[MistyBlue]

Licking metal after they eat is common...it does heighten the taste of what they just ate though.

[Parker_Rider]

My gelding is the only one who doesn't lick whatever is in front of his face!! the mare will lick anything/chew on it, and her baby is even worse. she LOVES leather to lick on... which is why she can't have a leather halter ever again... and I have to change shoes before I visit her!! hahaha

Also, zippers. they adore zippers!! the filly will sit there and suck on my jacket zipper fobs... she won't chew, she just holds it in her mouth and works her tongue on it. She's absolutely ridiculous!!

[MunchkinsMom]

I have two QH's that do that, my theory is that it helps them get stuff unstuck from their teeth. I ask the equine dentist if that was possible, and he didn't really know. Mine lick whatever is handy, the wall, the edge of the feeder or water bucket or the stall door.

[merrygoround]

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

If she 's anything like one I had, just the smell of bleach was enough to have her salivate endlessly. I never did give her a chance to lick it.

Amnion doesn't smell that way! At least not to me!!

[Sakura]

Oh good! So she isn't some kind of freak of nature .

[AJHorsey]

My horse will lick anything and everything to death! He LOVES to wrap his tongue around his blanket bar after a treat- there is a very shiny spot on that side of the bar... EEEEWWWWWE! He prefers a human hand, but will take metal, stall wall, outside of grain bin, even freaking out the cats... and he's taught everyone else to do it, too...*sigh*
Have to add.... shoes are also great targets for oral attention. Zippers are cool on coats, but laces and tennis shoe tongues are the best ever. Also, I have a coat that has that plastic piece that tightens up the bungee type chord around my waist, and he loves to sneak his way into that (esp if I'm near and he's not the center of attention) pull back and then release so that it pops me in the leg. He finds it rather amusing- I, however.....

[KitKat987]

I am really glad to see this thread and see that it isn't just my one boy who has a thing for licking metal. He can be seen regularly just sitting there licking the side of my metal clad barn. I always pause, think 'freak' and shake my head and carry on with whatever it was I was doing. He's gonna regret it one day when it's -20 out I'm sure....

[butkrustag]

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

We have a horse that does the same thing! I always wonder if something minor is missing in her diet, but she is by all accounts quite healthy.

[Parker_Rider]

Also, I have a coat that has that plastic piece that tightens up the bungee type chord around my waist, and he loves to sneak his way into that (esp if I'm near and he's not the center of attention) pull back and then release so that it pops me in the leg. He finds it rather amusing- I, however.....

OMG, I haven't worn my jacket that has those bungee tightening cords to the barn in so long I forgot about it! My mare does the same thing!!!! It hurts so bad, like someone flicking a damp towel at you at camp!!!

[CosMonster]

I only have one out of four that does it, and that percentage seems about right from when I was managing a boarding farm and saw lots of horses (no formal studies, though ). Mine does it only after eating something sweet, like peppermints, sugar or store bought horse cookies (I've never tasted one so I don't know if they're sweet but I assume so). He only does it occasionally after eating carrots, apples, or bananas, which are his usual treats (well, not bananas but sometimes I eat one while feeding and he gets to share). We usually buy plain beet pulp but once I got a bag with molasses by mistake and only noticed when he started licking the gate after every meal!

One of my others likes to suck on the sleeve of one particular coat. I don't let him when I'm wearing it as I feel it's bad manners, but he still tries, and if I leaving hanging or draped within reach he'll suck on it. He never chews, though, and it's only the one coat. It's one of those high tech fabrics and I guess it tastes good.

[FleetwoodStarr]

OMG, I haven't worn my jacket that has those bungee tightening cords to the barn in so long I forgot about it! My mare does the same thing!!!! It hurts so bad, like someone flicking a damp towel at you at camp!!!

My mini used to do that. She finally grabbed it one day while I wasn't paying attention, and pulled it as tight as it would go and let go. I was wearing shorts. I think they could hear me screaming in the next county. I've always been a little afraid of my mini after that, especially when I'm wearing those jackets

[AJHorsey]

OUCH!!!!!!