i am boarding this horse. he is a 3 year old gelding. he is acting kind of weird. when i pet him he sort of puts his ears back and sometimes backs away from me. he is not in the grass part and just tries digging into the dirt pushed up against the barn. he uses his hoof and his muzzle. why is he doing this? also, he was eating something, i think it was grass, anyways he was like spitting out his tongue , like it was caught in the side of his mouth or something. what should I do? is this normal? he swallowed hit afterwards, but im just worried a little.
2006-10-10 05:25:49 · 9 answers · asked by horsegal08 2 in Pets ➔ Other - Pets
A friend of mine brought her horse to my barn, he did the same thing. he would dig and eat dirt, my horse does the tongue thing (still) the dirt thing i was told is a deficiency of some sort, so i added a vitamin supplement to his diet,and i also gave him toys to play with in his pasture, that cured him, but also he now has playmates to keep him occupied. you might want to check his teeth, they might have to be floated. i also put him on omega flax seed, this helps in sand colic.
2006-10-10 09:32:59 · answer #1 · answered by DONNA O 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Where your horse is young he's bored, edgie, restless. As far as the ears back you have to get to know him he's young and you have to be a part of his life and he has to get to know you and you have to get to know him.Young horses are like kids, figetity. Take the horse out on a lead and let him eat some grass or let him go in the corral where the grass is for a couple of hours each day..Horses eat dirt like a dog or cat eats grass it's a phisic you might want to worm him , you should always worm them once or twice a year.If he dosen't eat than there might be a problem but if he's eating I wouldn't worry about the toungue, he's just young and bored.Give him alot of attention and and a good dose of patience and everything will fall into place.
2006-10-10 06:15:36 · answer #2 · answered by Betsy B 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
im not sure why some horses do this but i had a 20 yr old gelding who would eat dirt as well. i wasnt really worried about it until i relized that it could give them colic. i would recomend fencing off any dirt areas and just keep him on grass for a while then see what happens.
2006-10-10 10:09:01 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
There are many reasons horses will eat dirt. Boredom and lack of forage are two examples. But, the main reason most horses eat dirt is for the minerals.
Minerals are not manufactured in the body or in the plants horses eat. There are minerals in bodies and plants, but they are not produced within the system. Minerals come from the soil.
Plants absorb minerals from the soil. Your horse then eats those plants (forage and grain)... or your horse cuts out the middleman and just eats the dirt.
The problem is the soil varies in mineral content. Different geographical regions have different minerals in the soil. Some regions have too much or too little.
Another problem is many of our horses are kept confined in a stall. These horses never have a chance to obtain minerals the natural way (by eating dirt or visiting the local natural salt lick).
Our horses depend on us to provide the needed minerals. We do this by providing a good quality concentrate, offering free choice loose salt and - in some extreme cases - feeding a mineral supplement.
Minerals interact with other minerals. One mineral may interfere with the absorption of other minerals. Extreme caution must be observed when supplementing with minerals. Imbalances and toxic levels are very possible.
Look at your feed tag. There should be four minerals listed: calcium, phosphorus, copper and zinc. There might be others, but these four are required by the Association of American Feed Control Officials.
The calcium and phosphorus levels must be in the correct ratio. 1 to 1 ½ parts calcium to 1 part phosphorus is the ratio desired. Formulas for mature horses should contain about 0.70% calcium and 0.45% phosphorus. Feeds for growing horses and pregnant broodmares can be as high as 1% calcium and 0.65% phosphorus.
Copper and zinc are stated in parts per million (ppm). They are needed in very small amounts.
The copper amount could be as low as 35 ppm or as high as 55 ppm. Premium feeds designed for pregnant broodmares should have the higher amounts. Copper is very important to the developing fetus.
Zinc amounts will vary also. Some feeds might contain 140 ppm or have as much as 220 ppm.
Selenium is a very important mineral. It is deficient in many parts of the country. But, it is not required to be stated on the feed tag - though most companies do include it. The amount will vary from product to product. The average amount supplied will be approximately 0.3 ppm to 0.6 ppm. Once again, the formulas for pregnant broodmares should contain the higher amount.
I cannot stress enough the care that must be taken when offering mineral supplements. Unless you are working under the supervision of a veterinarian it is recommended to feed plenty of good quality forage, a commercial feed designed to compliment that forage and is designed for the age and work level of your horse. Also, make sure your horse has access to free choice loose white salt and fresh clean water.
2006-10-10 05:43:07 · answer #4 · answered by msnite1969 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
he's young so he's still going to act a little ignorant. plus he still probably thinks he's a stud. don't let him eat dirt though. he could colic and that can kill them. if you see him laying down a lot get a vet out ASAP!!! give him a jolly ball and a salt block. keep an eye on his habits and if the suggestions you been given aren't working get a vet out to take a look at him. you should have a vet out anyway just to check him over. basic stuff really.
2006-10-10 07:20:41 · answer #5 · answered by Rockstar Jersey 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Tey dig due to bordem, if hes in a paddock, with no lead, hes probably trying to get to teh grass, but cants, give him sothing to play with because he may start to windsuck, which is extramly bad habit!
He may back off and put his ears back as he doesnt like you when hes trying to get the grass. Feed him snaks, such as carrots , oats and apples and feed him regulary and small amounts, so he learns you are nice and when he sees you he willk respond with a niker rather than his ears back. His ears back, are the flat back or just back, if they are flat back, tats a no go! Get away before i kick you he is saying! if they are just back, he is listening for somthing on his side, !!
Hope this helps
2006-10-10 15:20:34 · answer #6 · answered by Shorty 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
He pins his ears because he doesn't like you petting him.
As far as the digging and eating dirt goes, he could be missing some minerals in his diet. Get him a salt/mineral block.
One of my horses plays with her tongue all the time. Looks funny, but she's just entertaining herself.
2006-10-10 05:31:12 · answer #7 · answered by dph 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
1st. off is he gelded? Its time to give this horse some training. Have his teeth checked. Probably still has his wolf teeth. Start in a roundpen and start getting him trained to be around people. He needs a job. If you think he's eating dirt be sure to give him sand free.
2006-10-10 05:48:01 · answer #8 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
he replaced into probally bored because of the fact he had to maintain occurring his way i understand ours could "paw"(thats what its referred to as) each and every time we stopped to speak or something some do it extra effective than others its a thank you to stand nonetheless (variety of ) like he replaced into instructed yet nonetheless get out some power
2016-10-16 01:09:23 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋