Licking a metal fence?

My horse has been licking his metal fence of his pasture. Doesn't matter when but it's almost become like an addiction. It's not hurting anything but I'm just sort of curious...... Thanx!!!

This could mean that he's missing something in his diet. What's his feeding schedule like?

Does he have a mineral block?If not you might want to think about getting one...

Not always is it something lacking in their diet. One of ours, Ghost, licks everything, from us to the other horses to inanimate objects like the gate. It doesn't matter when or where, even in the middle of winter:

My wife's glove stuck to the gate because it was wet and he licked it without his tongue sticking! I think he has some good antifreeze. We kid about him being part dog.

Some horses have a "fetish" about licking.

Some horses love the taste of rust.

I don't think rust would be the best thing for a horse to be injecting :/ but I would suggest a mineral block. My horse doesn't touch hers in the winter because she doesn't need it. I am patiently waiting until she eats this one so I can start buying her different kinds of salt licks!

I would watch if your horse is chewing on wood too, I heard that this is another sign of lacking some kind of mineral. And you don't want their tongue getting stuck on a cold gate

He might just like the cold sensation on his tongue.

My mare licks the pipe corral all the time. She's teaching her son to do it too! But she's not cribbing or wind sucking or anything, so I figure it's just one of her quirks. She mainly does it after she eats something tasty, like a carrot or horse cookie.

He has a salt block and mainly does it after I give him a snack such as corn or a sugar cube. Would he need any other minerals besides a salt block though?? I haven't seen him chewing on wood and the one wood fence in his pen hasn't been chewed on at all. Waresbear, true, I haven't seen him do this untill the cold weather show up. I'm sort of suprised I haven't come out to him standing at the gate with his tounge stuck!!! Anyway, thanks guys!!!!