Joined 21 January 2013 Messages 1,666 Location Dorset. We have found that it is usually a lack of Calcium, particularly if they are on grass hay. Not all horses do well alone & it can present itself in different ways. Our experience has been that horses eating wood, eating bark off of trees, licking dirt and metal, etc. Consider your horse's eating habits. Download royalty-free White horse eating wood fence pole funny humor gesture outdoor meadow stock photo 5507658 from Depositphotos collection of millions of premium high-resolution stock photos, vector images and illustrations. Some horses really turn into beavers! Eating wood, actually, is very natural to them - in a good, biologically diverse pasture environment, horses will find trees and bushes beneficial to them, and will chew on them, eat the bark, the branches, the leaves, especially, in winter, when there is no grass or it lacks ! Personally, I don't care what credentials you SAY you have, as none of us have any way of knowing if you do or don't. Lv 5. Never heard of it before. I know of no good high Calcium mineral labeled specifically for horses. 18.1k. No need to be combative or argumentative...you do things your way, we do things ours. Chew Stop may be applied to the bark of mature trees. Author: Equus Updated: Dec 1, 2020 Original: Oct 17, 2012. Check out all these aspects and stop thinking about it as a "vice" - it's a horse, telling you loud and clear, that something is not quite comfortable about his life. 2 0. cajntex. I always set out mineral blocks in the fall. JavaScript is disabled. It was in my blood. But licking isn't the end of the world. Eating wood isn't good, my horse doesn't do that. It is almost always horses that are on grass pasture or grass hay. Spray from a distance of 4 to 6 inches. Use a spray or liquid that is approved for horse areas. Cedar wood is commonly used within shavings, however be aware that although cedar smells good it also has a large oil content which can irritate the lungs of your horse. Most grasses and grains have more P than Ca, so a Ca deficiency is created. >I am wondering if anyone has heard any problems with horses eating >pressure treated wood? Check with your vet. Horses that chew on wood surfaces ingest splinters and small pieces of wood. Wood chewing is thought to be caused by three things – boredom, a lack of minerals in the diet and the fact that your horse has acquired a taste for wood. It could be either one or the other- boredom/temperment or a deficiency in his diet. He is either bored, stressed or lacks minerals/vitamins due to unbalanced feeding. If so that's definatly cribbing resulting from boredom (In which case, find him some sort of pasture buddy). home-made sprays to prevent horses eating wood? The great thing about most horses with loose minerals and/or mineral blocks is that they will self regulate. 2 months ago. Help him overcome it by improving his environment - take away the boredom or/and the stress, improve his feeding, and he will no longer have the need to chew on wood. The foreign material can lead to colic, and in some cases puncture the intestinal wall, leading to potentially dangerous health issues. I have come a long way, to surrender my shadow to the shadow of my horse. Salt licks and toys can also alleviate a horse's boredom when there is no hay to be had. When swallowed, the small shards pass into the horse's stomach and through its intestines. Play horse games at Y8.com. Download this stock image: white horse eating wood fence pole funny humor gesture outdoor meadow - BX17M1 from Alamy's library of millions of high resolution stock photos, illustrations and vectors. Trouvez les Barn Floor images et les photos d’actualités parfaites sur Getty Images. My first thought is he is not comfortable living alone & he is using the wood eating to cope. I was drawn to horses as if they were magnets. Even if it's just a post or a fence a horse is tied to, or a wooden box stall, a horse may chew it instinctively, because of the smell and the texture, as he knows that's one way of getting what his body needs. Total POS left these horses without water and food, the horses were eating wood and their own manure (feces) in order to survive. I am concerned because she seems to be >gnawing at the wood (not a new habit, but now a worrisome one) and >ingesting it. So, how do you stop this behavior? When I've had horses that do this - ruling out boredom and I have one ticklish horse that does it in a sort of temper tantrum when she's being groomed - I put a good mineral lick in the stable and hang some around the paddocks if they do it in there as well - always seems to work, I wonder if it could also be a OCD type of behavior? I have had my horse bedded on wood shavings for the past 12 years and he has never attempted to eat them. are deficient in Calcium and Magnesium. Watch Queue Queue. FlyingCircus Well-Known Member. But let’s start with boredom. Wood is not a natural component of a horse's diet. Horses that are bored or hungry may try to satisfy these feelings by either eating their poop or cribbing on wood. A forum community dedicated to horse owners and enthusiasts. High quality photo of a horse. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Wood Pellets will also typically compost much quicker than straw or wood shavings. Eating shavings is not a good habit and can result in impaction colic due to the indigestibility of the wood. If you're unsure if there have been any changes, ask yourself the following questions: Does the horse eat more or less? After all, it has all day to move around the paddock and interact with the other horses. Tweet. But some horses are really … It could be boredom, but most likely minerals. How Do You Stop It? I think it's just because he likes the way it tastes, maybe it's salty? Repeat application to problem areas as necessary until your horse forgets his habit. Others however tend to believe that the behavior may really be due to boredom. Remove animals from stalls during application. Is the horse drinking more or less? It will not stain or discolor painted surfaces. Close. Login to reply the answers Post; ladders_to_fire . Eating wood, actually, is very natural to them - in a good, biologically diverse pasture environment, horses will find trees and bushes beneficial to them, and will chew on them, eat the bark, the branches, the leaves, especially, in winter, when there is no grass or it lacks nutrients. u/DrtyNapkin. They'll eat on it when they feel a craving and leave it alone if they don't. How can I make him stop eating the wood on the fence. I don't think it's cause of an unbalanced diet. I wish them the best of luck in the rehabilitation stage. Previously I have tried wheat straw bedding and the straw that has a covering of disinfectant to stop them eating it- needless to say he ate both! Here's how you can discourage that destructive behavior. Remove protective cap and apply Chew Stop generously to all wood surfaces within reach of your horse. We have always used a loose mineral labeled for 'livestock'. If it is green treated wood it has salt in it and they like to eat it. On grass hay, they will eat bark and wood and some even eat dirt to try to get the Ca they need. They are worse in winter because they do not have the Forbs (broad-leaf brush, wild flowers and weeds) to balance out their diet that are more available in the summer months. Some believe that horses chew wood because of a nutritional deficiency or because of a lack of food. animal abuse. Come join the discussion about breeding, grooming, reviews, health, behavior, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more! My horse does not crib on wood. They have a supplement "quit" that provides the necessary minerals, any experience with it anyone?? If he. I disagree with those who AUTOMATICALLY assume ALL wood chewers are mineral deficient. Video about Brown horse eating grass from the wood cart in a farm. This slows how quickly the horse can eat. Horses need at least twice as much Calcium as they need Phosphorus. Posted by Dawn Riley on November 4, 2009 at 3:51pm in Horse Care and Stable Management; View Discussions; Hello Does anyone know of a home-made remedy to spray on the wood siding and posts of our barn ? If you've noticed your horse chewing and a change in his diet, a medical condition may be affecting your horse. A forum community dedicated to horse owners and enthusiasts. He licks metal and wood after dinner while is looking around and mainly when he is bored. I must have inherited a genetic proclivity toward the equine species. Horses may chew on wood in their stable, fencing, or trees. This is typically not a dangerous activity, but it can be harmful if they ingest staples, nails, or other harmful items within the wood. It is so frustrating! That's just the way we do things, based on our own personal assessment of logistics and risk assessment and preference. Other than boredom I cannot begin to think why they would eat the wood shavings. Thread starter FlyingCircus; Start date 23 September 2015; 23 September 2015 #1. Share! Hay nets or bags can be hung on the other side of the fence and carefully secured there to prevent any danger of the horse putting a leg into them. Photo about A horse eating grass while connected to an old wooden horse wagon in a small village in Bulgaria. His bridle is p. If I supplement with calcium and magnesium will it harm him if I give it to him when the grass grows back like if he is getting too much? Whenever I work with Vince, he's either chewing on the cross-ties, or tries to get a hold of anything leather to chew on. 23 September 2015 #1. First off: Cribbing and wood chewing are 2 TOTALLY different things. When my horse is tied up, he licks the wood and metal. I could say anything on here...I could even SAY i am a vet myself. If you really want to prevent your horse from eating the wood find something he hates the smell of such as vinegar or citronella and coat the wood in it. Horse eating wood. Cheers, Dawn . Have you wished you owned a pony? He does however, eat it!!! I have to agree that it is best to consult with a nutritionist or your vet prior to just adding something to your horses diet to fix the problem of the moment. In the meantime, to combat wood-chewing, here are a few simple strategies: Feed the horse on a strict schedule. Got him a collar, and it's totally under control now, Does he suck in considerable amounts of air? Views: 1648 Reply to This. Image of idily, road, rocks - 186443878 This is destructive to facilities and the horse can suffer colic from eating wood splinters. Cedar. Lol! Then you will enjoy many horse related games at Y8. Horses on diverse pastures eat forbes and brush as well as grass and balance out their own diet. Wood chewing is actually the consumption of wood, whereas cribbing is strictly a behavior where a horse bites down on a solid object without ingesting any material. It just tastes bad and your horse will stop. Frequently adding something to their diet can make other problems. Wood chewing is when a horse gnaws wood fences, feeders, stall walls, or posts. 1 decade ago. Most grasses and grains have more P than Ca, so a Ca deficiency is created. 0 0 0. I know this first hand because I know a wood chewer, and my horse is a cribber (well used to be anyways. Lv 4. Why do some horses eat wood fences and barns, destroy trees for the consumption of bark, gobble up dirt, feast upon feces of other horses, lap at urine puddles or prefer one bale of hay and not another? This might be why your horse is now eating his shavings. Wood chewing is common in foals as they test their first incisors and also when their temporary incisors begin to be replaced at 2 1/2 years of age. How can a horse be bored? Never argue with an idiot, they drag you down to their level and beat you with experience. I didn't know chewing was natural, thanks for everyone's words. Horses can’t chew through it, and it’s unpleasant on their teeth so they quit trying to chew the wood beneath it. Most grasses have a high amount of Phosphorus (P) and a low amount of Calcium (Ca) and Magnesium(Mg). Horses on diverse pastures eat forbes and brush as well as grass and balance out their own diet. 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