I asked a few barn pals who are experienced horsewomen about this and nobody knew so I’m hoping some wise person from COTH will be able to answer my questions. You know those donut-shaped things many horses make with their hay, and then end up eating up what looks like tiny wisps of hay from the floor inside the “hole”? I was wondering why they do it. Is it to get to the smallest, most tender wisps first? To get to the least dusty hay? They seem to rearrange their hay into this shape very quickly after you give it to them and with very little effort… I suppose not all horses do it but all of mine have. Do they learn to do it from other horses?
Tough to say for sure, since we can’t ask… :lol:
But I’d say it’s a byproduct of picking out the choicest bits. The “not good enough” pieces get pushed to the edges, creating the donut, and they eat through for their favorite morsels.
I might make a similar shape picking through a tossed salad for the stuff that’s tasty!
I always assumed they’re picking out the good stuff first, like the alfalfa in an alfalfa/grass mix.
1 Like
For some horses it seems to be part of normal grazing behavior.
When you watch horses grazing on lush grasses, they move them around with their nose and lips to hunt for the best, most tender stalks under the taller, rougher ones.
When we feed hay, it is like those taller stalks and they root around by instinct to see if the more appetizing bites are under there.
I use that behavior to get my old Cushings horse to eat his little bit of grain with the thyroid supplement.
I give him his first alfalfa flake, he roots in the middle, takes a couple bites and in that hole I pour the grain.
He then eats his grain without spilling it, supplement and all and by then I have put another flake close by and he goes to root in the middle of that also.
When I used to feed his grain in a feed tub, he would sling and spill some.
Not fed like this, but then, maybe he is a little special.
Goofy looking, I see why the OP was wondering why some horses do that.
1 Like
Horses go after the chaff first and push the course hay aside to get to it. Same reason why horses shove their whole heads in round bales.
1 Like
I used to feed my girl extra hay in a large rubbermaid box. She always dumped it to eat the chaff at the bottom.
1 Like
My horse does this! Sometimes I fluff the hay and make the hole in the middle for him. He has me well trained.:lol:
Good answers!. I agree, it’s got to be related to getting the best bites. I want to make a movie of it. They are so expert at doing it, they seem to be able to make the donut in very few movements.
