Horse eating wooden fence

[Bert&Maud]

We've recently acquired a 3 year old TB (ex racer) who has settled in really well, apart from his habit of standing at the fence and munching wood. He's turned out in his own 2 acre paddock with loads of grass, with another horse in the adjacent paddock (one's a very good doer on less grazing, the TB needs to be in the field with grass so can't turn them out together, but their fields are side by side). We've tried painting the fence with creosote and have smothered it with Cribox, but he's still munching. Several rails have already had to be replaced. Any ideas as to what else we can put on the fence to stop him eating it? Could this be some sort of deficiency that makes him eat wood?

 

[horsecrazy25]

Not good, he could be lacking in Vitamins and Minerals as my boy started eating wood from trees and gave him a supplement and soon stopped. Supplenment from Global Herbs called Globalvite - also he maybe stressed if he new! Hope you find answer x

 

[spotty_pony]

Creosote is good for putting on fences to stop them eating them.

 

[spotty_pony]

I have just found this website which suggests he could be deficient in salt and would benefit from having access to a salt lick: http://www.alphahorse.com/wood-chewing.html

 

[canteron]

Definitely get a field lick and check out the mineral deficiency. But for my donkeys I often put in a branch or stump in the field to amuse them and the horses occasionally chew on it as well. This saves my fences and I wonder whether it Is a tooth comfort/boredom/variety thing.

Just make sure the type of tree is safe for the horse (essentially no evergreen). If you field was hedged instead of fenced they would spend a certain amount of time eating the hedge so I just think of it as bringing the hedge to them!

 

[thatsmygirl]

The only horse iv ever had eat wood was when I bought a tb who was a very good doer, he was kept in a starvation paddock and when I asked what he was being fed/ feed block they looked at me and said " he's fat why feed him" when I said where is he getting his daily supple off vits/mins they just looked at me. First night at mine he eat 2 stakes but was put on topspec balancer and as he was getting all he needed it soon stopped.
Look into diet I would say something is missing but could also be boredom

 

[Echo Bravo]

As above short of hard fibre, get him a mineral lick.