My horse likes to chew on wood sometimes but stopped with liberal application of No-Chew.
Fast forward, he now shares a run-in with 2 other horses. It was one (Shark) but recently, Pogo was added because she gets locked in the paddock for her “fat farm” experience. She’s fat. Both paddocks open up to 1+ acres of well maintained pasture. Anally maintained pasture.
Shark is a OTTB here for long-term training and chews on everything. He’s made a real dent in the paddock fences. All three get along super well and like to congregate when it is hot or raining or want to be together in the run-in. I think he’s teaching the other horses that chewing on fences is cool.
No Chew doesn’t seem to work with Shark. The BO applied new No Chew and noticed him chewing on fences less than an hour later.
Does anyone know of a product or home-made concoction that will stop heavy chewers from chewing on wood?
Nope. Wood chewing IMO is a management or a pain issue every single time. They never just do it for no reason. The OTTB is probably ulcery and the other one getting locked in the paddock, what does she have to eat while she’s locked in? If she’s going hours without a forage option the wood becomes the forage option.
Thank you! The OTTB is on grass 24/7 but prefers to chew on wood. Why would he if he has grass to chew on instead?
I don’t know if he’s ulcery but I can bring that up with the trainer and the owner. The owner purchased him as a OTTB and he’s a great mover but I’ve seen him spook HARD at an object that wasn’t there before. He’s crazy athletic.
The mare is a mustang mare and gets nothing when she’s locked in for 8 hrs, but there is some grass growing in the paddock. She’s a supreme candidate for cushings and laminitis and the vet has been very forthright with the owner. She never chewed wood when in the fat farm with her herd in another paddock. My horse is chewing wood more when I groom and saddle him and I think it is a learned behavior from Shark. Nothing changed with my horse for 8 years except Shark as a run-in mate and a bonded buddy for the last maybe 8 months.
I honestly think this is a learned behavior from Shark.
Mine used to do this. She had quality turnout and forage options but she was a beaver and would not lay off the wood. I treated her for ulcers, got her on GI supplement, and switched some things around with her diet and she no longer does it. If she starts it up again, that’s my cue that somethings up with her tummy.
Until you get the possible tummy issue sorted out, maybe a grazing muzzle would eliminate the ability to destroy wood while allowing horses to graze and drink.
Strange, I have found that some horses simply like wood.
I am all for making sure there is not a medical thing going on too. But that does not mean putting something to discourage chewing on is the wrong answer.
Is Raplast the same ingredient as Chewstop? Maybe that would work?
I remember when our go-to product was to paint on creosote. That was one of the summer jobs all the lesson kids did to earn some free ride time. Paint all the fences with a fresh coat of creosote.
Unfortunately, you can’t get creosote any more (environmental concerns). At least in our area this is the case (although they still use it on railway ties). Used diesel oil works a bit, but not for the real hard core wood chewers. Strategically placed electric wire and a ticker box works, probably the best option. At the same time, offer some wood that they CAN chew, poplar logs, fresh with the bark still on, are good. Also offer some bleached out hay, low protein stuff, just “filler” hay without a lot of nutrition in it. Horses do require roughage, and sometimes the feed we give them is only “high quality”, top quality stuff, and their system craves roughage. They find roughage and fiber in wood. Horses are “browsers” by nature, they do eat trees and logs by choice, if given the option. Some trees produce sugar in their sap, especially in the spring, and are highly prized by horses. If you can provide something better than the fence boards, it may help save your fence.
How interesting. Some horses are kinda weird. I’m sure there are a lot of reasons why these horses became weird, but still weird in the end. I’ve got an oldie that cribs only if you try to brush his mane. Strangest thing I’ve ever encountered.
Hot wire / tape is pretty much guaranteed to fix your problem but I see you’re boarding so I understand that may not be an option.
I’ve heard of rubbing Irish Spring soap may deter some chewing. That would be cheap enough to try at least. Bonus that supposedly the soap deters some bugs too.
I’ve had good luck with Cribox. One of the boarder’s horses turned into a beaver on the brand new fencing (we took down and replaced the old fence). I was not happy as he was eating right through multiple rails (and she’s our vet, so I won’t kick her out! LOL). I used the No-Chew and he thought that was a nice added taste. Put the Cribox on…no one has touched it. I will say that it is way messier…but it works.
3 horses on 1 acre probably means the wood is better than the grass? Why not throw the mare out with a muzzle? It will be healthier for her than chewing wood and just standing around being bored.
Maybe put some hay in for the OTTB so he has an option of eating over hoovering up the wood.
Has your horse been treated for ulcers or had any stomach issues? I had a horse who chewed, but when we diagnosed and addressed the ulcers, as well as putting the horse in a pasture with grass, he stopped.
Oh, I typed this wrong. My horse is on over one acre and lives by himself. He has neighbors on both sides. He shares a run-in with Shark and Pogo, who have their own over one acre pasture. There is one large run-in for two pastures. The mare tends to get everything off of her face, and she really has to be off of grass right now.
The OTTB eats ALOT. In addition to being fed twice daily (ALOT), he gets alfalfa hay twice daily. Plus, all of that grass. We spray weeds and buttercups and mow/drag occasionally. The pastures are really well taken care of.
Thank you! When my horse shipped as a late 3 year old, he was a nervous, hypervigilant wreck in life. Not due to the shipping, but that was what he was like in life. I had him scoped and we thought he’d have massive bleeding ulcers but he didn’t. The vet found 3 tiny, mild ulcerations when she was taking the endoscope out really close together and since he was insured, we did the whole treatment.
He’s mellowed out much with age (still hypervigilant, but nothing like his 4 year old self) and has had outside 24/7 life at this barn for about 7-8 years. He occasionally chewed because he’s very oral but stopped with No Chew. I just purchased another bottle for myself because I let the BO use my other bottle with Shark. I even bought them a new bottle. My vet admitted she was initially a bit afraid of him but she really likes him now. I’ve talked about all of this with her and she thinks it may be learned and I should use the “No Chew” with him. But he’s now thinking of chewing on the fence where I tack him up. I always correct him but he seems to be thinking about chewing more often. Like I said, he’s very oral and is most comfortable putting his nose on things. He’s very oral in many ways yet very gentle with my fingers, hair, back, butt, etc. He’s the best “newbie carrot-feeder” on the farm. He’s very gentle. And uses his nose like an opossum uses it’s tail. Prehensile!
Cribox! I will tell the BOs about this. Thanks @Critter!!
Thanks, @lenapesadie , @NancyM , and @trubandloki. I do board but the BOs are great friends and are kind of newer to horses and often involve me with tasks and decisions. I drag the arena, fix the hotwire, help mow pastures…driving farm equipment is incredibly fun do me. Anyway, they were thinking of extending the hotwire along the paddock around the run-in to see if that helps. It is easy to do. I might try that this weekend (I love “fixin’ fences” because I love learning about farm life. Weird but stuff like this have such an instant gratification index and I’d never have the opportunity to learn how to extend hotwire elsewhere in life)
@Lusoluv and @Equkelly unfortunately, Shark, the beaver, is not my horse but I can mention this to the BOs, the trainer or the owner. I really have come to be friends with the owner (this OTTB is such a superb mover) but I think the fact that her horse is chewing down the place should come from the trainer or the BOs! They can maybe work with her to endoscope her horse and/or change his diet. His flakes of daily alfalfa should help add cations to an ulcer-acidic stomach, but I can mention scoping for ulcers. Thank you!
Maybe they just need some stemmy hay for more roughage? When my late elderly guy was on soaked hay pellets only due to his teeth, he would eat the wood shavings in his stall.
I also agree that it could be ulcers or pain. Some time earlier same horse started chewing wood and also eating willow tree branches (self medicating aspirin). After a much needed chiro adjustment he was fine and stopped.
I think that’s definitely your best bet to get the behavior to stop, however whatever the issue is that is causing the behavior will still be there. I would continue investigating if it were my horse… 1 acre is just not nearly enough to meet their dietary needs.
My mare hasn’t done it since we added slow feeders in our paddocks. She has to have forage access all day long or she turns into a beaver.
My horse has over 1 acre of quality forage and gets balancer twice daily. I analyzed his diet with EquiAnalytica a couple of years ago (sent grass samples) and the balancer at the rate I feed it balances his diet very well. Our local extension analysed soil samples in all of the pastures. He and they have quality grass to munch on. The forage is very good. Everyone involved gets grain or balancer and access to quality forage. I know for sure because I help spray weeds/buttercups and I’ve walked every part of each of their pastures. All of the pastures. I sometimes help mow. My horse’s dietary needs are met and he has access to plenty of good forage 24/7.
They are not lacking constant quality forage. The pastures are very well maintained and none are overgrazed. My vet wishes my horse’s pasture was less nutritious because he can get fat in the spring/summer. I tell the BO to not select for various weather grasses because my used to be very hard keeper at 4-6 years is now a crazy easy keeper at 10-12.
I’m sorry I’m just skeptical. The rule for pasture is typically 2 acres per horse minimum, if you’re keeping them on it 24:7 as their only forage source. Or sometimes people get away with 2 acres for the first horse and then an additional acre for every horse after that. So if you have. 3 horses on 1 acre, it doesn’t matter how great the soil is, the pasture is completely inadequate and overgrazed. The typical rule is you need MINIMUM 4 acres for 3 horses, but probably closer to 6. If you have 1 acre… that’s not going to work.
A ration balancer is nice but forage is the most important part of their diet. It would be the equivalent of not feeding your toddler anything but vitamins.
Thank you for this information! I can tell you for sure that these two pastures are not overgrazed. I have walked every inch of them recently spraying for buttercups. They require mowing, indicating they are not over-grazed. I knew the minimum to be 1 acre per horse.
As I’ve said twice, MY horse is on his own personal 1 PLUS acre pasture and shares only a run-in with 2 horses on a 1 PLUS acre pasture. All pastures at this farm have a paddock where feed and water is available at the shared run-in, and is open to the pasture. Pogo spends time in the fat farm of THAT paddock which is independent from my horse’s paddock and pasture. Our vet recommended a course of action for Pogo because she is fat and has all the signs of Cushings. Shark is on the pasture independently of Pogo. They have equal access to everything from pm to am feeding right now.
Please, read all of my posts for a better understanding of the situation. Or just ask a question. I analyzed my horse’s pasture and soil and feed intake. I’m a PhD scientist and know how to do this. I’m confident with that analysis. We analyzed soil from all of the pastures. Vets have been heavily involved with the dietary needs of the horses involved. Like I said.
I’m sure you’re still skeptical, but ask questions rather than making assumptions. I’m happy to answer your questions.
