Giving horses wood/logs to chew

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pixie27

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Horse is chewing his stable/fences. Have covered all surfaces in creosote, but wondered what else I can do?

Have seen a few old posts on here about giving them logs to chew on - would this work? What sort of logs?! Just ones I can find in the woods? Any particular type of trees to pick or to avoid?

I know it's caused by something, and my list is narrowed down to: boredom from box rest/lack of work from a vaccination reaction (this is when it started), ulcers (changed diet and feeding for ulcers, vet doesn't think to scope yet), and having a stressy mare move in opposite (has got worse since she arrived).

Open to any other suggestions!
 
I inherited some old rotted posts with my fields and i left them in the fields, they are to one side but they are often kicked and chewed around the fields. Big old things as well!!
 
My horses love chewing the bark off logs and branches. They have to be fresh, and they love willow and apple. You need to know it's not poison or harmful though.
 
Mine loves it!! I've heard a type of wood is a natural asprin to a horse... can't for the life of me remember what type of wood it is now though.

Edit: Google has confirmed it is Willow!!
 
I was going to say apple; I hadn't heard of Willow being a natural aspirin, but definitely a positive point. I've seen ponies in a bare paddock strip bark from a small tree once their hay ration got low, as bad as deer or rabbits! My boy has an addiction to hawthorn at the moment...
 
The thought of this scares the life out of me! I remember a pony from my old riding school had to be PTS because he was peeling the bark off a tree and it got stick in his throat, causing quite some damage!! so because of this story I'd never dream of giving my horses wood to chew on!
 
suffolkmare said:
I was going to say apple; I hadn't heard of Willow being a natural aspirin, but definitely a positive point. I've seen ponies in a bare paddock strip bark from a small tree once their hay ration got low, as bad as deer or rabbits! My boy has an addiction to hawthorn at the moment...
Click to expand...

Aspirin is actually derived from willow.. salicin.... salicylate.... a particular type I have no idea which - most (if not all) medicines originate from an active plant ingredient which is mass manufactured, branded and sold.

Ours eat all sorts of trees (none of them toxic unless they eat the whole tree!) and the farmer gives us logs to stop them eating trees alive! It's beneficial (oh my so sorry about the death - very unfortunate indeed :(!) as most UK grazing is monoculture whereas horses evolved to eat rougher woodier varieties of plant and stuff so I guess the instinct is still there... despite hundreds of years of selective breeding. Helps keep the teeth in good condition and even my EDT gives all her horses wood to chew. Ours are in the woods anyway so they do pick and choose but the best wood is Ash for horses. Which is a travesty as its so good in the log burner! :D

Also, you could try put hay in for them even in the summer if you want to reduce wood chewing - the stemmy tougher lignin is I think what they crave...
 
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My boy grinds his teeth on the gate post. It's almost like he's cribbing but he doesn't gulp in any air, just hangs on to it and scrapes his teeth back and fore. He's worn a big hole into it over the years. He's had everything checked several times and nobody knows why he does it! His teeth are also in tip top condition for his age so it's clearly done no harm. We gave him the trunk of an old apple tree my dad cut down instead and he ignored it completely! It's only the gate post in one particular field. Doesn't do it at all if he's anywhere else! We think he got bored waiting to come in one day so started and it's become a habit.
 
We have some old logs that were found in the middle of our house (we did it up from ruin paha we're not weird people obsessed with wood!) and our horses love them as well as eating the bark of the branches of the big bushes. Have had to corner this off though because they've started chewing at next doors half... oops. (My neighbours aren't horsey, but big gardeners!)
 
If we cut down branches in the garden, the horses get a few (obviously if non poisonous). The horses love them and will spend ages chewing all the bark off (and mine live out 24/7 so not bored in a stable). I find they prefer branches as opposed to big logs, mine do anyway. Saying that though, Ive just today had to tape off 2 of my trees in their field as theyve taken the bark off them!
 
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