Is this normal behavior for a youngster ?

Purple18

Purple18

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My nearly 3 year old is totall obsessed with chewing lead ropes while tied up outside her stable sometimes it's just the end other times it's qutie alot everytime i see her do i do take the leadrope out of her mouth. with hay tied up next to her she does do it and in every other way calm when tied up


Thanks for any help in advance :)
 
my cob has always done it .. along with anything else he can get in his gob - my hats, a spare pair of wellies I keep outside my stable, rugs, broom handles anything. I can't leave his headcollar hanging outside his stable as he reaches over in the night and chews the hell out of it!!!

I shouldn't worry to much, just keep doing what you are doing ....
 
Thank you :) she's always been curious of everything ( will take rug out of bags and all sorts ) :) are the frayed bits okay for her to chew or will she swallow them ?
 
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Yes, my 5yo does this and the 4yo before her was absolutely obsessed with it, he was a proper lead rope destroyer and they would both chew on their reins given the chance!
 
My mare did this when she was younger and when I bought my cob as a 5 year old he would chew the lead rope while tied and while being led in a head collar up until he was about 7, I bought him as a 5 year old. My miniature yearling and 6 month old do not though. I always assumed it was a teething thing and they have grown out of it.
 
In Abba's younger years I used to have a very thick braided rope that hung from her door and plastic cans. Over time she just quit chewing and the need to do these things.

Terri
 
Purple18 said:
My nearly 3 year old is totall obsessed with chewing lead ropes while tied up outside her stable sometimes it's just the end other times it's qutie alot everytime i see her do i do take the leadrope out of her mouth. with hay tied up next to her she does do it and in every other way calm when tied up


Thanks for any help in advance :)
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I think so! My 4 year old had an obsession all last summer. He was teething and loved chewing/sucking leadropes etc. Very babyish. He grew out of it after a couple of months.
 
My 3.5 year old is also obsessed with lead ropes. I've tried every anti chew stuff I can think of, and he finds them all delicious :(

All I ever seem to say to him is 'out of the mouth!' :D

He has been the same since he was a foal... everything goes into his mouth :(

Funnily enough he is the only one of the 7 foals I've bred that has ever done this :confused:
 
I learned a long time ago not to hang the headcollar/leadrope outside the stable. More than once I have found the headcollar on the floor in the corridor with the clip still attached and the rest of it shredded inside the stable.

I left a pair of leggings over the partition once after I came off and had to get changed, and found little bits of stretchy blue fabric in my bed for weeks afterwards.
 
HelenS said:
My 3.5 year old is also obsessed with lead ropes. I've tried every anti chew stuff I can think of, and he finds them all delicious :(

All I ever seem to say to him is 'out of the mouth!' :D

He has been the same since he was a foal... everything goes into his mouth :(

Funnily enough he is the only one of the 7 foals I've bred that has ever done this :confused:
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This comment made me laugh out loud all i ever seem to say is the same :P

My horse has opnlyu really started doing it in the last few months none of my freinds have ever had there horses do it so it's nice to no there's other people about there with the same time :)
 
Kellybee her headcollar and leadrope are put in a little tack room so i don't think it started with that partly becuase she will bite anything :P bailing twine left to tied her up with i have to take off. she's just a sod in general :P
 
Oops, that wasn't what I meant.. just that mine will have a chew give half a chance... at pretty much anything thats soft. His eyes widen when the cotton squeaks on his teeth too, lol
 
oh Kelly bee i understand :)

Has anyone every found a type of lead rope which seems to put them off ? i wouldn't be too bothered but she's killing them quick more money bothered than anything she's seem happy with like it's some sort of comfort
 
yes :) mine does it all the time


i had to retrieve soem gloves from going down her throat the other day - will learn in future not to leave anything lying about!!

she loves eating her reins too when im not paying attention :D
 
My 5yo is a fan of chewing leadropes. Not while he's tied up, but if he's out in the field and you're carrying one he'll happily take it off you and mooch off with it in his mouth...
 
Interestingly have had a 4 & a 5 yr old in the past who used to chew anything insight, would grab the leadrobe off you whilst trying to lead, chew anything whilst tied up. 5yr old was a serial fence chewer too! Both stopped instantly (within 24 hours) when treated for ulcers with Gastrogard, so i believe they were chewing to produce saliva to neutralise acid in their sore stomachs. Just a thought but they were ex racers so obviously prone to ulcers anyway.
 
as a youngster my horse would love to chew or pick things up. even now (he'll be 8 this year) if you're standing by him holding a riding crop he'll grab the end of it, pull out of your hand and give you a smack with it! I have now learnt to watch out for that one.
 
A. Yes, it is a very common "baby" horse behaviour.
B. I don't allow mine to do it, any more than I would allow them to bite. If you don't reprimand the horse you will end up with ruined tack, a mouthy horse and a PITA to have around the place.
 
Cortez said:
A. Yes, it is a very common "baby" horse behaviour.
B. I don't allow mine to do it, any more than I would allow them to bite. If you don't reprimand the horse you will end up with ruined tack, a mouthy horse and a PITA to have around the place.
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Or punish the behaviour.
 
Cortez said:
A. Yes, it is a very common "baby" horse behaviour.
B. I don't allow mine to do it, any more than I would allow them to bite. If you don't reprimand the horse you will end up with ruined tack, a mouthy horse and a PITA to have around the place.
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I do reprimand her when i noticed she is actually chewing it which is most of the time hopefully she'll grow out of it
 
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