# How to stop a horse eating his straw bed!!!



## Rainbow01 (12 September 2011)

Hi guys

Does anyone know of anything that you can spray on straw to stop horses eating it?  Is there anything you can buy or even some homemade tips??

Thanks


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## Ginger Bear (12 September 2011)

I used to muck my boy out & keep a pile of semi-dirty straw in a pile then when I put the new straw down I would mix the slightly dirty straw with it which stopped him eating it..


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## LaurenBay (12 September 2011)

I have a bed eater aswel.

People have suggested spraying jeyes fluid on the bedding, but I don't feel comforatble doing that incase she still eats it.

What I do, is leave the wet in her stable and mix with clean. I only take the poo's out and when the bed is well mixed she eats less of it. I take some of the wet out every other weekend though as it gets harder to mix with the clean as most is still dirty. I also feed her hay in small holed haynets so she takes longer to eat it, thus keeping her off the straw for a while longer. 

Failing that try a different bedding. 

Good luck


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## MadBlackLab (12 September 2011)

I put the new straw at the bottom and semi-dirty straw at top to stop mine. I know it dont sound nice but it works for my boy cause by the time he got to the bottom to find clean straw he's made it dirty.


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## bumblelion (12 September 2011)

Iv watered down jeyes fluid and spayed on, works really well, one sniff of it and they don't touch it! Carbolic powder also works and is again a disinfectant suitable for stables and states on packaging a deterrent for bedding eaters!


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## Rainbow01 (12 September 2011)

Thanks Guys!

Will give the jayes fluid a try, fingers crossed!

Also will have a look at the carbolic powder then if its ok for them.

LaurenBay - this is my alternative bedding, its the cheapest! Have been on shavings forever but trying to keep costs down this winter!


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## luce1 (12 September 2011)

Change to Shavings !


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## Dancing Queen (12 September 2011)

LaurenBay said:



			I have a bed eater aswel.

People have suggested spraying jeyes fluid on the bedding, but I don't feel comforatble doing that incase she still eats it.
		
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Idiotic Advice - DO NOT DO THIS - just read the side of the container!!!!


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## Hippona (12 September 2011)

One of mine eats her bed...after she's finished her small-holed haynet .....doesn't bother me in the slightest as 

a) its only a small flap or two as she's on matting as well
b) its cheap
c) its low calorie and good quality straw......

She always has plenty of water.......

Sometimes I mix quality straw in with hay or haylage for good-doers anyway.....bulk without many calories

Theres no way I would be spraying anything on my horses bedding, sorry.....


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## Rainbow01 (12 September 2011)

Luce1 - I was on shavings, they are just so expensive!


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## Mlini (12 September 2011)

Just leave a bit of dirty straw in with the clean - it works for the greedy bed-eater on our yard!

I wouldn't spray any chemicals on the bed, what if he eat's it all anyway?? You could risk the horses health...


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## Aces_High (12 September 2011)

I had several very neurotic horses and I used to throw some baler twine over the rafters and hang a small holed haynet in the middle of the stable.  This takes them forever to eat as they cannot rest it on a wall to then scoff.  It's worth a try.....


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## traceyann (12 September 2011)

I had to put my cob on straw due to cut backs this horse will eat pure bute out of your hand so nothing was going to put him of. Very easy to muck out though everything left in the morning is pooed on so just take the rest out and start again. not sure if its cheaper for me as put four bales in a day


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## bumblelion (12 September 2011)

The jeyes fluid is a deterrent, it's not like your tipping the bottle on feed! I'd much rather have my horses in their stables with a small amount of jeyes fluid in 
their bedding than have them lying in dirty bedding, getting thrush and risking them colicking through eating it!


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## Rainbow01 (12 September 2011)

Thank you bumblelion!  I was beginning to think that everyone was thinking I was shoving a bottle a night down his neck!! I merely wondered if there was something I could use that would put him off eating it!  ie the smell.

I dont want people thinking Im going to be poisoning him!!!


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## Dancing Queen (12 September 2011)

you really need to read the directions for use on the side on the container - or do the words, do not allow livestock into the area until it is thoroughly dried - not mean anything to you. Foolish to do such a thing, very foolish indeed.

If he does go sick after eating it (because he just could) then how will you feel.


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## Rainbow01 (12 September 2011)

havent actually done it! Merely asked for advise or if anyone had any tips thats all!  If after reading the bottle it said that then of course I wouldnt use it!


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## bumblelion (12 September 2011)

Rainbow01 said:



			Thank you bumblelion!  I was beginning to think that everyone was thinking I was shoving a bottle a night down his neck!! I merely wondered if there was something I could use that would put him off eating it!  ie the smell.

I dont want people thinking Im going to be poisoning him!!! 

Click to expand...

People have been doing it for years, it's a well known remedy! It's the same with rug trashers, spray some on rugs diluted, problem solved!! Economically, the carbolic powder is really good too, Lincoln make it (it last for ages!). It smells like TCP and is a pink powder disinfectant, so great for sprinkling on stable floors as you can bed straight down on it. Can also be mixed in with the bedding to deter bed eaters! Works on my two. I have a gannet, who would eat anything!!
I personally wouldn't try the hanging a haynet from rafters. Horses naturally eat from the ground, they're not giraffes! Don't get me wrong, mine have nets, they actually have them double netted but isn't that defeating the point of haybars etc? They would be more likely to get respiratory illnesses and also muscular strains.


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## Rainbow01 (12 September 2011)

I looked at the Carbolic powder earlier that you suggested so may be worth a try.  Thanks!


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## EllaBellaSkippy (12 September 2011)

I once heard something about watered down vinegar. Not sure if it works though, I'll have to try it out on mine as she's a greedy guts and eats her bed too. Mixing up dirty straw with clean won't stop her finding the clean bits of straw to eat, she was on cardboard at one point and any strands of hay that were in the bed she could pick out like a needle in a haystack. Dirty bedding won't bother her haha.


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## Rainbow01 (12 September 2011)

Actually a couple of people have also told me about the vinagar along with the watered down jeyes fluid, quite a few people have told me it works.  With the exception of the greedy guts out there!!!!! lol


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## bumblelion (12 September 2011)

Rainbow01 said:



			I looked at the Carbolic powder earlier that you suggested so may be worth a try.  Thanks!
		
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I can't rate it enough! A tub lasts me about two winters!


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## Aces_High (12 September 2011)

bumblelion said:



			People have been doing it for years, it's a well known remedy! It's the same with rug trashers, spray some on rugs diluted, problem solved!! Economically, the carbolic powder is really good too, Lincoln make it (it last for ages!). It smells like TCP and is a pink powder disinfectant, so great for sprinkling on stable floors as you can bed straight down on it. Can also be mixed in with the bedding to deter bed eaters! Works on my two. I have a gannet, who would eat anything!!
I personally wouldn't try the hanging a haynet from rafters. Horses naturally eat from the ground, they're not giraffes! Don't get me wrong, mine have nets, they actually have them double netted but isn't that defeating the point of haybars etc? They would be more likely to get respiratory illnesses and also muscular strains.
		
Click to expand...

I don't have it hanging so they are like a giraffe.  It was hanging at about nose level when they were stood normally.  It worked with a couple of very neurotic 2yr old colts I had in - hence mentioned it.  My horses all eat off the floor.


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## LaurenBay (12 September 2011)

Dancing Queen said:



			Idiotic Advice - DO NOT DO THIS - just read the side of the container!!!!
		
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I wasn't suggesting that she should try this


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## bumblelion (12 September 2011)

Aces_High said:



			I don't have it hanging so they are like a giraffe.  It was hanging at about nose level when they were stood normally.  It worked with a couple of very neurotic 2yr old colts I had in - hence mentioned it.  My horses all eat off the floor.
		
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Oh! It must have been the way I read it! I imagined them rearing up nose butting it and attempting to eat! I wish I could feed mine off the floor, they scoff a nets worth in minutes, so I have to double net!


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## bumblelion (12 September 2011)

LaurenBay said:



			I wasn't suggesting that she should try this 

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No I think that was aimed at me! I suggested the jeyes fluid! I revel in poisoning my horses!


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## becca1305 (12 September 2011)

Vinegar and water its safe and should work! I would NEVER use jeyes fluid just in case! its not worth the risk. there is also this product called yukka bed which is unpalatable but not poisionous and deters them but i found vinegar cheapest and best. Mix 1 parts vinegar to 3 parts water approx in a spray such as a NEW weedkiller spray bottle with pump from B&Q. You should be able to smell the vinegar when mixed for it to work. Perhaps start with a larger ratio of vinegar to water to really make her notice it then reduce.


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## Dancing Queen (12 September 2011)

tbh I was so shocked that "people" were giving her this advice that i hit the post reply buttin without reading the posts further down - so its actually not aimed at any one person in particular.

If people want to put jeyes fluid - diluted or not on their horses beds then so be it.

Your horses = your choices.


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## darkhorse123 (12 September 2011)

Not read all replies - but cant you just switch to shavings?
I did when my boy decided his bed made a better snack


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## EllaBellaSkippy (12 September 2011)

Yeah, also heard about the Yukka bed, though figured vinegar would be cheapest. Plus if it doesn't work you haven't spent a ridiculous amount of money on a product you can't use...you can simply put it on your chips instead!


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## olop (12 September 2011)

My mare used to eat her straw bed - we used to spary dilluted dettol onto the straw, soon put a stop to it


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## JFTDWS (12 September 2011)

Since mine get fed straw, I've never been too worried about them eating a bit of their bed.  Wouldn't be keen on using jeyes fluid.  If I wanted a deterent I would be inclined to use an anti-crib type product or vinegar.


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## Rainbow01 (13 September 2011)

Thanks for all replies, will give the vinegar a go, cant see him liking the taste of that somehow!

darkhorse123 - was on shavings but they're getting so expensive!  figured straw would save me a few ££££'s!


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