Foal mane/tail eating

[Dry Rot]

How do you entertain foals in the field and keep them amused to counteract a possible behavioural problem?

I've posted this before as the problem has me beaten! Three foals, all off the same mare and by the same father, chew manes and tails off anyone who will stand still long enough for them to do it (and that's everyone in the herd!). One of these is now a yearling and has reduced his sole companion's mane and tail to half length. The mare's current foal has taught her half sister, same age, to do it so two brood mares are now hogged!

The management/diet is the same for the tail/mane chewer as it is for those that don't exhibit the problem, so it is unlikely to be diet. The mares and foals are now on old grass with hay so it cannot be shortage of roughage (though they weren't earlier). There certainly seems to be a genetic element as all are bred the same way.

I had a visitor the other day who is a psychologist. She suggested the problem might be boredom. The mother of these foals is quite dominant and intelligent so I suspect there may be something in this diagnosis. The foals seem to be pretty smart too.

So, any ideas to keep the foals busy? Or, better still, a suggestion why they do it? I already have them in a new field with lots of old grass and a wood to explore and that seems to help. The yearling that is being chewed is liberally smeared with Cribox! This year's foals will be weaned soon and they also be Criboxed. I plan to serve in hand next year, rather than run the stallion with the herd, so at least he should remain unscathed. I'll also try to keep this mare and her foal separate.

Advice please. This is really really annoying me! Highlands should have long flowing manes and tails, not something that looks like a line of old washing!

 

[AmyMay]

All foals do this. It's not boredom. Just spray the mains and tails with something bitter.

 

[SarahWeston]

I have got a pony in at the moment that does this. He apparently started it when his mother died in the field with him and he was left alone and bereft. Since he arrived he has chewed off the tails of two mares that live in the field next door to him. They like to stand next to him when they are in season and he makes promises he cannot keep. I noticed that he actually chews the tail really high up so that the whole thing can be lost within one session! I'm worried about spraying them with something bitter that high up as it's very near some very sensitive tissue. I am going to have an experiment over the winter to see what might put him off as I would like them to have their tails back before the summer comes. I could just back-fence them but I do like them to be able to touch over the fence. He doesn't do it to the gelding that shares his field but then Jack isn't really very interested in the promises! Luckily no digestive problems seem to have arisen and I think most of the tail hair ended up on the floor. If only he could clip!

 

[hollyandivy123]

just get some cribstop spray, and spray i had this problem with sheep! who were eating the ponies tail, it ended up only as long as the sheep could not reach!

 

[Dry Rot]

just get some cribstop spray, and spray i had this problem with sheep! who were eating the ponies tail, it ended up only as long as the sheep could not reach!

Yes, I started doing that but the mother of the eaters objected viole4ntly and wouldn't be caught! So, being lazy and not wanting another nut case I told myself they would grow again and not to worry.

Sorry, AmyMay, but they don't all do it. At least, not to this extent. If you read my post you'll see that it was only one of a certain parentage -- and one other who seems to have learnt from the chewer. Also, last year's foal, now a yearling.

There is always a reason. We might not know what that reason is, but it is there nonetheless! I have two mares with no mane and half tails, a yearling with half a tail, and a stallion that looks like an old fashioned Shire with a docked tail and chunks out of his mane!

Grrrr!

 

[Bobbly]

We used to dip the tb's foals tails in diesel.

 

[twiggy2]

try bitter apple spray (sponge it on if needed) it can be used on open wounds and inflamed skin so is unlikely to cause any harm to sensitive tissue

 

[mutley75]

Washing up liquid works well. All the pads in the partitions are covered in it before I move foals, otherwise I end up with a pile of foam and empty padding at the end of the trip!

 

[JanetGeorge]

All foals do this. It's not boredom. Just spray the mains and tails with something bitter.

Certainly not my experience. Out of 82 foals bred in the past 10 years, I had ONE who chewed his dam's tail until there was virtually none left! He was Mr. Laidback (is now a police horse in South Wales) - and he stopped doing it once he was weaned. I've not had one do it since.

 

[Dry Rot]

Something that can be squirted on has definite advantages as a youngster can give a nasty kick! Cribox on mane and No Bite on tail today. Washing up liquid sounds a good idea. I've used a rose sprayer tuned to deliver a narrow squirt of salt solution to a small cut on the leg and that worked quite well.

Thanks for all the suggestions!

 

[mel_s]

Mine did this. Mainly his mums tail but he'd started a bit on the others too. And my rugs! I bought some McNasty spray (smells lovely so i had to taste it to check it - lol) and sprayed his mums tail and my rugs etc. It seemed to work.

Interestingly though - i had him castrated before waening and before he was 6 months old (because of my circumstances, nothing else) and he stopped it at this point!? Hes not done it since.

 

[Dry Rot]

I checked the yearlings again today and the one that gets chewed has been "tasted". I think that's the best description! There is evidence of one small suck mark on his mane. I sprayed it again with No Bite and he didn't particularly object. Hopefully, it's working. A liquid that can be sprayed on is a lot easier to handle than Cribox which is quite thick and waxy and has to be worked in leaving my hands stinking. The foals will be weaned any day soon and then I'll work on them too.