Answer

By Your Horse

Vet Malene Jørgensen advises:

He may have pica, which means ‘ingestion of non-nutritive items’. Pica can cause serious digestive problems but, as it’s a symptom, look for other reasons. These include:
● Boredom due to lack of stimulation or youthful high spirits.
● A diet low in fibre or minerals, such as iron or salt. It might be that the soil in the field is mineral-deficient.
● Digestive diseases, which can affect the absorption and utilisation of certain nutrients, causing an indirect deficiency.
● Lack of quality grass. Have him checked by a vet, including blood tests for anaemia, mineral deficiencies and other tests for organ or parasite problems. Check whether he’s being bullied by the other horses, and if the herd hierarchy is changing. Giving him plenty of good-quality hay in the field might help him.
A muzzle is a last resort, though this isn’t really solving the problem – it’s important he’s not isolated as he needs company to fulfil his behavioural needs.
You can also use a soil analysis kit to test your soil to make sure it’s got enough minerals and trace elements. Go to www.norfolktopsoil.co.uk/page6.html or ask at your feed merchant.