Geophagia in horses: a short note on 13 cases.

This research investigates the causes of soil eating, or geophagia, in horses, using a geochemical analysis of 13 geophagic sites in Australia. The discoveries suggest that larger concentrations of iron and copper in the soil at these sites could be the triggers for this behavior.

Study Background

• Geophagia, a behavior observed in several species including humans, refers to the act of eating soil. This behavior has been seen in both wild and domesticated horses, and is generally regarded as a sign of nutritional deficiency, or “boredom”.
• Previous studies have attempted to identify soil constituents that stimulate geophagia. However, definitive conclusions are yet to be made.

Study Approach

• In this research, the team conducted a geochemical analysis of 13 equine geophagic sites across different parts of Australia.
• The soils at these sites were compared with control samples to isolate any constituents that might prompt the behavior.

Study Findings

• Results of the analysis showed that soils from geophagic sites had significantly larger concentrations of iron and copper when compared to the control samples.
• This finding suggested that these two elements—the iron and copper in the soil—could be the stimuli causing geophagia in horses.

Conclusion

• By exploring possible reasons for geophagia in horses, the study provides an insight that certain minerals present in the soil, particularly iron and copper, may cause this behavior.
• This information could be helpful for further research on nutritional deficiencies in horses and other animals displaying geophagic behavior. It also provides a foundation for more detailed investigation into the effects of copper and iron in equine diet and health.