[Sakura]

So I have one horse that after I give her a treat (just about any kind of horse cookie... Stud Muffins, Mrs. Pastures... you name it) she almost always walks directly over to the metal gait and starts licking it... She is the only one that does this. She doesn't do it for very long, maybe a couple of seconds... And only does it after a treat... it's not like she's standing by the gait all day like a gait licking junkie... Any guesses as to why she does this .

[bird4416]

I have a horse that loves to lick his stall bars after he gets a treat. Weird.

[<3OTTB]

When I was a kid my parents were having work done on their property. They parked the horse trailer in the field to keep it out of the way. Well, our ponies started to lick and chew the aluminum on the trailer. So my mom put chinese hot sauce on it. They licked that off and then chewed the metal some more. Strange??

[deltawave]

My young mare will come running when I clean out the waterer so she can lick the bleach-water off the ground.

[eqrdr92]

My horse does the same thing, he licks his stall bars. Or he'll lick just about anything. This includes my hands, my coat, my face (when I turn around or am not paying attention), and even the wood walls of his stall. I always thought he was just being a weirdo, but I guess he is not alone!

[sublimequine]

I've met a lot of horses that will do that. If I hold my mare's bucket while she's eating her soaked hay cubes, she will grab a bite, press her muzzle (specifically her top lip) against my thumb holding the bucket, and chew. She will SPECIFICALLY seek out my thumb by running her muzzle along the rim of the bucket until she finds it, then put her top lip against my thumb, and proceed to chew. Weirrrrrrd maresie.

[dwblover]

I've actually known several horses that do that. They must just love the taste. There are a few western riders at my barn so there are three barrels set up in our arena. I have to pull my warmblood off of their semi-rusty tops every ride. He would stand there and lick them all day if he could. Funnier still is the fact that my TB gelding and my friend's horse lick those barrels as well. My warmblood is a cribber so I've joked about planting one of those barrels in his pasture. Bet I wouldn't need the Miracle Collar anymore!

[ChocoMare]

I've got a metal-lickin' mare too! Nice to know she's in good company.

For her, the licking is while she eats her beet pulp/Equipride mixture. She'll take a mouthful and then lick the aluminum stall gate, the side of the feed pan, the railing on the manger.... whatever happens to be closest--all while happily chewing her dinner. Oh and her eyes glaze over too.

Overall, though, she prefers metal to lick. Go figure

[Lieslot]

Haha, my WB has been doing this for over 5 years now. Anything you feed out of your hand, cookie, apple, carrots, treat, he'll instantly go in search of some metal to lick.... leaves me clueless as to why... I wish he'd could tell me... would love to know .

[Eventer55]

My young mare will come running when I clean out the waterer so she can lick the bleach-water off the ground.

OMG my mare likes bleach too! She comes right over the minute I show a hint of cleaning the trough. And a metal licker, well metal, wood, my hand etc.

[Tif_Ann]

Oh, I have one of those, he ALWAYS licks the fence of whatever is closest after eating a treat. He'll also take some of his grain and put it on the wood and lick that off. He licks my hands, coat, etc... he just loves to lick.

My FAVORITE time though - and it's kind of mean - we were camping and I gave him a treat and he proceeded to lick the white electric tape that made up his portable kennel. I have never seen him so mad! It was funny though

[buck22]

my mustang would lick the stall guard bars and edging that was rusted a long time ago too, usually after a meal. I was curious, so I licked it too to see what the attraction was... it was a metallic salty taste, a little wangy, not bad. A lightbulb went on and I switched to sweet iron and copper bits from that day forth, gave away all my ss bits. Horsies ever since seem to be satisfied with my decision.

[JenRose]

My guy licks metal too right after a treat. Doesn't matter what kind of treat or what kind of metal. He will go for the gate, stall bars, metal plate that protects the top of the dutch stall door...just depends on what he is closest to. He has been doing it for 12+ years.

I just figure he likes to savor the flavor!!!

[jumperpony]

Mine does this too, but only in the mornings when she's had a treat before I fill her water bucket. I always just figured she was thirsty after her treat and was licking condensation of the metal bars.

[Buffyblue]

Mine licks ME after eating peppermints! I like to think she's saying "thank you!"

[Peter026]

Perhaps it's an Iron deficiency

[Lieslot]

OH Peter, don't get us all worried now .

Admittedly in the past I used to get very concerned over this and did a trial with Ulcerguard, thinking it was ulcer related, but guess what, he liked the taste of the tube so much (I think it was cinnamon-flavored), he went to lick metal after the ulcerguard too. I stopped the trail as it made no difference.

[nuts4cowboybutts]

We have a couple of week old fillies. When they go out in the paddock in the morning, both stand and lick the metal poles that hold up the shade roof on the side of the barn.
!
Horses love metal even at an early age! They are also fascinated by the salt blocks.

[Renn/aissance]

My horse, who has vitamin/mineral checks every year and access to a mineral block, started eating dirt and licking metal. I asked the vet about it. She gave me a long look and said, "Your horse is a horse. Don't worry about it."

[kookicat]

My boy does it too. He licks everything. I once caught him licking his saddle! But metal is his fave. Glad he's not alone!