eating wood

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  • June 13, 2009 at 9:49 pm #40631
    mink
    Participant

    any secrets to making a horse stop eating wood? they lacking some supplement?

    June 14, 2009 at 1:26 pm #52897
    Gabe Ayers
    Keymaster

    Same old solution that remedies so many of the other aspects of working animals….

    Work them more… it sounds like they may be bored.

    The only horses I have ever seen do this excessively are ones that are locked up and expected to just stand around most of the time. There may be other instances of this behavior, but I am not sure what to do about those…. they make material to put on wood called something like “stop chew”, which you may have already tried. Maybe others will have suggestions.

    June 14, 2009 at 2:50 pm #52899
    Joshua Kingsley
    Participant

    I was told by an old-timer a while back that cribbing is a learned trait. Foals can learn from any member of the herd. I also believe like Jason that a working horse or one with a job will be less likely to have vices. Just like children with idle hands they find ways of making mischif. ( as a younger guy I can attest to that…)
    Best of luck, Josh

    June 15, 2009 at 2:06 am #52898
    jen judkins
    Participant

    Could be a boredom issue (likely) or it could be a mineral deficiency. Its hard to know from so far away. If you provide a good mineral source, reads sources (multiple), and they continue to gnaw, then I agree it is a boredom thing.

    I have to say though that horses are very good at knowing what they need. They are way more sophisticated than we are in that regard.

    June 15, 2009 at 3:32 am #52900
    firebrick43
    Participant

    We have a cribber, when we lived in southern california and feed hay year round , alfalfa was cheap at 8 dollars a bale and orchard grass was 22 dollars a bale(shipping cost, alfalfa was irrigated in the desert). Since alfalfa has such a high feed value they would only get 1/3 bale and would be bored. One horse would chew on anything simply to pass the time. Now that they are in indiana on pastures, the only time I caught her chewing was one week the first winter when she was standing for most of the week in the lean to because of the -20 temp and 30mph winds. That post was replaced and sheathed in metal. Jolly balls help as well.

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