Lignophagia (wood chewing)

[KiraSophia]

My mare recently was found to be eating wood off of the paddock fences. She ate a fairly substantial amount over the course of up to four days before I discovered it (someone else was taking care of her those days which is why I didn’t discover it on day one). It was definitely eating the wood (lignophagia) and not cribbing.

After I discovered it we immediately ran hot wire over the wood and increased the amount of hay she was getting since it’s usually caused by not enough forage. She has entirely stopped eating wood and has behaved normally since, it has been around one week. However, I’m still afraid that the wood she ingested could cause future problems. Would she have gotten it all out of her system by now or should I still be afraid of some kind of impaction or other problem? Is there anything more I should be doing?

[beowulf]

If you are concerned I would check her teeth, make sure there are no splinters… but they’re designed to eat plant fibers, and I don’t see many complications from chewing… but you never know!

I take wood-chewing as a sign of some sort of anxiety or stress; could be she wants to be turned out with others if she is alone, could be she is bored or doesn’t have enough food in front of her (which I see you addressed), could be she isn’t feeling well. I usually see a higher incidence of woodchewing in horses with ulcers, vs horses with no ulcers.

Could be something to investigate - it seems it is more often a symptom than a cause.

[S1969]

What makes you think she is eating versus just chewing?

Lots of horses chew wood out of boredom. While they might swallow some, I don’t think they tend to really “eat” it versus just chew it for something to do.

I would be surprised if your horse actually ate much.

[Bluey]

We had a four year old beaver gelding.
We had to tie him to metal gates or fences, or he would chew and eat any wood he could reach.

One time we added to their large overhang pasture shed on one side and framed with nice new 2" x 4" pine.
We had all wood under there painted with creosote to avoid any beavers munching on it.
When we finished, horses were long gone out in their miles long pasture.
Since they were not around it was getting dark, we decided to creosote those new boards next day.

Next morning at daylight we went to feed, geldings were back under the overhand and a whole corner 2’ x 4" pretty board was chewed up.

Moral of the story, never leave what you can do today for tomorrow, especially if you have beaver horses.

Now, our old vet told us horses that eat wood may be needing potassium, try feeding apple cider vinegar, maybe add to their water and see if it helps.
We did, it sure helped that horse, or the grass finally greened up enough for him not to want to eat wood.
Since we never again had a beaver horse to try that on, we never found out if it really did work.

You could try apple cider vinegar and report back?

[Scribbler]

They like to eat wood especially in winter. They don’t usually have trouble digesting it. They certainly eat twigs when on pasture and very high lignin hay. You just need to prevent it to save your fences is all.
”‹”‹”‹”‹

[KiraSophia]

Bumping in case anyone else has any thoughts…

[Seagram]

I have a beaver as well, I don’t know what to do with her! She is gnawing on everything wooden she can reach, including the wooden shelter and all the kick boards and every single tree she can reach. She is outside 24/7 with her paddock mates. I cannot put hay out 24/7, just too much $$ and too messy. I’ve considered muzzling her, but I don’t want to restrict her access to hay at all. Someone mentioned potassium, I will try that.

[S1969]

Rub soap on things you don’t want them to chew on. I seem to recall Irish Spring was a favorite. I think I still have some in my barn somewhere.

It may not be a deficiency. Winter is boring for horses that have grazing options in the nice weather. And especially if their turnout area is limited in the winter months - they may look to entertain themselves in other ways.

My horses spend a lot of time wandering around their large pasture and keeping tabs on what’s going on in the world. When I restrict them to the smaller paddock around the barn (e.g. heavy mud season) they do things like nibble on the trees, the barn doors, sometimes a fence post. I don’t think they are deficient in anything since they still get hay and grain. Just bored.

[Seagram]

That’s a brilliant idea! I will definetely try the soap! And yes, I think boredom has a huge part to play. They are in a much smaller winter turnout, with much less activity during the ice/snow/rain/mud etc…

[Bluey]

Best is to manage a horse that chews wood where it can’t chew wood.

Hot wire to keep it from wood surfaces, use metal or where wood metal trim where you can, like in stalls.

Like we did, when tying our beaver somewhere, other horses were tied to wood fences, we had to look for a wood free spot to tie him.

[goodhors]

Wild horses eat “browse” foods in winter, spring, which includes woody things like bushes and trees. In the past, deep snow might prevent horses getting down to dried grasses to eat. Surviving then meant eating woody things in these seasons.

I actually provide logs for my horses to gnaw on this time of year. These are “safe woods”, which have not caused any reactions in our horses or friends horses. Willow is a good choice. They use the logs for staying busy instead of farm fences, stall boards.

I agree boredom is part of seasonal wood chewing, but we also think horses just NEED to chew wood from old survival drives in their genes. Not always a lack in diet.

[Bluey]

@goodhors

Wild horses eat “forage” foods in winter, spring, which includes woody things like bushes and trees. In the past, deep snow might prevent horses getting down to dried grasses to eat. Surviving then meant eating woody things in these seasons.

I actually provide logs for my horses to gnaw on this time of year. These are “safe woods”, which have not caused any reactions in our horses or friends horses. Willow is a good choice. They use the logs for staying busy instead of farm fences, stall boards.

I agree boredom is part of seasonal wood chewing, but we also think horses just NEED to chew wood from old survival drives in their genes. Not always a lack in diet.

That also.

When we trim our elm trees, horses love the sticks, green or dead, to munch on and play chase me games.
We never had a horse get sick from that either.

All horses love to chew sticks, but only few will chew any and all wood they can get to, like fence or stall boards, any time, any wood.

[goodhors]

@Bluey

That also.

When we trim our elm trees, horses love the sticks, green or dead, to munch on and play chase me games.
We never had a horse get sick from that either.

All horses love to chew sticks, but only few will chew any and all wood they can get to, like fence or stall boards, any time, any wood.

But purchased pine, smooth boards are so tasty! If they cost horse owner money, work time replacing chewed items, it has to be better to chew!! Ha ha

[Bluey]

@goodhors

But purchased pine, smooth boards are so tasty! If they cost horse owner money, work time replacing chewed items, it has to be better to chew!! Ha ha

You are right, to a wood chewer, those fresh pine boards must be like candy.
Guess that if I liked to chew wood, I can see why, that is lovely wood to work with also.

I think the OP may have good luck as you suggested, provide her with appropriate wood to chew and protect the wood she should not be chewing on.

Our wood chewer never had splinters or teeth trouble, like cribbers do, or any other harm from his chewing.

[Simkie]

@goodhors

Wild horses eat “browse” foods in winter, spring, which includes woody things like bushes and trees. In the past, deep snow might prevent horses getting down to dried grasses to eat. Surviving then meant eating woody things in these seasons.

I actually provide logs for my horses to gnaw on this time of year. These are “safe woods”, which have not caused any reactions in our horses or friends horses. Willow is a good choice. They use the logs for staying busy instead of farm fences, stall boards.

I agree boredom is part of seasonal wood chewing, but we also think horses just NEED to chew wood from old survival drives in their genes. Not always a lack in diet.

I do this same thing! Safe branches satisfy that need to chew and provide some mental stimulation in a boring paddock environment. Some horses seem to like chewing wood more than others…due to genetics or history or just plain old personality differences?

Wood chewing, especially this time of year, is not at all concerning to me.

[Jealoushe]

Is the general consensus this is just instinct? Or possible defficiency?

I’ve had chewers before but my one mare I have had a year is in a chewing league all in her own. She is currently almost 7, raced until 5. She was fairly thin and nutritionally deficient when I picked her up from the track. I’ve put about 300 lbs on her in the year I have had her. She is a joy to work with. She just chews everything. She also is nuts for her salt lick and mineral lick. Like has gone through both in her stall in 2 months. Teeth are current too, condition is great now. I wondered if it was a learned habit from being not fed enough at the track.

[jawa]

Last year I put some large branches in the dry lot for them to chew on. This year we had a large oak tree taken down. I had my son use the tractor to place it in the dry lot. He looked at it the other day and was amazed how much they had worked on it. It has helped to keep them from chewing on the board fences, but it hasn’t completely stopped. I have hot wire run along the top board. They chew on the middle board instead, just not as much as before the log went in the dry lot. The log is probably 18’ high by 12’ long.

[Seagram]

Some good ideas here! Thanks. Would cedar or poplar be good wood for her? I have tons of trees, I could scronge up sacrifice logs easily. I wish I had somewhere woodless to put her, put unfortunately not an option. I’ve nevver had a horse as bad as her.

[Red2003]

The Irish spring works if you coat every available surface. My worst equi-beaver just moved on to the next surface. Brand new barn, too. It is making me wish I had gone with a different design.

i have tried Quitt. It used to work. I don’t think it is anymore. There was a petroleum based product Crib Halt, maybe? That you could paint surfaces with that lasted a while. I haven’t seen it for sale in years.