In this article, we discuss all the steps to take to stop a horse from chewing wood. For horses that would naturally spend the majority of their day walking around grazing on long-stemmed fiber, being cooped up in a stall or small lot can lead to multiple behavioral issues, including wood chewing. Acupuncture or herbal remedies. In addition to the above-stated ways, you can also use some home remedies to stop a horse from chewing wood. And even if you can stop him from chewing wood do you realy think that will solve the problem? Once he or she has checked all of the nutritional and medical issues, then you would know the reason why your horse is chewing wood. How to Stop a Horse from Chewing Wood. If you find your horse chewing wood even once, give it a harsh verbal thrashing. 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. What we are trying to say in these points is that your focus should be on keeping your horse engaged. What wood chewing is not Wood chewing in horses is a behavioral or nutritional condition in which horses chew … If your horse can establish a good relationship with the rest of the herd, then it will not be bored again. In addition to the above-stated ways, you can also use some home remedies to stop a horse from chewing wood. Agora Pets is the ultimate resource for learning everything about pets, products, or information when trying to find the right one. Wood. My horse has always had this habit when turned out in the indoor arena (the walls are surrounded by wood guards all the way around in there), but whenever I saw her do it I would tell her NO! Apply on wood items your horse … However, make sure that you do not pair two wood-chewing horses together. amount of roughage needed per day is 1% of the horse’s body weight, calculated on a dry matter basis (i.e. You should pamper it and tell which behavior is accepted, and which is not. Your concern should be to keep your horse occupied most of the time. Some authorities suggest painting wood with a nontoxic chemical substance to make it unpalatable or stringing electric wire along the top of fences to keep the horse from chewing on those areas. It can have a bad influence on both of them. The thing is, this is one of the things that don't have any negative consequence, only positive, and may just very well resolve issues for some horses. fiber requirement, if the horse consumes little or no pasture, is 10 lbs of hay per day for a 1000-lb horse (1% of 1000 is 10). You are the master. The horse will have all his attention on the toy and will not feel bored. You can protect the wood surfaces by applying paint or sprays that have very bad taste. These bad habits are the result of boredom and frustration. Horses only rest their teeth on the wood – they don’t actually taste it with their tongues. Replace chewed wooden fence rails with metal or resin rails. This can be as simple as offering hay in addition to pasture. Do not hesitate to reapply if the need arises. taking into account the water content of the food). you can try that. This condition is somewhat rare, but it does represent some serious nutritional deficiencies in your horse’s body. Horses can’t chew through it, and it’s unpleasant on their teeth so they quit trying to chew the wood beneath it. Ideally, your horse should have enough room to canter or gallop, roll around, and generally burn off energy outside of its stall. All Rights Reserved. You can use an anti-chew spray to stop your horse from chewing wood. Consider these solutions: Replace chewed wooden gates and stall doors with metal ones. Let us discuss some of the conditions that compel your horse to do this. These sprays have a very bitter taste. Give them love and teach them how to behave. Do not reinforce this type of behavior. You can also cover wooden surfaces with nails. Remember that every horse is different; what might work on your horse might not work on my horse, and vice versa. It is your veterinarian who best knows the horse and can suggest what is right and wrong. One of these conditions is vitamin deficiency. Hi! In the meantime, to combat wood-chewing, here are a few simple strategies: Feed the horse on a strict schedule. Halt chewing and cribbing habits with Chew Stop™ chew deterrent. Patience will pay off, and the horse will stop chewing wood. Some wood contains chemicals that may be harmful to horses and result in various health issues. If your horse is chewing on a fence in the paddock or field just add some electric fencing along the top. I am Lokesh. Once wood chewing becomes an established habit, it may be difficult to stop. I've always fed loose mineral to my horses, and I've never had horse chewing woods. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website. Having a happy horse is crucial to preventing specific behavioral conditions such as wood chewing. Oct 1, 2018 - In this article, we describe wood chewing and try help you understand possible reasons for this behavior and how to stop a horse from chewing wood. Like humans, they are a social being. So they need to find something to do to relieve the frustration like cribbing, wood chewing, pacing, pawing, nodding, wall kicking, biting at people or horses passing by etc etc. A horse could be bored for many reasons. You can apply this spray to the affected areas. Thanks everyone! Hot cinnamon taste helps stop horses from wood chewing and cribbing ; Won't stain white fences or discolor other painted surfaces* Easy-to-apply, clear liquid formula; Simply spray, roll or brush it on surfaces Cribbing isn’t chewing. If hes eating the wood i think hes lacking salt too so give him a salt lick. So, you should make a proper timetable for your horse to have free time in an open field. This is the easiest and most effective method of stopping wood chewing. However, this is labour-intensive and the horse could develop a taste for the ‘deterrent’. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. If you keep a horse in the stable for too long, then it will develop bad habits. They will start to chew it. I am passionate about pets and love sharing everything I learn about them. To answer some of the questions coming up... Quitt may help.. it helps wood chewing by giving extra nutrients. Cribbing is a habit some horses have where they bite down on an object and then inhale deeply. Try to keep them busy as much as possible. However, if your horse is not busy in an open field, then this can also lead to some bad habits. Well-made and properly stored hay is less than 10% water, so to keep the. How can you stop a horse from chewing wood? This will prevent your horse from chewing on those surfaces. You should also make sure that the paints or spray that you are using is non-toxic. Some medical conditions also cause your horse to chew wood. they sell stuff in the tack store called "no chew" i think. They are naturally inclined to play and run around outside. Wrapping wood in a tight metal mesh will physically prevent your horse from chewing on it. A field of at least one acre is preferred. How to Keep a Horse from Cribbing. In the case of horses, the root cause is more important than the cure. When you notice your horse chewing wood out of boredom or frustration or due to any of the reasons listed above, you must consult a veterinarian. Simply apply to the areas where the horse are or may chew. Horses are very intelligent animals. Understanding why horses chew wood and incorporating strategic management practices into your routine can help eliminate the problem. Though, it doesn't help with every horse.. it may be worth a try. There are quite a few recommended ways to encourage your horse to stop cribbing. This technique works best on fence posts, trees, the corners of a barn, and stall doors. First and most importantly, make sure your horse is not bored. They make pellets like QUITT (you can buy it through SmartPak and other places) that help to stop it by addressing the deficiency. You need to allow your horse to socialize with other horses. Wood chewing can be an annoying and destructive behavior in horses. If they find the content in their food, they will have no more need to chew … A dietary change might help alleviate the need to chew wood, according to Crandell. These home remedies are simple to administer and need little effort from your side. In wood chewing, the horse is nibbling on the wood. If you can find out why your horse’s pal is chewing wood and fix the problem, your horse may stop chewing it as well. There is some evidence to prove that a horse’s diet is also responsible for chewing wood. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. The horse may become frustrated or sad and start chewing more wood. Come join the discussion about breeding, grooming, reviews, health, behavior, housing, adopting, care, classifieds, and more! A forum community dedicated to horse owners and enthusiasts. “Horses have an evolutionary need to chew roughage, and growing grass doesn’t fulfill that need,” said Crandell. Foul tasting sprays may work for wood-chewers, but likely won’t stop a determined cribber. These home remedies are simple to administer and need little effort from your side. There is no fixed time that we could recommend. Electric Fencing. They should just stop a horse from chewing wood. These animals are born to run. For a horse this is extremely stressful, boring, and unfair. Install electric fence over popular chewing areas. That’s just to meet the horse’s minimum fiber requirements; calories, protein, vitamins, and minerals will very likely be lacking at this level. The other option is to paint the wood with bitter aloe or mustard or a paste made of ground up cayenne pepper. If your horse cannot establish a relationship with other members in the herd, then it can start to chew wood. © 2020 Agora Pets LLC. If your horse is chewing wood, then it will damage its incisors. Most likely, it is out of boredom. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. When left unattended, this can ultimately shorten the horse's life span. However, the most common cause of this bad habit is boredom and frustration. Feed hay from a … It will only cause more problems for you in the future. For a better experience, please enable JavaScript in your browser before proceeding. Electric fencing will usually keep the mischievous horse away from chewing wood. I notice that my horses currently, and in the past, have chewed because of something upsetting to them. Allow your horse to play in the field for some time, Home remedies for horses that are chewing wood, How To Manage and Treat Laminitis in Horses, Follow These Steps To Stop Horse Kicking Behavior, Different Ways to Stop a Horse from Weaving, Different Ways to Stop a Horse from Pawing. When you apply the mesh, be sure that it covers the entire wood surface and do a … If left in the stable for most of the time, then your horse will become bored. Horses want your love. Use a spray or liquid that is approved for horse areas. In addition, consider using a slow feeder, which will help reduce the potential for boredom by making hay meals last longer. and smack her neck (or butt or whatever was closest to let her know she's not to be doing that lol) But it never translated to her stall thank goodness. The best way to deal with horse peer pressure is to find the root of the problem. Some horses are habitual wood chewers. Most of our fence is wire but underthe barn is wood. Increase the necessary roughages and minerals you will need to make the most out of their food. One of these bad habits is chewing wood. Once you know the cause, you can take proper measures to cure it. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This is the surest method of stopping your horse from seeking nutrients from the wrong places. Poor tooth surface impacts the horse's capability to maintain a proper weight. Chewing wood excessively wears the incisor teeth, lessening the horse's ability to properly chew and digest food. If your horse is chewing on a fence in the paddock or field just add some electric fencing along the top. This boredom can lead to chewing wood. It varies from horse to horse. Outdoor activities are not enough to stop a horse from chewing wood. Horses are childish and playful, so let them play. You should allow your horse to run and exercise in the open field. You must allow your horse to lead a normal life with all the other members of the herd. If she finds nothing amiss, you can treat wood chewing as a behavioral issue and take some steps to discourage it: Provide more long-stem forage. So they choose to chew wood. Distractions. Since wood chewing is not the same as cribbing, metal strips along the wooden edges of doors and stall windows will stop a horse from chewing. Always seek the advice of a veterinarian, with any questions you may have regarding the medical condition or well-being of your pet. Running a strand of electric fencing down the pole will be the most affective deterrent. You should choose such a field that is full of grass. If the grass is not available, you can use hay. But there are times when outdoor turnout isn't possible, such as when a horse has an injury requiring stall rest, if … It will take time to stop your horse from chewing. You can also use toys to keep your horse from chewing wood. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience. Follow the above guidelines, and you will start to observe some improvement in your horse’s chewing habit. Stops horses from chewing wood, blankets and bandages in most cases. Allowing horses to live as naturally with other horses as possible, outdoors with plenty of grass or hay to nibble on, can help prevent wood chewing. Does she have toys to play with in her stall? By using our website you agree to our use of cookies as described in the. Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. If you start thrashing your horse for its chewing behavior, then this will only make the situation more complicated. If not, separation could be the answer. JavaScript is disabled. Horses are more prone to wood chewing in cold, wet weather so even if your horse has never chewed on fences or trees it is a good idea to keep an eye on their behavior during winter. You can use toys like a big rubber ball. A ½ inch bead of the product along the wood is usually enough to stop horses from chewing. If you want to stop a horse from chewing wood, you need to have patience. They learn these types of behaviors from other horses, and this habit remains with them forever. However, the problem with this type of paint is that it can get washed away from the rain. This will prevent your horse from chewing … If hes young he could be teething as some of my youngsters go through a wood chewing phase when they are teething. Equi-Stop is completely natural and completely safe for the horse. Chewing wood. Using a deterant is like using oragel on a toothache. How often is she turned out? When kept in an unknown environment for long periods, your horse starts to chew wood. My 4 year old mare has started cribbing and chewing on her stall the past couple months. This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. 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Of horses, the root cause is more important than the cure if you can protect the wood think... You are using is non-toxic the cause, you can take proper measures to it...