# Licking metal...



## Rosie'smum (10 July 2013)

Rosie licks rusty metal and her new one is the metal drain cover! Is she trying to tell me something or just has werid habbits?


----------



## SCMSL (10 July 2013)

Could be for the taste, or some sort of deficiency. Are you feeding a general sup/balancer?


----------



## Pearlsasinger (10 July 2013)

Horses like the taste of rusty iron,  That is why many horses get on well with sweet iron bits.


----------



## Rosie'smum (11 July 2013)

Yeah she gets pro balance and a full scoop of it. 
I thought it might be just a weird habbit but wernt sure!


----------



## oldie48 (12 July 2013)

My stable windows are a bit rusty and every horse we've had has liked to lick them, ditto the bars etc. i think they just like the taste.


----------



## starryeyed (12 July 2013)

My mare's obsessed with the anti-crib metal strips on the doors - licks them all night


----------



## TigerTail (12 July 2013)

Salt deficient  

http://www.calmhealthyhorses.com/solution/salt.html

Basically a salt lick isnt enough when on short over grazed grass like vast majority of uk horses - you need to add at least a tablespoon to their feed.


----------



## TPO (14 July 2013)

TT - I feed 2 tblspns daily but mums horse still licks metal stable fixtures. Has good gp supp plus extra zinc, copper, mag ox, salt and bicarbonate soda. He has access to salt & mineral blocks but never touches them.

Adlib hay when in.

Any ideas why he's licking metal?


----------

