How Can I Get My Horse to Stop Eating Wood?

28 14:24:50

How Can I Get My Horse to Stop Eating Wood?

How Can I Get My Horse to Stop Eating Wood?. According to an equine study performed by Cornell University and the University of Pennsylvania, a horse's behavioral problems, such as eating or chewing on wood, often begin when the horse's natural environment is changed. For example, a horse may begin eating wood if it is removed from the pasture or if its daily allotment of free grazing or roughage is reduced. Whether the horse eats wood to manage its stress levels or to occupy its time while bored, a concerned owner can take steps to reduce or eliminate this behavior before it becomes a bad habit.

Things Needed

Long-stemmed, high fiber, low protein forage
Pasture
Stable companion
Soap, chili oil or other deterrent
Chicken wire or electrical wire
Grazing muzzle

Step 1

Consider any recent changes in your horse's activities or diet to help determine the cause behind the chewing. Has the horse's forage been reduced resulting in less fiber? Has the animal recently been removed from pasture or companions resulting in boredom? Has the weather become cold or wet, thus signaling a horse to increase its fiber or forage? If possible, reverse the circumstances that led to the wood chewing.

Step 2

Offer your horse free access to a salt block at all times. Often a horse will lick or chew strange objects when a salt deficiency exists, which may progress to the horse eating wood.

Step 3

Give the horse nearly full time access to grazing or forage if possible. A horse is naturally designed to graze about 20 hours a day, covering many miles in the process. When forced to behave other than how it was intended, a horse will often pick up an unacceptable behavior, such as eating wood. If you are concerned about your horse gaining weight from increased forage, reduce or eliminate grains while increasing low-protein, high fiber, long-stem hay to give the horse more roughage, the lack of which is a common cause of wood chewing. If the horse cannot graze, slow the horse's eating by adding large rocks to the feed bin or by feeding the horse at least three times a day, but preferably throughout the day rather than only twice. These changes more closely replicate full-time grazing.

Step 4

Give the horse adequate exercise and pasture time to prevent boredom. A paddock or stall companion may also help relieve and boredom, since horses are herd animals. Common companions are chickens, cats, goats, llamas or other horses, although a horse that already chews wood is not the ideal choice.

Step 5

Look for causes of stress. Some horses are uncomfortable in small stalls, with loud or persistent noises or with certain people or animals. Seek out and remove unnecessary stresses.

Step 6

Treat the wood with a product designed to stop a horse from eating it. Horse expert Cherry Hill recommends rubbing a strongly scented bar of soap along the wood to discourage beginning nibblers. Chili oil or sauce is a common deterrent, but some horses have a taste for the spiciness and will increase their wood eating. Many commercial products are available.Check with your horse's veterinarian to see what he prefers for your situation.

Step 7

Wrap the tops of fences in chicken wire, attach metal flashing or place an electric wire directly inside of the top rail to discourage the horse from eating wooden fences. Wrap tree trunks in chicken wire as well.