# Horse eating wood!!



## bubbledreamer (6 January 2010)

Hello,
   The past few days ive noticed my horse eating the wooden fencing posts. Its Started to get really bad to the point thewre she ate so much of one in  night the next day i wend down it was broken in half?? Does any one know what this is and how to stop is? I have removed as many posts as i can and put spray on the rest but she still keeps doing it!! Thanks


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## Vikki89 (6 January 2010)

sorry no advice but i will be interesed to see the replys to this post as i am having the same problem. I painted all posts and rails with creasote (sp) weeks ago and one of mine hasn't been put off by it


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## zoeshiloh (6 January 2010)

My lot do this when they are bored/hungry. The only way I stopped them (and I tried everything!) was putting an electric fence around the inside of the field (about 2m from the wooden fence) and depositing a huge haylage bale in their field.


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## metalmare (6 January 2010)

Sometimes horses eat wood, soil, sand, hair and other odd things when they have a minor vitamin deficiency in their diet.  Wait and see what experienced people say on this but it sounds to me like an all spectrum field lick / feed balanced might redress some sort of deficiency.

Because of the make up of different soils, horses can't always get everything they need from grazing and roughage.


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## metalmare (6 January 2010)

That's supposed to say balancer.


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## russianhorse (6 January 2010)

Mine does that too now - but Ive assumed it because he's bored in a field on his lonesome.......


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## metalmare (6 January 2010)

Wind sucking or cribbing would likely be down to boredom, but I'm pretty sure that actually eating suggests a deficiency.  As I say, someone more knowledgable will come and put us straight.


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## Vikki89 (6 January 2010)

I have read before that it can be a sign they need their teeth checking but mine have had theirs done so i know thats not the reason for mine doing it.
ETS - My boy has a vitamin and mineral supplement in his feed everyday.


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## metalmare (6 January 2010)

I'm surprised no-one has given a definite answer yet, but I know that if my horse did that my first tactic would be to assess diet and give some sort of full spectrum vitamin and mineral balancer.  There is plenty out there that is merely intended to give vitamins and minerals without adding condition.


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## zoeshiloh (6 January 2010)

[ QUOTE ]
Wind sucking or cribbing would likely be down to boredom, but I'm pretty sure that actually eating suggests a deficiency.  As I say, someone more knowledgable will come and put us straight. 

[/ QUOTE ]

This isn't always the case - essentially cribbing just means chewing the fence (are there bits of the fence on the floor or are they hoovering all the scraps up?) but people often get mixed up and refer to windsucking as cribbing. 

I have also heard chewing wood can be down to a deficiency in vitamins/minerals - I was told primarily copper, and the best way to counteract it is to put a piece of copper pipe in the water trough. However, this didn't work for mine. The haylage bale did though, lol.


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## metalmare (6 January 2010)

Really we need some more info from bubbledreamer.  Is the horse definitely eating the wood as in swallowing it or is it gulping air (wind sucking) which can be a management issue.


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## russianhorse (6 January 2010)

[ QUOTE ]
Wind sucking or cribbing would likely be down to boredom, but I'm pretty sure that actually eating suggests a deficiency.  As I say, someone more knowledgable will come and put us straight. 

[/ QUOTE ]


Tbh, mine hasnt eaten the posts like the OP - just the tops have been munched


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## Vicki1986 (6 January 2010)

be careful with creosote, the mare i just bought suffered an allergy to it and was all bumpy.

generally speaking from advice I have read before, its normally boredom or if there actually having a good chew, a deficiany in something. so assess diet/ management and see if you can find a reason.


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## metalmare (6 January 2010)

Sounds like it's crib biting, then.  This can be down to turn out issues or copying other horses.  I've never had a crib biter, but a friend did and although she gave him plenty of turn out I gather that in the past it had been more restricted and had led to boredom.  She used cribbox on the fences which tastes foul to discourage.


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## Vicki1986 (6 January 2010)

you could try painting the posts with a mix of poo/water, may discourage. or cribbox as suggested.

perhaps provide a min/vit paddock lick to replace the habit as it were.


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## russianhorse (6 January 2010)

[ QUOTE ]
you could try painting the posts with a mix of poo/water, may discourage. or cribbox as suggested.

perhaps provide a min/vit paddock lick to replace the habit as it were. 

[/ QUOTE ]


Yeah he has a pasture lick to keep him entertained and he's out 24/7 on an acre &amp; half (plus as much hay as he can eat!), but he is on his own (except some other horses in the distance)...


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## metalmare (6 January 2010)

Electric fencing might keep him back from the fence, if that's a possibility?


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## Carys (6 January 2010)

Mine used to do this as a temper tantrum when waiting for her dinner !! Metal strips on door &amp; posts stopped it &amp; she's been ok at new yard apart from an occassional nibble on the fence when she's standing near it.


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## Vicki1986 (6 January 2010)

does he ever get horse on horse contact? or is he alone for a reason.


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## russianhorse (6 January 2010)

[ QUOTE ]
does he ever get horse on horse contact? or is he alone for a reason. 

[/ QUOTE ]

No, the only reason he is on his own is because we moved area and the only grass livery I could find was a private field on a farm.  I have asked the owners if I could put ANYTHING (i.e even a shetie) but they said he's fine on his own because he can see their horses across the way.  They dont think field is big enough (although they are STILL thinking about it)


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## Vicki1986 (6 January 2010)

oh dear. did he do this before in a time he had company? just interested to know.


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## russianhorse (6 January 2010)

[ QUOTE ]
oh dear. did he do this before in a time he had company? just interested to know. 

[/ QUOTE ]

No he's not done it before (except at one place where the turn-out was limited and again no mixing of horses  - he did it to his stable door).  I then moved to a yard that had 70 acres of turnout, and he eventually went as a grass livery with YO 2 other horses before I moved here.  he's only just recently started this post munching, as he's been there 2 years (although his previous party trick was pushing the back of the shelter off with his bum!)


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## Vicki1986 (6 January 2010)

I think single turnout does not suit alot of horses. I hope your YO changes their mind about allowing you to get something to keep him company.


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## Donkeymad (6 January 2010)

Chewing/eating wood is rarely down to a vit or min deficiency. It is very possible though that it is a lack of course fibre.


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## Echo Bravo (6 January 2010)

Mine did 1) from hunger not enought fibre 2) boredom going back to 1. I know this for a fact as I went away to the USA for 3 weeks to see my family, left OH in charge had left instructions written out in large type and bless him, he followed it to the letter, but it had gone very cold while I was away so didn't increase their hay. So came back to 4 thin horses and wooden rails chewed big time and my old pony down with laminitis and she was 18 and had never had it in her life. So increase their hay nets.


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## bubbledreamer (6 January 2010)

Thanks for all the replies! Shes kept with another horse and its the corral "sp" around the shelter the posts there. I havent seen her eat any but she demolished a whole post in 2 days chewed really deep? Ive never seen her do i before. She has hay, hi fi lite and calm and condition???


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## toomanyhorses26 (6 January 2010)

My tb does this but I have used a supplement called quitt in the past and it really did help - was v sceptical 
	
	
		
		
	


	




 it is quite hard to get hold of and I think there is only one company stocking it now in the uk but worth it to try


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