How do I stop my gelding eating the bark off trees?

[bgray1981]

As the title says really. My gelding has a really bad habit of chewing off the bark on trees. I'm not sure whether it's a boredom habit or he's lacking in something.

Any suggestions hugely welcome.

 

[Happy Hunter]

my girl used to - its a spring thing - as the sap rises it tastes yummy!!
We used to distract her with Ash leaves hand picked. or fence it off?!
hows your grass? do you provide a salt lick??

 

[bgray1981]

They are currently in a field full of lush grass but no not salt lick. Do you think it's worth getting one and seeing if that makes a difference?

 

[Sleipnir]

It is very normal for horses to eat tree bark, however, a salt lick or some loose salt freely available is a must for any horse!

 

[PollyP99]

I would get a general supplement lick not to alarm as very unlikely but the horse that got atypical myopathy had been seen actively eating bark in the week before, causes are not yet 100% known so I would err on the side of caution.

 

[bgray1981]

Ok I'll get some asap and see if that makes a difference, thanks

 

[bgray1981]

What is atypical myopathy?

 

[FairyLights]

barking trees is often a sign of salt deficiency. its also a spring thing. however, despite saly added to his feed [1 tablespoon] and a salt lick my gelding still chews wood in feb and march. he'll chew threw femnce rains and eat the tops off posts. it was particulally bad this year.

 

[PollyP99]

barking trees is often a sign of salt deficiency. its also a spring thing. however, despite saly added to his feed [1 tablespoon] and a salt lick my gelding still chews wood in feb and march. he'll chew threw femnce rains and eat the tops off posts. it was particulally bad this year.

Totally it is normal and my post above is more cautionary due to recent events, if you search op on here you will find lots on it related to sycamore the more likely reason they get it but not.proven yet.

Interestingly though, feeling the need to forage to satisfy a deficiency (hence the bark chewing) may well have led the horses affected to eat seedlings/seeds they would not normally have done so ensuring all round supplements are given in some form is significant

 

[STRIKER]

Agree its a spring thing, but also a salt lick and occassionally a handful of hay just for extra forage to keep the good bacteria nicely going a change from just grass, i think horses also get bored when they are turned out 24/7, its not like they have 20 acres to roam around in and different shrubs etc to choose from

 

[Janah]

My boy was in a field with ancient, real hedges on all four sides. He and his companion spent a lot of time browsing in them. Blackberries were a great favourite and I picked the ones for him that he couldn't reach. They had salt licks available at all times. Apple bark was a great favourite also. The only problem I had was keeping them away from the apples, however they did self regulate how many they ate. Horses aren't daft but do need some supervision on available plants/trees.

Horses aren't meant to just eat grass.

 

[teasle]

Put up a fence to stop the horses eating the bark- it harms the trees .

 

[sport horse]

Totally agree with teasle - fence the trees the horses will kill them. Wire netting stapled around the tree has made a cheap and effective alternative but you do need to watch that it does not tighten onto the tree as it grows since that will kill it too!

 

[Gloi]

Put some tasty branches & logs in the field for them to chew on.

 

[STRIKER]

But the horses are telling you they need more fibre not just grass, if you fenced off the tree how would they be able to tell you

 

[Brightbay]

Put some tasty branches & logs in the field for them to chew on.

^^^ This

Horses are designed to browse as well as graze. If they can't, they'll be like us on a diet of soup, they'll be craving something with a bit of texture or a different flavour. Fencing off the trees will just direct their urge on to something else - possibly fence posts impregnated with nasty preservatives.

Instead, encourage them to browse on things you're happy for them to eat by providing branches, logs and twigs of safe trees (i.e. not oak, sycamore - at this time of year beech is the favourite in our field, they also love gorse flowers and young ash leaves).

You can try to add supplements, but they're often not doing it so much due to lack of minerals, as due to the fact that currently the largest part of their diet is wet spring grass and they want something with a different texture/more fibre.

 

[STRIKER]

Got any hazelnut tree by you to pull a few branches off, or hawthorne bushes to pop in the field, some cow parsley

 

[Copperpot]

Mine have some branches they can't chew if they want. Had to fence off the trees and quite rightly YO didn't want them ruined. They also have hedgerow one side of the field and eat this too.