Re: RC: horse eating mud/dirt

[Roger Rittenhouse <roger@vmaxept.com>]

Hello Kelly,  In keeping with comments from Rc .. I offer this
educational OPINION
When my gang ate dirt I assumed they need minerals. So I bought a bag
of horse minerals call KAUFMANS KA-HI.  I offered it free choice, in
small buckets all over the run in and the barn. Also put out assorted
salts ..
They DID eat it - they stopped eating dirt and mud

NOW I feed ABC RUSHCREEK minerals  - it tastes like dirt - foul stuff
, but they love it. I go through about 15 pnd per month  - more in the
winter .. they dont eat dirt or mud.

I choose to feed a natural salt  mined not processed .. ABC REDMOND
Salt .. it costs just a slight bit more then feed grade salt, they
take it up free choice .. more in the summer  about 20 pnd per month

I have 7 head, 25 ac pasture  turn out 7/24/365

I offered a detox product - they do not take that much anymore, but I
did note that after I wormed them they went after that for a few days,
all had white faces/noses.

Roger Rittenhouse

Wednesday, August 01, 2001, 11:40:44 PM, you wrote:

MaKK> My arab always looks forward to our visits out on the trail to stock tanks (ponds).  Not so much to drink, but he just loves to eat (yes, takes bites of it) the mud right around the water.

MaKK> He appears to be healthy and is well fed, so I keep wondering why he is doing this.  I have wondered if there is some algea type thing in the mud that he likes, or if perhaps it acts to
MaKK> detoxify him somehow.

MaKK> Anyone else experienced this or have any ideas?

MaKK> Kathy Kelly
MaKK> Parks AZ