Why Horses Roll

You might have driven past a field of horses and noticed one horse squirming around on the ground with its legs flailing in the air. Or, after you unsaddle your horse and turn it into its paddock, it might lie down and scrub its back and sides on the ground. In either case, what you are seeing is a natural behavior of horses called rolling. There are several reasons why horses roll.

Natural, Healthy Horse Behavior

After you ride your horse, it may get down in a sandy spot and have a good roll. This may relieve any irritation from sweat or tack, just as you might scratch after removing socks with elastics or pants with a snug waistband. Rolling may relieve any tight muscles or stress after being ridden. Horses will also roll to scratch themselves. If their skin itches from insect bites, residual shampoo or grooming products or from sweating in the sun or under a blanket, they will roll to stop the itch. Some people think that a roll in sand or mud provides some protection from sunburn and from biting insects.

It's a bit frustrating if after you give your horse good grooming or a bath, they find the closest patch of sand to roll in. But sometimes grooming and bathing can change how your horse's skin feels and rolling is its way of trying to get things back to normal.

It's Contagious

Often rolling will appear to be contagious. One horse will copy the behavior when they see another horse rolling. Rolling is a bit like the horse giving itself a massage. So, just because it feels good, one horse after another will share a sandy spot to roll in. It's not unusual to find a hollow bare circle in a field that is a favorite rolling spot.