Rolling horses

Have you ever seen a horse roll in dirt or mud before? My Mum and I saw one do this when we were out on a walk a few hours ago. We were walking near a field of horses when we saw one of the horses run from end of the field to the other; once the horse reached the other side it lay down on its stomach and then onto its back and side, rolling right and left in the mud with a look that could only be described as being pleased with itself. After a minute of rolling, the horse got back up onto its feet and started chasing one of the other horses.

While that wasn't the first time we'd observed this behaviour, watching a horse roll in dirt or mud is a majestic sight to behold. We frequently see animals such as cats and dogs roll around in dirt, but watching a horse do it — especially a large one — is rare, at least in my experience.