Urgent help! New horse destroying post and rail fence!

Sanolly

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My new horse (OTTB) is a crib biter/wind sucker. In the space of a week she has eaten through two or the rails of the field and almost eaten through four more! I am replacing them today but understandably YO is not at all impressed and if I don't stop her soon then I will be asked to leave. I really need to nip this in the bud as she didn't do it when she first arrived or when she was at her old yard (where I work), I don't want to have to leave my yard!

Brief history of the horse is that she came out of training in Jan, then went to Wales to a girl who couldn't cope with her so came back to the breeder who I work for where I bought her. She came to my yard nearly two weeks ago and was turned out in our "trash" paddock which has post and rail on three sides which she didn't touch. She was turned out with a small Sec B and then when she left she was turned out with my cob. Yo's horse is a bully so we waited until her shoes came off last Weds until we turned them out together in the big field where the cribbing/wind sucking started. The trash has no grass so she was only on haylage and hard feed - 1 x nuts, 1 x chaff, 1 x fast fibre and a mug of lo cal - twice a day, the big field is bare at the top and has short (but enough) grass in the bottom. However they all come in for a couple hours during the day for hard feed and a hay net.

Please help!
 
can u use electric fencing? are you using a collar? i know not the nices things but id think horse is also unsettled, not used to being out so much which could be making it worse?
 
It sounds like she is stressed:( you are doing the right thing by giving her lots of fibre - I would guess she has a degree of ulcers/EGS - I would give her some Rescue Remedy (put about 10 drops on half an apple/carrot a few times a day) and add some aloe Vera juice to her feed - look on www.aloequine.co.uk as it explains about EGS. She probay still needs time to settle into her new home - hope the YO has the patience to let her :( the ex- racer that came here before Christmas was cribbing and windsucking badly (on everything!:eek:) but is so much better now she is settled with lots of turnout and plenty of fibre etc

I hope you find an answer for her:)
 
You can 'paint' the rails with a mix of dung and water! We have done that in the past after getting a tip off someone on here. It did work with my sister's horse who has a tendency to chew on the fencing. You do have to keep it up with applying it though - when we haven't he has nibbled through it again. However, it's our field and our fencing so we don't face the wrath of a YO (just my dad! Lol)
 
creocoat (creosote spin off) as they now call it mixed 50/50 with old engine oil (so i've just read elsewhere!!)

Mustard Powder / Jeyes Fluid / Cribox
 
Electric fence - I did this as my ex NH racer is a tricky customer, so soon after I bought him (2 years ago) I bought £250 worth of electric fence kit. My YO is happy, and he's caused no damage, and had no field related injuries since I bought it (the fence has saved me a fortune in damage repairs and vets bills).

I think it's possible that because my ex racer had spent his whole life in racing yards, he did not really understand how to behave in a normal field environment? He completely respects the electric fence and is very happy with his life now.

I agree with giving him a high fibre diet. Mine is just on Allen & page fast fibre, hi fi and Caron oil and he looks a picture of health and in super condition and has a very nice, chilled out attitude now.
 
As has been said - electric fencing. Also, maybe supply the horse with a ''cribbing post'', high fibre diet and maybe consider investigating gastric ulcers.
If it is just a new thing, a calmer as well as a digestive supplement might help.
 
She was scoped for ulcers before I got her and none were found so assume if she had any they were treated when she was in Wales. Martlin what digestive supplement would you suggest? I have looked at Settelex and Caligone but they seem quite expensive?
 
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