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Citaat:

Why do horses eat manure?
Manure eating (coprophagia) can be normal behavior in horses. In young foals, eating the mother’s manure is a normal developmental stage.
Through this behavior the foal learns to explore his environment and use his senses to make choices about what is palatable and what is
not.
He is also getting some dietary fiber and the beneficial intestinal microbes needed to support his own digestive processes once he begins eating solid food. In addition, the healthy intestinal microbes are an effective barrier to pathogenic bacteria which could adversely affect the foal’s
health.

In older foals and adult horses, manure eating may be a way of supplementing intestinal microbes, dietary fiber, and perhaps other nutrients that are lacking in the horse’s own diet.
Coprophagia is normal and nutritionally necessary behavior in rabbits, a species whose intestinal tract is very similar to that of the horse.
Many nutrients released or produced by microbial breakdown of dietary fiber, as well as the microbes themselves (which are a rich source of
proteins, lipids, vitamins, and numerous co-factors), are lost in the manure.
Rabbits make effective use of these valuable nutrients by ingesting manure for a second pass.

Perhaps some horses who eat manure are doing a similar thing, particularly if they are on a very restricted diet
(e.g. dry lotted with just poor quality grass hay because they need to lose weight).
Manure eating in horses can also be caused by boredom or social disorder (e.g. isolation, incompatible company, frequent changes in the horse’s turnout routine or companions). As with dirt and wood eating, taking a closer look at the horse’s diet and management should identify
where improvements may be needed.