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| Author |
Message |
    
Darla Mitchell (Darla)
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jan 2, 2001 - 1:45 pm: |   |
We have 5 horses who are on pasture spring, summer and fall, and in the winter, we feed them good quality hay twice daily, with unlimited access to greenfeed bales and a blue salt lick. They have unlimited water from our automatic heated waterer. We live in Alberta, Canada and our winter has been very cold recently, so they haven't been ridden lately. For some reason, the other day I noticed that they were ALL pawing at a dirt pile, and licking/eating the dirt. Is there something that they are missing in their diet? |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM (Dro)
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jan 3, 2001 - 7:42 am: | |
I don't think this is a absolute sign that anything is missing from their diet, but on the other hand I cannot answer your question from the information you provide.
If you are worried why not review the articles on nutrition starting with overview and following the links that apply to you. I do know that some areas of Canada are deficient in Selenium, does your lick have it added. You will find more information on this in the nutrition section.
DrO |
Jordana Meisner (Presario)
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jan 3, 2001 - 1:14 pm: | |
Do your horses even eat/lick your salt? Some horses just don't like all that licking at that hard block, and prefer loose minerals. |
Vicki Bishop (Vickib)
| | Posted on Saturday, Jan 6, 2001 - 9:36 pm: | |
my 5 yr old thoroughbred mare has started to lick and eat dirt also. she is on stall rest with hand walking and grazing due to injury she has been stall bound for 5 weeks and just started doing this about 2 weeks ago when hand grazing. she has timothy hay in front of her all the time and is fed oats barley and beet pulp 4 times a day. she has a mineral/salt block in her stall that she does lick and chew on. could this be from stress due to confinment or could she need some type of suppliment or mineral. |
Robert N. Oglesby DVM (Dro)
| | Posted on Sunday, Jan 7, 2001 - 1:35 pm: | |
Again, I cannot review your nutrition from here, even with a list of feed stuffs. The feedstuffs vary in quality, each horses ideal diet varies depending on dozens of factors...
Review the articles for important nutritional points so you can learn to evaluate your feeding program. Yes boredom can certainly be a factor.
DrO |
Tonja Ehalt
Member
Username: Tonja
Post Number: 36
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jun 15, 2004 - 11:29 am: | |
Hello!
I have 2 middle aged geldings that used to eat/lick dirt after eating their Nutrena Senior and would also eat dirt after licking the loose mineral supplement I had out for them.
Yesterday, I noticed my 6 week old colt eating some of the mare's grain and about 10 minutes later layed down for his nap and was licking at the dirt. When he got up he was licking and pawing at the dirt again and crunching sand!!!
They have free choice to pasture and legume/grass mix hay and I give them loose salt and also a vit e/selenuim supplement. It seems they only do this when there is molasses in the feeds/supplements. Could they be eating dirt to digest the nutrients or maybe because the molasses upset their tummy??
Thank you
Tonja |
Susan M. Herrick
Member
Username: Quatro
Post Number: 63
Registered: 12-2003
| | Posted on Tuesday, Jun 15, 2004 - 9:31 pm: | |
Hi Tonja, I am curious about this too. Levi just started licking and eating the dirt too. He was feeling bad, being lame from his feet being cut too short, and his eye is scratched. I wondered if this had anything to do with it. But I also just changed his grain to a really yummy looking nutrena 12 % vitality. Curious to see what others think.
sue |
Tonja Ehalt
Member
Username: Tonja
Post Number: 37
Registered: 3-2001
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2004 - 2:18 pm: | |
HI SUE:-)
Yes, that is soo weird. I noticed that they usually do it immediately or 5-10 minutes after eating the grain/pellets. I have heard everything from being deficient in selenium, salt, and/or phosphorus. But when I was feeding no grain at all for a while they never ate the dirt so I am thinking maybe it is the too much grain and minerals all in one shot and lack of fiber???? I know the fiber content in Nutrena Senior is high at 16% and they have free choice hay and were only getting 1 lb 2X a day...so now I am really uncertain and confused?? I just wonder if it isn't some flavoring agent in Nutrena or something??
Tonja
|
Aileen
Member
Username: Sunny66
Post Number: 464
Registered: 9-2002
| | Posted on Wednesday, Jun 16, 2004 - 3:26 pm: | |
After eating his grain, my gelding goes to his salt block, then to the waterer. Religously.
The filly goes straight to the waterer. Interesting to note, because she hasn't touched her salt block since she's been with me...almost two months now.
fwiw |
