I was afraid of this. Sigh* my 'tarded mare is eating the straw I just spread for her, and is not at all interested in the BEAUTIFUL alf/orch hay sitting in its usual spot. Is eating straw going to do anything bad? Should I tale it out and stick with shavings? She’s 347 days today. Thanks!
Mine munch their straw for a couple days when I first make up their foaling suite. It’s usually more nibbling that gorging. Unless she’s eating a TON I would wait a few days to see if she stops on her own.
You’re in the home stretch how exciting 
Good luck!
There is no nutritional value to straw. Many of our horses in sport and stallions live on straw as well as all the mares in their foaling stalls. They munch, keeps them occupied and happy. Horses are natural grazers and always needs something moving through the GI tract. If they are eating down the whole stall on a daily basis, it may not be the right solution for you. Keep good quality hay in the stall and that should help, but keep an open mind to change.
Best of luck
All of my silly girls go in the stall and start eating the straw. I put their regular hay in, but oh no. The straw tastes much better. Only lasts for awhile. Don’t worry about it. As they say “this too shall pass”.
Thanks you guys! She is calming down on it, I think she just nibbled it last night. I was worried because the one time (at a track for a few days during a hurricane) we used straw and in the am there was only poop, ZERO straw left! Crazy mare! Thanks again!
That was always my experience too. It looses its fascination pretty quickly. :yes:
