Horses that eat sand or manure
normally have a reason for doing so, but figuring out what that reason is and
correcting it, can be a challenge. Horses
may eat sand out of boredom, because they are not getting enough grass or hay,
or because they have a mineral deficiency.
Bored horses may need some balls or other toys to entertain them. They also probably need more exercise than
they are getting. Increasing your horses
exercise time, may counter some of the sand eating. They may also learn this behavior from other
horses.
Horses that don’t have enough
access to hay or grass, will sometimes eat sand or manure because they are
trying to fill their stomach’s.
Increasing intake of what they need to be eating should curb the sand and
manure eating by keeping them full. If
the pasture where your horse is located is really short, sometimes they can eat
the roots that are covered in sand unintentionally. Foals that eat manure are normal because of
their curious natures, but it can also be helpful for them to ingest bacteria
that are healthy for their guts.
However, adult horses eating manure is not normal and an indication of a
problem.
It’s good to give horses
minerals even if the sand eating is not the reason. It’s easier for horses to eat a loose mineral
because it’s difficult to get enough mineral out of blocks because their
tongues are different than cattle. It
should be fed free choice in a bucket or container separate from the feed, so
they can eat as much as they need. It
needs to be specific for a horse and not be a trace mineral. Trace means they are mainly getting salt and
not much mineral. Horses need both. It needs to be kept out of the weather, so it
stays dry. Once it gets wet and clumpy,
horses don’t normally eat it. If horses
don’t eat the mineral you provide, they are probably getting all the vitamins
and minerals that they need from their feed.
If you have problems with one or several of your horses eating sand and
manure, it’s a good idea to consult with your veterinarian about preventing it,
before they end up with colic.
Please read these helpful
links for more detailed information:
nice post
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