The first thing many of our horses do when they’re turned out in the field is have a good roll — and why do they always seem to make a beeline for the wettest bit of ground?
Rolling may seem like a very basic and easy to understand part of equine behaviour, but scratch the surface and there’s a lot more going on than might be imagined.
There are many varied reasons why a horse might roll, and even good logic as to why they might choose the muddiest patch in the field to do so.
These reasons include:
- Pleasure and relaxation
- Scratching an itch
- Self-grooming
- Hair shedding and insect removal
- Asserting dominance by scent marking
- Drying off after the rain by fluffing up their coat
Herd dynamics
According to Gloucestershire-based horse behaviourist Catherine Wensley-Green, rolling is a combination of massage and grooming.
“It’s their way of having a bath. It’s a good way to get rid of itches and scrub themselves on the back. It gets rid of loose hair and is a very freeing and liberating thing for horses to do,” she says.
However, the most important reason why a horse rolls is scent marking.
“Daily survival for a horse is all about being the most dominant in the herd. If we took off all the tack and turned all our horses out into pasture, no matter what breed they were — from Thoroughbreds to coloured cobs — they would act like horses acted thousands of years ago,” she points out — and that means scent marking.
“A horse’s main daily goal is to survive, and the more dominant the horse, the larger their chances of survival. Therefore, every day they are doing small things to assert their dominance in the herd. Rolling is a big part of this.”
Asserting themselves
Because of the way horses are managed today, dominance in the herd changes all the time, and the need for each horse to assert themselves is constant.
“When you turn your horse into a field with other horses, rolling is one of the first things they will do. Herd dynamics change all the time in a horse herd; it’s not linear,” says Catherine.
“A herd is made up of dyadic [a group of two] pairs which change all the time because of our human interference. Perhaps one horse will get taken out halfway through the day every day, or the routine is changed when the farrier comes, so the herd dynamic will alter in these circumstances.”
Scratching an itch
Rolling can also be a sign that the horse is itchy, which also may be accompanied by them nibbling at their legs or flanks, or rubbing against posts or parts of their stable.
Itchiness can even be a sign of parasite infestation, such as mites, of allergies, or of other itchy skin conditions.
Benefits of mud
Catherine feels that mud has no part to play in scent marking — it is purely incidental.
“Horses aren’t actively seeking out mud to roll in, but because they choose the same spot over and over that spot gets muddy and that spot is often just inside the gate, as rolling is the first thing each individual wants to do when they get to the field,” she states.
Mud does have some important side benefits, however, including:
- Exfoliation
- Regulates body temperature when hot
- Natural insect repellent
- Eases irritation of drying sweat
“I remember being told by an old countryman as a child that a good layer of mud kept my pony warm and so I need not — in fact, should not — brush it all off each day. That was music to my young ears, but not necessarily correct,” says vet Ben Curnow, who is a lecturer in equine practice at the University of Liverpool’s vet school at Leahurst and who has a special interest in dermatology..
“Rolling helps the horse to shed their coat, maintain their coat and regulate body temperature. As mud dries onto the coat, it solidifies everything together. It parts the hair and is a method of exfoliation for them.
“However, if you leave it there and it cakes on you get problems and that’s why we need to groom our horses,” continues Ben.
“It’s almost as though horses have trained us a little bit. They cake all that mud on there and then we brush them to get rid of the excess.”
A cooling wallow
Horses also use mud to regulate their temperature when they are too hot. A good wallow in a muddy puddle is, as the lyrics for ‘Mud, mud, glorious mud’ go, good ‘for cooling the blood’.
“If a horse feels really hot, they like to roll in something wet and that’s when they become muddy. It adds an extra layer that can absorb the heat, so that could be cooling,” says Ben.
“Being sweaty is uncomfortable for a horse, so they will choose to roll to self-alleviate this, and pull away some of that sweaty material.
“Horses often roll just after being untacked as a nice roll eases the irritation of drying sweat. Rolling enables the horse to dry the sweat and it also relieves itching quickly,” continues Ben.
“Rolling in wet mud ensures that the hairs stand upright and then dry more easily. It’s also a natural insect repellent as it forms a protective barrier against external parasites, such as ticks and horseflies.
“The mud adds an extra layer and it’s quite hard for the insects to bite through that, so it works in the same way as a fly rug does,” he adds.
Do rugs change behaviour?
By rugging our horses we may be changing their rolling behaviour, warns Catherine.
“We definitely rob our horses of natural expression by rugging, and this may perhaps be why domestic horses roll so much. Horses need to roll for so may reasons and wearing a rug changes that,” she says.
“It would be interesting to look into whether rugged horses roll more than those who aren’t.”
Ben feels that the pros of rugging outweigh the cons.
“Rugs can prevent horses from exfoliating their skin. However, when we groom horses, we are able to exfoliate them as an alternative to rolling in mud.
“If you have a horse who is very itchy and allergic to flies, I recommend having a rug on them to add a level of protection from anything that bites. I feel that the benefits of wearing rugs outweigh the horse getting a little sweaty and uncomfortable,” says Ben.
“If you put a rug on and that rug isn’t quite in the position they like, they will go out, have a roll and then they’re happy. However, if a rugged horse constantly rolls it could be that they’re too warm.”
Rolling in pain
Horses also roll in response to pain. Abdominal pain, such as colic, can induce rolling in an attempt to move gas or liquid to ease the discomfort.
But contrary to popular belief, says Ben, rolling won’t make colic worse.
“You need to keep an eye on your horse’s rolling. There is normally a routine to it. You turn them out and they go for a roll and then they set off to eat,” advises Ben.
“However, if you think, that’s strange my horse doesn’t usually roll at this time and they keep on rolling, then there might be a problem.”
Natural behaviour
Ben and Catherine both point out that rolling is a normal behaviour and it is important that a horse is able to express it, even if this is only when being turned out into the sand school for a good roll to scratch.
“It’s super important that horses get outside to roll,” says Catherine. “I would like to encourage people to turn out more — even if it’s just for 10 minutes so that the horse can roll.
“We should start a ‘Horses need to roll outside every day’ movement. And it’s important that they have enough room to roll safely. If they get the opportunity to go outside and roll they will be less inclined to roll in their stable, reducing the potential of getting cast.”
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