mud eating

[fleabitten]

Princess started doing this but has now seemed to stop. She is on restricted grazing but maybe too restricted cos it was so sunny there for a while and not much to eat. she started whinnying for more to eat so we chucked a bit of hay in and that kept her happy for a while.

I assumed the mud eating was down to lack of minerals perhaps and now grass has got some rain and she has got a bit more grass she has stopped?

[Blonde Donkey]

i think they do it because of lack of minerals. they also eat poo, sunshine does it a lot and then expects to be allowed to lick your face lol

[brigadier]

If its in preference to grass then yes it may be down to lack of minerals but if its because theres no grass then its hunger and the need to keep their digestive tract working- horses need to chew, its what they do so if theres no food they chew anything else available. Fence/stable/rugs. If theres nothing to chew then they windsuck etc. Some horses once they start doing it then develop the habit so the real reason becomes masked and they do it whe stressed.
brig