chewing the wooden rails...

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horsey mad matt

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my boy has started chewing the wooden rail really badly, it's not my fence and i feel really bad. why do they normally do it?? i know it can be if they are lacking in salt so am gonna start popping some in his feed. and also do you have any recipes for something to put on it to stop him??

thanks in advance :D

HMM
 
Thought I would bump this as have a similar problem. My boy has started doing it sometimes, I think because he is bored/frustrated as his field doesn't have quite as much grass as the one the other side of the fence! All I can think to put on it is cribox at the moment but I'd think this would get quite costly as it only comes in small tubs. I know some people run a strand of electric fencing across the top rail but my yard owner would rather not do this. Hopefully someone has a better idea.
 
Annoying isn't it?

As for reasons, I suspect there are dozens.

They often do it because of boredom, or extreme cases - actual hunger. Is there a lack of grass to graze? Is there hay to eat?

Stress/anxiety? Crib biting/windsucking?

Teething/tooth problems - how old is your horse/have teeth been checked recently?

Mineral deficiency - try putting a mineral/salt block in the field as you said.

Mine do it at the end of winter, 4 or 5 months with snow on the ground and no grass has them craving to actually chew/graze rather than just eat hay which requires less work and doesn't actually fulfill the act of grazing.

You could try putting cut branches (apple, willow, hazel etc) in the field for them to strip.

Electric fencing around the top of the fence or inside it so that they can't reach the fence.

I think I once read on here about someone mixing up muck and water and painting that on the fences - whether that was a leg pull, or whether it actually works I have no idea. Painting with no-chew/cribbox etx will be expensive:(
 
Just a thought, maybe they need more fibre? Mine literally ate a wooden gate when they didnt like their hay. I wish I had a photo to show you!! Put some hay or even straw out as an experiment. Also branches of willow/apple/beech/hornbeam etc.
 
Enfys said:
Annoying isn't it?

As for reasons, I suspect there are dozens.

They often do it because of boredom, or extreme cases - actual hunger. Is there a lack of grass to graze? Is there hay to eat? Stress/anxiety? Crib biting/windsucking?

Teething/tooth problems - how old is your horse/have teeth been checked recently?

Mineral deficiency - try putting a mineral/salt block in the field as you said.

Mine do it at the end of winter, 4 or 5 months with snow on the ground and no grass has them craving to actually chew/graze rather than just eat hay which requires less work and doesn't actually fulfill the act of grazing.

You could try putting cut branches (apple, willow, hazel etc) in the field for them to strip.

Electric fencing around the top of the fence or inside it so that they can't reach the fence.

I think I once read on here about someone mixing up muck and water and painting that on the fences - whether that was a leg pull, or whether it actually works I have no idea. Painting with no-chew/cribbox etx will be expensive:(
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he has lots of grass and i have actually stopped hay as his belly is looking very big and he just doesn't need it

he is 7 this year and hasn't had he teeth done recently but doesn't have problems with other things like bitting etc

i'll try the poo and water one and see if that works
 
JoBird said:
Just a thought, maybe they need more fibre? Mine literally ate a wooden gate when they didnt like their hay. I wish I had a photo to show you!! Put some hay or even straw out as an experiment. Also branches of willow/apple/beech/hornbeam etc.
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he has quite a hi-fibre diet of hi-fibre cubes, hi-fi original and bran. i have stopped hay as he is fat cos of lots of grass and doesn't need it.
 
A diet lacking in Phosphorous can cause wood chewing. This could be due to too much Calcium in the diet . Bran is quite rich in phosphorous as are cereals .
 
Mike007 said:
A diet lacking in Phosphorous can cause wood chewing. This could be due to too much Calcium in the diet . Bran is quite rich in phosphorous as are cereals .
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are you meaning ffeding bran may help, because if yes then i already am but if you saw this and am saying not to feed bran then what you said is contradicting
 
Yes bran helps counter a phosphate deficiency,but it needs to be looked at together with everything else. What does your horse get and what sort of soil is your grazing on?
 
Mike007 said:
Yes bran helps counter a phosphate deficiency,but it needs to be looked at together with everything else. What does your horse get and what sort of soil is your grazing on?
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he's fed on hi-fibre nuts, hi-fi original and bran. he has no hay now but on good quality grass. the soil is quite dark and good quality!! hope this answers yoyr question
 
Horses are designed to eat grass and trees/bushes.

Apart from running an electric standoff there isn't much you can do. Mine all startd nibbling on the rails towards the end of winter even though they had ad-lib hay.
 
As you give your location as Dover ,and looking at what you are feeding .I would suspect that your horse is getting rather a lot of calcium . and what phosphate he gets comes mainly from the Bran. I would stop feeding the Hi Fi original for a start. keep the Bran,possibly a little more? Its very light stuff so you are probably giving not much by weight.I would cut back on the Hi fibre nuts but add Oats.And I would find a good mineral suplement.Probably best to talk to your local nutritionist. I believe Saracen have a place in Canterbury.
 
Mike007 said:
As you give your location as Dover ,and looking at what you are feeding .I would suspect that your horse is getting rather a lot of calcium . and what phosphate he gets comes mainly from the Bran. I would stop feeding the Hi Fi original for a start. keep the Bran,possibly a little more? Its very light stuff so you are probably giving not much by weight.I would cut back on the Hi fibre nuts but add Oats.And I would find a good mineral suplement.Probably best to talk to your local nutritionist. I believe Saracen have a place in Canterbury.
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ok but will oats give him loads of energy?? (sorry silly question)
 
As well as adjusting feed, try painting your rails with washing up liquid; totally harmless, biodegradable and tastes awful! (You might get some bubbles when it rains tho!)
 
My boy used to do this (still does if he can get away with it). He only does it when he's stressed/bored though. I got this paste stuff that I painted on and it stopped him pretty quickly! Can't remember the name of it i'm afraid as I borrowed it from a friend!
 
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