]

Some horses do this. I had a mare that would splash in a small puddle that was on the edge of a hard standing in the gateway of the field. She enlarged it to about a foot deep and three or four yards round. She would stand and splash for ages and when she finished other horses would go and roll in it.

 

[Tickles]

Was there anything near there (good spot for looking at other horses/reaching tasty branch/whatever) that he would do whist pawing the ground continuously? Or does he actually dig deliberately? I'm curious!

Ah, I forgot splashing - I know a couple of splashers

 

[whizzer]

In the summer when he's out 24/7 my horse digs holes. He concentrates on the same area every day & it's gets huge but isn't overly deep. He licks the ground & rolls in his hole. I've seen other horses rolling in the area but they don't do any of the digging. He doesn't seem to do it in the winter. Just moved yards so hope they won't mind about it!

 

[dragonflys]

Well Im glad he isnt the only one to do it!

I couldnt see anything different about that piece of field, it has never looked as if he had spent much time there or anything. No obvious tasty roots etc..

Totally baffled and a little concerned as it was sooo deep. I filled it in, if he had tripped into in the dark he would have broken his leg..

 

[bumblelion]

In the summer when he's out 24/7 my horse digs holes. He concentrates on the same area every day & it's gets huge but isn't overly deep. He licks the ground & rolls in his hole. I've seen other horses rolling in the area but they don't do any of the digging. He doesn't seem to do it in the winter. Just moved yards so hope they won't mind about it!

Yes, one of mine does this in the summer too!

 

[Tickles]

Stupid question... if you were that surprised by this it obviously isn't particularly normal for him... but could it have been something/one else?

 

[Janah]

My boy is a champion hole digger. He always creates several wallows and waits 'til they are full of water and rolls in them. Dirty beast.

 

[millitiger]

Millie is a hole digger all year round- has been since she was a foal.

She only builds a new one every few months with no rhyme or reason according to season or weather etc

I am not sure what the obsession is but she seems happy enough

 

[Elf On A Shelf]

My big TB does it! He has dug a hole just over a foot deep and about 4ft wide. He have never, ever rolled in it he just digs it! On his first day of turnout since February the other day one of the things he did when he had finished hooning about was to go back and check his hole was still there and dig a little bit of it out again.

When he first created the hole 2 years ago I went out with a shovel and started filling it back in. Bad move! He came flat to the mats across the field and was running rings round me and his hole whinneying (well wheezing as he has been hobdayed!). I had to give up and leave his hole. He was straight back in digging it out again and then wouldn't get out of the hole all day just incase I went back in to fill it in again. He really ws most upset when I was filling it in! He is such a dafty!

 

[katastrophykat]

My old TB dug, but as a stress reliever. She did it when tied to the box at shows and when she was ridden and had a paddy she 'dug' with a front foot. Could it be stress or boredom?

 

[Irishdan]

Had a mare years ago who used to dig herself holes and lie in them.

 

[JenHunt]

My boy is a champion hole digger. He always creates several wallows and waits 'til they are full of water and rolls in them. Dirty beast.

tom does this.... but if it's not wet enough for his liking then he'll wee in it, then roll... revolting overgrown pony! all our fields have 3 or 4 holes in them from his digging. the largest one is about a foot deep, and about 3 foot across.

 

[AmyMay]

Some horses do this. I had a mare that would splash in a small puddle that was on the edge of a hard standing in the gateway of the field. She enlarged it to about a foot deep and three or four yards round. She would stand and splash for ages and when she finished other horses would go and roll in it.

Yep, had an old mare at previous yard that used to do this. Used to cover herself in mud through the splashing - her poor owner, she was grey.....

 

[springer1021]

Could have been a wasps nest. There was one this year on a public footpath near me, someones dog ran over it, both got badly stung and the nest gave way and left a hole about 3 feet deep

 

[Polotash]

Mine likes to scrape a muddy hole before he rolls - filthy beast.

Just a note - if they are digging and licking, or just licking, make sure they have access to a mineral lick - they might be lacking something..

 

[Gwena]

Was going to suggest some type of burrow rabbit/mole that that had caved in & Horse got curious?

 

[lazybee]

Well he probably part PIT PONY it's in his genes I reckon. I think I'd take the spade away too. Or give him a bucket so he can make sand castles.

 

[dragonflys]

Well i feel much better knowing that I do NOT have the only horse in the world that digs! Thanks for putting my mind at rest!
But why does it always seem that everyone elses horse is much better bahaved than your own

Although the rabbit warren idea may be very feasible as he was next to the fence which is next to a little wood..with lots of bunnies...

I have bought him a bucket to go with spade and some of those little paper flags that we used to put on sandcastle when i was young (many years ago!)

 

[Inchy]

I have a connemara that digs holes and rolls or lies down in them, he does it all year round - dust baths in summer, mud baths in winter...my pain problem is he's grey!!