Three Wood Chewers!! HELP!

[twilightstar]

Hi all
I NEED HElP! BADLY!!!! I have three horses ALL chewing wood! My two yearlings aged 1 year 7 months picked up the habbit from my eldest horse. Now three horses and wooden stables as you can image isn’t a good mix, We have put chew stop on the fence and stalls which seems to be affective but then they find other places to chew! Are the moment they are placed in a 3 area field surround by wooden fencing that is almost gone now.

We simple do not know what to do, It feels that I am going round in circles and not getting anywhere, 3 areas is a hard area to cover by hand with chew stop and very costly.
I put plenty of hay out in the field each day and they get mix twice a day. I was thinking of giving them licks to keep them amused but my sister said “we want them to forget to chew not encourage it” ??
I’m at a loss end…. anyone got any suggestions to stop the chewing???? it is getting out of control!

 

[stencilface]

I have found that painting on a mixture of horse poo and water does the trick. Needs repainting every so often, but at least its free

 

[picolenicole]

Stencilface what made you think of that???

 

[TicTac]

They are babies and it is natural for them to want to explore and chew things! you most definitely need to supply them with a large paddock mineral lick. You could also electrify your current fencing by running some electric fence around the inside perimiter of your fence. This is a costly remedy I know but one that would definitely stop them wanting to chew once they have got the odd zap.

Unfortunately young animals, including horses do like to chew things. Ideally they need plenty of other things to eat to keep them occupied. Are you giving them enough hay?

 

[stencilface]

It was on a tips thread in the Stable Yard bit. I'm not mental!!

 

[Zebedee]

Weak solution of Jeyes Fluid stopped my two. We've just moved them in to new stables with lovely fresh woodwork & they started chewing it. They never bothered in the old stables.

 

[twilightstar]

POO!!! LOL why didnt i think of that

Im desperate to get this chewing to stop I will try anything!

 

[twilightstar]

I tried Jeyes Fluid with and Without weakening it with water and they still chewed through it, their possessed It beyond a joke.

 

[stencilface]

Mine really disliked the taste of my poo paint and walked away in disgust

 

[twilightstar]

Its sounds like a really good idea, I will defiantly give it a try

the only problem though and can see with it is when it rains it won’t be affective but as long it protects the stables then that’s all I care about…. fencing can always be replaced

 

[CBAnglo]

Agree - poo water is very commonly used.

I would think they may be a bit deprived of something - my two will chew on trees etc if they are lacking in something they arent getting from the grass or their feed. Perhaps feeding them a balancer along with the feed? as for the filed licks, these tend to be mostly just molasses so I would prefer lots of hay, poo water on fence and a balancer.

 

[stencilface]

[ QUOTE ]
Perhaps feeding them a balancer along with the feed? as for the filed licks, these tend to be mostly just molasses so I would prefer lots of hay, poo water on fence and a balancer.

[/ QUOTE ]

Agreed. Our are banned form having these as they all come in covered in molasses and its all gone in a day or two

They just get mineral licks

 

[twilightstar]

Thanks’ to everyone so far, There is hardly any grass in the field so that would explain a couple of things (i.e. what they may be lacking) also how the weather is at the moment they are also having to stay In a lot more so they could be getting bored? Can anyone suggest any effective toys?? I will get them a mineral lick instead

 

[twilightstar]

tinselface what mineral licks do you use?? because i do not want to accidently get them licks with molasses in them.

I came across Dengie Stable Horse Lick. Is this a good mineral lick?

 

[stencilface]

We gave ours a garlic lick in the summer (for the flies) and they now have a pink himalyan rock salt lick. Most of the big field licks that come in tubs are molasses based - well in my area anyway - I'm willing to be proved wrong! Thats fine if you don't need to get your horses clean etc but sticky molasses is a pain to get off after they've been grooming!

Mineral licks should be fine.

Not sure if you could get them some sugar beet for them to chew in the field or similar? I don't know much about feeding that in its plant form but someone else might be more helpful? Looks a bit like turnips? I know people used to feed that kind of thing in the past, and think we have done many years back, but can't remember much about them sorry

 

[JoanneLangford]

I think this is due to a mineral deficiency. I can thoroughly recommend the himalayan rock salt licks they are peachy colour, you get a string to tie them to gate and they don't get rained away, they really are good, my boys love em and they last ages.

 

[trick123]

we paint our woodwork with disgarded sump oil from a garage, they are glad to get rid of it, it makes the wood black but it looks ok and it stops them chewing wood, and none of them have come to any harm

 

[eoe]

I had this with a TB quite a few years ago and I spoke to the vet who said that yes he was lacking in something but without testing him he couldn't identify what, but he advised me to double the amount of Hi-Fi Original that he was having in his feed, I did this and a couple of days later he stopped eating the wood. I also put a Dengie stable lick in his stable.

 

[Bosworth]

We use sump oil on our fencing on the bottom rail - and on the top we have a high tension wire just staples on right round the top of the fence ahich completely stops them eating it and does not cost much.