Winter is finally here, and my horses are getting a bit bored. I usually cut a few poplar logs for them which they love to chew. However, my property has way more white birch that I would love to thin out and use instead. It looks like it is a safe tree species for horses but I thought I’d be extra safe and ask the experts here. Thanks for your help!
My horses will chew birch, but prefer the white poplar. Especially in the early spring, when the sap starts to flow. The sap is sweet (they tell me).
You put logs in the paddock for the horses to chew on? Don’t you worry about splinters or colic?
Not trying to be snarky (for real!, although it’s probably going to sound snarky), but when my horses seem bored, I give them more hay. I’ve truly never heard of someone putting logs in with horses for them to purposely chew on them.
The horses here are usually looking for minerals and or roughage when they start chewing the trees. I find that increasing their hay and adding a product like Farnam Quitt keeps them happy. I get it at the feed store, but here is a picture.
www.smartpakequine.com/ps/quitt-1703
Neither of those trees grow here, is there an Ag Extension Agent in your area you can ask? Or ask your vet?
I too see wood chewing as a need for more hay. I would not give them wood to chew on purpose, that’s just asking for trouble. In my opinion.
David Roby, do you own a herd of beavers?? 
[QUOTE=Ambitious Kate;8458540]
I too see wood chewing as a need for more hay. I would not give them wood to chew on purpose, that’s just asking for trouble. In my opinion.[/QUOTE]
My mare and her buddy in an adjacent paddock are out 24/7 with way more hay than they can eat and they are still destroying the wood fence - so sometimes it’s not that they need more hay, they’re just bored and need something to do. 
(We plan on hot-wiring everything this weekend…).
[QUOTE=Chestnut Run;8458275]
You put logs in the paddock for the horses to chew on? Don’t you worry about splinters or colic?
Not trying to be snarky (for real!, although it’s probably going to sound snarky), but when my horses seem bored, I give them more hay. I’ve truly never heard of someone putting logs in with horses for them to purposely chew on them.[/QUOTE]
We do it up here in Northern New England, they chew the bark off. Apparently willow is also good, but I only have two of those and I like them. My horses aren’t cribbers or wood chewers, but in winter they love a good poplar log. They always have hay available in small hole haynets, and once spring arrives and grass is available, they have no interest in logs or chewing wood.
I’ve read that in the UK people will add logs and branches of various trees and shrubs to supplement the diets of their horses and donkeys. I was curious if our local birch was OK.
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Here’s a link:
When my horses were nibbling on brush and bark I did a google search and found that in the wild, horses’ diets consist of 85% grasses and 15% bark and brush (I think those were the numbers). I do think they’d get bored of the same old hay day-in and day-out.
I’ve never purposely put out logs for them to nibble on, but when I asked about it here (the brush/bark nibbling), I think someone responded that they put out logs for their horses in the winter time. No comment on the wood type, as we have different flora here.
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I’ve found my boys like to chew branches and bark off logs if given the chance. They too have plenty of hay in front of them. Variety is the spice of life to a horse! Apple logs, willow are preferred.
Hey, David,
I am just a few miles north of you in Orford. My horse and donkeys love having tree browse. Absolute favorite is black birch which smells like wintergreen, if you can find it. They will chew our retired balsam Christmas tree down to the main trunk. I have not offered white birch. I think haflingers and donkeys may have more tree browse drive than other breeds due to their breed histories.
Loving the snow today!
–nhhaflngr
I am with David, we put logs out for chewing on purpose for the horses. I actually have them consume small logs in winter. They have plenty of hay, fields to go graze in most winters if snow is not too deep.
We think that horses diet needs change with winter, make them seek ‘browse’ type items because it would have meant survival in the wild. Local Whitetail Deer also change to browse diets in winter, not much grass in most winters to survive on. Seasonal change in their brains signals a need for woody material to chew on.
I have had the horses consume LARGE brush piles over winter, back when we were clearing fencelines. There would not be much left by Spring but a couple logs and some little sticks left of the piles.
I don’t know about the White Birch as a log for chewing since we only grow it for landscaping in our area. Not really sandy enough for them to be numerous. I am probably the one who suggested Willow for horses wanting to chew their fences and barns. I have also used Oak, which I would think would be bitter, but they gnawed and chewed it anyway. Mine are presently gnawing on an old Oak log which has been laying for about 4 years. Suddenly it is appealing, has lots of new chew marks on the wood, since bark is mostly gone. I have some Ash logs in the other paddock for chewing, since my Willow supply is almost gone. Cut in the Fall, though tree has been dead for a while. They like it, new marks on it daily. Hickory is popular here with the horses. None have gotten sick, no splinter issues in the gums or mouths.
And the best part is they PREFER to chew the logs over barn parts when stalled. Their browse needs have been satisfied with the logs. I am sure some log gnawing is boredom, but it reaches a point where you can’t feed them any more hay, it is just wasted money. They don’t eat more hay, make a mess of it so that is expensive bedding and mulch on the ground. Many animals do not NEED that much hay food, they blimp right out to cause other problems.
Also think of the terrible sight of debarked trees in a wooded paddock! Unless trees are fenced off, most will suffer terrible damage from chewing horses over winter, then need removal later.
Giving horses access to a couple plain short logs for chewing makes them happy, along with us being happy not seeing chew marks on things! Everyone I have told about providing horses a log in winter, said their horses loved having it for chewing. Greener logs are more popular with the horses, probably softer with some sap still in them and not dried hard yet. But even old logs might be helpful, as with my Ash and Oak ones. That drive to chew wood in winter is extreme, logs are cheap to free, saves the barn and fences.
Hope you find out on the White Birch David. Good for you, providing your horses some logs to chew on.
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My mares can have a brand new round bale in front of them, but when they have had enough, they will head for the pond, and chew on the downed branches from the willow trees.
My horse loves to eat Himalayan blackberries, which are an invaisive species around here (the kudzu of the PNW). Thorns and all. In the summer, she prefers grass, but in the winter is quite happy to pick off the leaves. They stay fairly green for most of the year. She will of course also eat the ripe berries themselves in July.
Doesn’t willow have a precursor to aspirin in it?
[QUOTE=Chestnut Run;8458275]
You put logs in the paddock for the horses to chew on? Don’t you worry about splinters or colic?
Not trying to be snarky (for real!, although it’s probably going to sound snarky), but when my horses seem bored, I give them more hay. I’ve truly never heard of someone putting logs in with horses for them to purposely chew on them.[/QUOTE]
This!! Horses are NOT supposed to be chewing wood…bad habit to encourage and not healthy!! More hay…not different wood. And maybe a mineral/salt block!!
[QUOTE=crosscreeksh;8460581]
This!! Horses are NOT supposed to be chewing wood…bad habit to encourage and not healthy!! More hay…not different wood. And maybe a mineral/salt block!![/QUOTE]
Why are horses not supposed to chew woody things like logs, trees or bushes? It is pretty natural to do, often more seasonal in cold winter weather, even when they are turned out in huge pastures. Bad is chewing wood buildings, destroying stalls and rail fences!
My horses eat their hay, in the quantity they want. Giving them more results in hay wastage, sometimes obese animals. Waste bothers me, costs me money I don’t need to spend. Keeping horses obese with over-feeding is bad horse keeping, bad for the horse body system, can result in medical issues.
My horses have mineral blocks, salt blocks, eat what they want off them but STILL want woody things to chew on in winter. I sure don’t FORCE them to chew on logs of various tree species, they get to choose which log they prefer for chewing or not chewing if they don’t wish to chew wood.
I will prefer providing wood in logs which they can chew, over having them gnaw on purchased, processed wood in barns or stalls. They WILL chew regardless of my wishes, so best to give them the wood I don’t care if it gets gnawed up.
Saying wood chewing on safe provided wood is “wrong” doesn’t make it true. Providing logs for horses is just a method of horse keeping you have not run into before, nothing wrong about it. This is not a discipline issue, letting them misbehave with chewing. It is a craving horses have for woody browse, which I provide.
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Totally agree with all that give their horses wood or logs. I also toss mine branches and they go to town. It’s quite curious but instinctual, I think. They always have hay available (seriously, it’s not possible to feed more) but love stripping the bark off of cottonwood branches. They’ll do a bit during the summer, but seem to have far more desire for them in the winter.
We have no birch here, so haven’t ever used that, but it appears that birch is safe for horses–so would have zero qualms about doing so.
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I’ve learned something from this thread.
After the first post I was thinking - what on earth is this person talking about? And now I’m wondering if my horse would enjoy some branches to chew on.
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Interesting… I have a neighbor who cuts large branches of poplar for the horses to chew on… Branches, not logs, which I always thought crazy… Lots of pokey pointy branches sticking out all over. They say it is a “natural wormer”.
