HMM have i done the right thing?

[flynn]

Hi
Put my horse on straw today. Was always against straw but with all alternative bedding costing so much... it was time to do it. My horse went in and ate loads of the straw. He had hay but would rather eat the straw. Is this normal because of a new bed? How do people stop their horses eating their beds!

 

[Damnation]

I know some people spray very dialuted jeys fluid onto straw beds to make it taste and smell horrible.

 

[kendra2705]

some horses eat all types of straw but they prefer oat straw, check its barley straw this is less likely to be eaten .

 

[Chico Mio]

This is why I have to have pellets/shavings. My two were fed straw as their forage down in Andalucia and regard a nice straw bed as a challenge

If anyone can tell me a way of stopping them I would be grateful as I can get straw for free. I don't think we have Jeyes fluid here.

 

[megwan1]

poor tcp on it that should prevent them eating it
i personally use anything other than jeyes as jeyes is expensive!!!

some horses (like mine) will eat it no matter what is on it - mine will still eat it with neat disinfectant on it so i had to change because she was eating disinfectant!!!

 

[Mike007]

[ QUOTE ]
some horses eat all types of straw but they prefer oat straw, check its barley straw this is less likely to be eaten .

[/ QUOTE ]
I

think you must mean wheat straw, both oat and Barley straw are feeding straws

 

[kombikids]

i have same problem - its just so annoying, my mare will eat half her bed every night and as she is v wet i end up taking the other half out every day! grrr!

i bought equi-dry to put under/on, that has stopped her alittle but is £££ so i tend to feed her more hay in stages and put a vitamin lick in there and she spends the night slurping that instead!

 

[muddy_grey]

Mustard powder mixed in water sprayed on the bed. Tastes bad, fairly cheap and won't kill pony if it eats it. Always worried what would happen if a horse consumed too much Jeyes

 

[kombikids]

me too! thats brilliant - will try it!

 

[Lanky Loll]

Just as an fyi - years back we bought a 12.2 and it turned out she had a severe breathing problem - literally pony asthma - which was caused by a previous owner washing her stable out regularly with neat Jeyes, I know that if you're going to spray it on a bed it would be diluted but I've never used it near horses since!

 

[Lippyx]

Any type of spicey powder (chilli, curry, mustard etc) mixed in with water and then spray over freshly layed bed. Remember to mix it in the straw, otherwise they will dig down to the non-sprayed stuff!!
Being that its food stuffs, means no nasty chemicals mixed into the bed!!

 

[SnowandSunshine]

You'll probly find he goes back to the hay when the novelty wears off! I actually like the fact that they eat it as when they've finished their hay it gives them something to pick at. As long as they don't gorge on it.