Ok so even if it’s only one horse on one acre that’s still about half what you need. I know you said you like learning about farm life and pasture management, but some of this have done this. They chew wood due to a lack of quality forage. It makes their stomachs feel better when they’re building all that stomach acid up and it has nothing to digest so that’s why they chew on wood. It settles their stomach.
Also it sounds like your horse doesn’t live with other horses, just next to them correct? That’s another huge stressor and could be making things worse. My opinion is give the horse a roommate and hay in a slow feeder. I’ve never met a horse to chew on wood instead of eat from a slow feeder.
I do think it is learned behavior because he didn’t do this so much until his new BFF Shark was put in his adjacent pasture. He was fine with his 3-4 year BFF neighbor Barbie, a QH mare. Who recently moved home (November?) Shark is a beaver. My horse is particularly attached to Shark. Not much else changes in my horse’s existence except for the addition of Shark. He was pretty attached to Barbie previously, but not this much.
No, my horse has issues with others. He was raised in his own paddock. He spent time in very large pasture since with an old gelding and a mare. We tried him with buddies at this place but it didn’t work out. The first buddy mowed me over (literally) when I went to catch my horse that he was out with (2 plus acre pasture). First buddy was a rescue with a bad past. First buddy had to go to another pasture since he literally ran me over. The next buddies (mares) he was very food aggressive towards. He even bullied a mustang mare who had draft in her and could have kicked the crap out of him. She was OK with other geldings. The newer Mustang mare and Shark and he get along famously over the fence. That mustang mare is the only horse I’d turn my gelding out with. However, my horse is hypervigilant and just has problems with other horses with feed these days. It’s not as simple as separating horses at feed time.
I appreciate so many of your responses!!! This is not a typical situation says anyone I have consulted. There’s a friend who was an equine vet (retired) with her husband, in for a clinic from VA and I can ask her about this tomorrow. She loved how my horse was going tonight. She knows this horse!!
