horse vices

Question
The reason I'm asking this question is because I am currently studying certificate 2 in racing and one of the questions in the module is as follows
For each of the following stable vices describe:
-Why you think the horse would act this way
-How each vice would affect the horses performance
-How to control or prevent the horse from acting this way
And the stable vice I am stuck on is bed-eating

I hope this helps you to answer my question better

cheers
Anthony Trussell
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Followup To
Question -
My question is why do horses eat thier bedding how does this affect the horses preformance and how can this be controled
I hope you can help me with this question

Cheers

Anthony
Answer -
Hello!

Thanks for your question and I hope I can be of some help. The first thing to take into consideration would be what kind of bedding it is. Different types would have different risks. The website below gives a lot of different types of bedding available and some other notes about bedding.

http://www.surreycc.gov.uk/sccwebsite/sccwspages.nsf/LookupWebPagesByTITLE_RTF/F

It also depends on how much the horse is eating as to what problems it could cause.

The best suggestion in my opinion is to find a bedding that they won't eat. But, for more information on bedding and the risks of eating it, I would talk to your vet about it. They can probably help you more than I can. Sorry I couldn't be of more help

* Meg

Answer
Hello again!

It's great that you are taking up studies in horses. Sadly, I myself, have not ever actually studied horses. I only know what I do from experience. And in my experience I have never come across a situation in which a horse has eaten a significant amount of their bedding to make any note of it. All of the stables I have been at use wood shavings as bedding and they usually aren't appetizing to a horse. Understandly, it is almost impossible for a horse not to eat any, especially if they eat hay off the floor, but I have never seen a horse intentionally eat them.

-Why you think the horse would act this way
There are so many possibilities and they depend on the horse's situation. Many vices come from being bored. This one might come from being hungary or ignored. It depends on the horse.

-How each vice would affect the horses performance
If enough is eaten, it could cause colic. If it's not harmful then it might cause weight gain.

-How to control or prevent the horse from acting this way
Find a bedding that they aren't interested in eating would be the simplest way. You could use a muzzle, which is also used for cribbers, but I don't like that idea.

Again, for more accurate answers I would suggest talking to a vet or another expert. Call your local vets office and arrange a time to talk to them. Another option is your local feed store (specifically for horses) or a bedding supplier. They should have answers for you.

I'm sorry I can't be of anymore help than that,

* Meg