Can you provide things for your horse to scratch on?

[horselady]

SO basically, my mare keeps scratching on the shed in the field. She has plenty of trees and posts but she always scratches on the shed. This wouldn't be a problem but she moves the shed a couple of feet each time! can I provide something she can scratch on? Or maybe just something to do?

 

[WelshD]

You can buy a scratching pad thing for horses, its like a plastic flat pad with plastic bristles on and I have seen cattle brushes and even just large broom heads provided for this purpose too

the only thing that I would say is that I wouldn't provide something for a chronic sweet itcher to scratch on as that would make things ten times worse but for your average horse with an itchy spot I don't see the harm in providing something

 

[horselady]

She doesn't have sweet itch she just likes having a particular part of her bum touched and scratched!

 

[Arzada]

She doesn't have sweet itch she just likes having a particular part of her bum touched and scratched!

Is there a reason why you can't anchor her chosen itching post ie the shed?

 

[horselady]

Is there a reason why you can't anchor her chosen itching post ie the shed?

Yes, she is damaging the shed by doing it! This is because she has such a massive bum. Maybe that's why she likes having it touched!

 

[pennyturner]

I have seen brushes screwed to stable walls. no reason why you couldn't sink a post next to the shed, with a couple of strategically placed brushes screwed to it.

 

[Ladyinred]

Bristly doormats work well too. The hard part is finding something secure enough to use as an anchor.. ideally a proper big gate post concreted into the ground. We have a cob who itches on his field shelter and used to move it round the field. We anchored it, so what happened? He continued to scratch and every year OH has to go and repair all the damage

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Another horse! They scratch each other very happily. I would electric fence her away from the shed.