How can i stop my horse eating his straw bed

[Loopylou1989]

Hello everyone

I wonder if you have some ideas!
I have had to move my horse onto straw recently as the cost of other beddings is getting a little expensive as he seems to be getting quite wet at night. I also moved him onto straw to reduce my outgoings as i am expecting a baby. My issue is everytime i top up the straw its gone by the next morning, even when i put the new straw at the bottom he must search for it!!! Is there anything that you can do to prevent them eating it? I heard about spraying it with dicinfectant but im not comfortable with this approach...... any other ideas?

 

[AmyMay]

Does he have enough hay?

 

[Pilib]

My horse for years ate his straw bed (he had adlib hay) then one morning after a major chomping session he got colic and I almost lost him.

(He is a strange animal as he has a field full of lush grass but will eat acorns given the chance)

I'm afraid the only way to stop them eating straw bedding is to use a different bedding!

 

[Irishbabygirl]

I've always used good old Jayes Fluid, but know you said you didn't want to go down this route. Can you try mixing old straw with new?

 

[NooNoo59]

you cant, mine has two full haynets and still munchs his bed first especially if its fresh straw, does not seem to do him any harm and I know he will never go hungry in the winter while he is in more, do go on to shavings in the summer as grass is very good. If its not hurting him, why worry?

 

[Loopylou1989]

Hi

Yes he has enough hay and trust me he's not a starved horse, he's a pig if honest as he would keep eating all day and all night given the chance. He is a real good doer so i do worry his weight will go the other way. I spoke to my instructor and she said that there is no harm in horses eating the straw and if need be just cut his hay out but it doesnt seem right to me.

 

[Slightlyconfused]

We used Zaflora, its an animal friendly disinfectant that you dilute that i sprayed on mine.

It was the only thing that stopped them from eating it. but then i had to change to shaving as idiot pony got lami and kept gorging on his bed! and old mare gets bitten to peices on straw.

 

[Spring Feather]

What kind of straw do you use?

 

[Polos Mum]

If he's a good doer and filling up on straw I agree with your instructor - cut out some of the hay. That will certainly save you money in the long run and be better for his weight to be constantly eating low nutritional value food (as I believe horses are designed to do). I think one of the major benefits of straw bed is you can be happy they will never totally run out of food over night.

 

[Mypinkpony]

Hi

Yes he has enough hay and trust me he's not a starved horse, he's a pig if honest as he would keep eating all day and all night given the chance. He is a real good doer so i do worry his weight will go the other way. I spoke to my instructor and she said that there is no harm in horses eating the straw and if need be just cut his hay out but it doesnt seem right to me.

no thats not right!!!

 

[Mypinkpony]

if hes really wet try mixing aubiose with normal shavings, your take out a lot less each day

 

[debsey1]

If you use 2 bales of straw a week that would cost you £7 @3.50 per bale approx. Miscanthus would cost you £6.50 per bale and you would use 1 a week. Initially, it would cost you approx £45.50 and you would need at least 6/7 bales to start you off. Deep litter is the key, less work, very absorbant and cheaper

 

[JulesRules]

My girl eats her straw bed (she also tried to eat her shavings when I put her on that ) so I just I let her get on with it and cut her hay down if she starts to put weight on.

 

[FairyLights]

The horse is hungry. If he's leaving the hay then the straw is nicer than the hay. Change your hay to better stuff.

 

[JulesRules]

The horse is hungry. If he's leaving the hay then the straw is nicer than the hay. Change your hay to better stuff.

My girlie eats her bedding as it's easier to get at in big mouthfuls than having to try to pull out double netted hay

 

[Chaptertwo]

If it becoming a real problem for you or your horse then I would be looking at a different bedding (wood based) or just let him get on with it.

There is no harm in them eating straw. Mine does it all the time!! He loves the empty husks right at the bottom of the bed!!!!!!!!

Saves me giving him so much hay!! He ALWAYS has hay left over so he is either not hungry or he eats his bed!

 

[AmyMay]

The horse is hungry. If he's leaving the hay then the straw is nicer than the hay. Change your hay to better stuff.

Neither is necessarily true. Horses actually like variety in their forage, and it's the most common cause of bed eating.

 

[Polos Mum]

I think some horses like the variety of eating straw. When Polo comes in to a clean bed and big pile of nice home made hay he will often have a munch on the bed first (common Irish mutt that he is). By the morning there is still a bed left and almost all of the hay is gone (so I'm happy it's OK). I've even experimented with putting straw in the field (when the grass was low but they were a bit tubby) and he would happily munch on it in the field - while the others continued to pick at the grass as it came through.

I know people worry about colic and straw but personally I think the risk vs obesity or ulcers from not continually eating is worth it for my boys (and I suspect it's rare than you might imagine)

 

[Sukistokes2]

My horse would eat the straw BEFORE the hay, I tried yucker bed, I tried shredding news paper and mixing it in, I bought oatstraw so that it didn't matter as much, in the end he started coughing so I got mats and now use shavings.

 

[Loopylou1989]

I think ill see how it goes and in the summer when he's in during the day (he gets sun burn) he can go back on Shavings

 

[Florrie]

My lad eats his straw bed, he has a large haynet with small holes and he'll usually eat half of his haynet then move onto his bed

Saying that he doesn't eat too much of it so it isn't really a problem. He's more mucky than anything else!

 

[brighteyes]

Put him on shavings?

 

[ebonyallen]

Well have to say nothing worked on my girl, tried everything even talc powder, and it was like we were adding extra flavour to it, she just carried on eating it!!