Stopping horse eating straw bed...

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Sarah1

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Hi everyone

Any ideas what I can spray my boys bed with to stop him eating it? Is there anything?
Someone mentioned really diluted jeyes fluid which sounded quite a good idea but I don't want to poison him if he does try a mouthful!
Will the anti-crib spray work?
Thanks
 
Thanks! That might be a way to go - it does smell very strong & will be lots cheaper than anti-crib spray.
Thought about using a different bedding but had huge issues last year getting hold of shavings & they cost an arm & a leg when I could get them! We can get huge rectangular bales of straw for £20 and they're on the doorstep so no problem with transport or supply!
 
Is it new straw you've just got in cos my nutty chestnut always eats his when it's new in.
I spray it with diluted Jeyes and after a few days he doesn't bother anymore.
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Yeah will be a completely fresh bed when I bed it down - I'll try the jeyes & just have to try to spray it as I lay it!
 
Depending on how clean/fussy you are about the state of your bed, once it's down the best way I've found is to take the worst of the wet out but not to worry about the odd bits of wet and to mix it in with the clean/fresh straw, stops them eating it. Obviously don't leave loads in, you don't want a wet bed or a horse with breathing problems for ammonia but mixing the bedding up (even if it's just a fresh pad of straw into a clean existing bed with all the wet taking out) seems to deter them. Other than that I'm another who recommends dilute jeyes fluid, I use a watering can with a sprinkling attachment so the bed doesn't get sodden
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Why is he eating it? Does he run out of hay? Providing its decent straw it probably won't do him any harm and at least he's occupied rather than developing stable vices!
 
Cos he's a big greedy boy! He's always thinking about his stomach and once he's troughed the haylage he'll eat anything he can get his teeth on!!!!!
 
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Cos he's a big greedy boy! He's always thinking about his stomach and once he's troughed the haylage he'll eat anything he can get his teeth on!!!!!

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Feed more haylage or dont worry if he eats the straw. If he wasnt hungry he wouldnt eat it, as horses (believe it or not) have a finite appetite. As long as hes always got plenty of water then feeding straw is a lower calorie way of giving roughage.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Hi everyone

Any ideas what I can spray my boys bed with to stop him eating it? Is there anything?
Someone mentioned really diluted jeyes fluid which sounded quite a good idea but I don't want to poison him if he does try a mouthful!
Will the anti-crib spray work?
Thanks

[/ QUOTE ]

The Jeyes Fluid every time. It may take a few days but he will, eventually, stop eating his bed. My very much loved late father had a totally nutty TB mare who would not eat her feed or hay after hunting but used to snatch at her straw bed (no alternative in those days) and usually ending up with a mild dose of colic. Once he discovered the JF solution, she never did it again. It also works quite well (not diluted) painted onto doors, fences, etc for cribbers.
 
I tend to agree with teddyt, if he's doing it because he's finished his haylage then maybe its not such a bad thing, he's filling his belly with the equivalent of celery and its keeping him occupied - if he has nothing to eat and nothing to do then he could well start to do something far worse to occupy his time & mind.
 
I gave up when mine got so fat from eating his straw bed and went onto shavings
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I got fed up with everyone going on about what a porker he was, so had to bite the bullet and spend more on bedding
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