# Horse eats rocks, gravel



## KeroKero (Jul 5, 2011)

Hello again everyone, quick question - why does my horse try to eat the gravel when I tie him for grooming, etc? he boards outdoors in a large pasture, is very overweight (was like that when I got him 2 weeks ago), there is no gravel in the pasture, only in the areas you work with the horses. 

Is he just that big of a pig?? he has access 24 horus a day to mineral blocks - so why does he like the gravel? By the way no I am not letting him eat it! But the first time it happened earlier this week, I was cleaning his hooves, turn around, and he'd eaten a bout a handful before I'd stopped him. I have to keep the lead so short now or he will for sure just stand there eating rocks!


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## verona1016 (Jul 3, 2011)

I've heard a few different theories as to why horses chew on/eat rocks: to get minerals they're missing in their diet, to do a kind of "self deworming", or to file down their teeth.

Since he has access to a mineral block, and you mentioned in your previous post that he is UTD on deworming, maybe it's his teeth. Have you had a vet look at his mouth? Since his previous owners weren't doing the best job keeping his feet in shape, it's pretty likely they completely ignored getting his teeth floated on a regular schedule.


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## geanie (Sep 22, 2011)

*mare eats rocks*

Hello, my rescue mare eats rocks too.she's on mineral supplement, recently had teeth done. Two weeks ago had vet out twice because of colic,too many rocks. Giving her beetpulp and psyllium and this morning her poop a third rocks. Small pebble size,some fairly large .think they're still coming out? What can I do? She was spca seizure 2years ago .very skinny with foal


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## KeroKero (Jul 5, 2011)

geanie said:


> Hello, my rescue mare eats rocks too.she's on mineral supplement, recently had teeth done. Two weeks ago had vet out twice because of colic,too many rocks. Giving her beetpulp and psyllium and this morning her poop a third rocks. Small pebble size,some fairly large .think they're still coming out? What can I do? She was spca seizure 2years ago .very skinny with foal


That's too bad I wish I had some real advice for you besides keep her away from rocks, which I know itns't always possible in different parts of the U.S.

For mine, after we got his teeth looked at and floated, we finally figured out it was the grain other horses had spilled that he was sifting out from the gravel, and not the gravel itself that he was after.


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## Katze (Feb 21, 2011)

KeroKero said:


> For mine, after we got his teeth looked at and floated, we finally figured out it was the grain other horses had spilled that he was sifting out from the gravel, and not the gravel itself that he was after.


 Hahahaha that made me giggle lol, he's just a piggy :lol:


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