Collection: Sand ingestion – Sand removal

Help, my horse is eating sand!

There can be many reasons behind sand consumption. Some horses may suffer from deficiencies in certain nutrients. Others may eat sand out of boredom. Some may do so in an attempt to relieve discomfort, for example an unsettled stomach. The causes can vary greatly from horse to horse.

What can help?

The most important step is to prevent the horse from ingesting additional sand. There are several possible strategies, ranging from the use of a grazing muzzle to moving the horse into a paddock with a woodchip surface. Greedy horses may benefit from feeding hay from a hay rack or from another covered surface. This helps reduce the likelihood of them accidentally consuming soil along with their forage.

For some horses, even a transition to pasture may be sufficient. When grazing, the fecal mass is typically softer and more fluid, which allows intestinal contents to move more easily. In addition, the digestive tract of a grazing horse usually functions more efficiently.

If sand eating is linked to nutritional deficiencies, some owners have observed improvements after correcting mineral imbalances. In certain cases, products containing bentonite clay may help reduce cravings. Bentonite clay is a mineral-rich supplement that can also assist in stabilizing intestinal pH.

Sand accumulations in the horse’s digestive tract may be addressed with various products, such as psyllium husk powder, psyllium seeds, chia seeds, or chia meal. The effectiveness of different products varies between horses. Likewise, willingness to consume these supplements differs individually.

Some owners of horses prone to sand ingestion choose to administer preventive sand-clearing courses several times per year.

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