why1040
Active Member
Okay, so I'm new, but I've done a reasonably thorough search to see if anyone had posted this before, and couldn't find anything relevant.
I have a 5yo ISH (3/4 Irish Draught) who is a dream to ride. However, he chews. Everything.
He is out in the field from 8am til about 4pm daily. Since our grass cover is wearing thin, they are hayed as well. He'll quite often ignore the grass and hay, and come over and chew the fence/gate. He has access to other wood in the field, as part of is wooded, but he doesn't seem interested in that!
When he comes in, he is groomed, and they are fed at about 5 (unless I'm still working him, in which case he's fed as soon as we're done). He gets Alfa-A with a quality feed balancer, plus about half a scoop of horse and pony nuts in a treat ball to try to keep him occupied. He also has a Jolly ball which he pretty much ignores (though he'll happily throw his water bucket around instead), a Likit with boredom breaker attachment, and free access to a salt lick which he uses.
At approximately 7pm they are given their hay ration. He has 26 pounds according to our (ancient) scales. He has it in a hay bar as I don't like the idea of haynets which put his head at an unnatural angle, and he has a tendency towards eating them anyway. He doesn't always finish his ration.
He eats his stable. I've covered everything in cribox, so he went for the CEILING JOIST!
I do know he's young and his teeth are moving again, but even when they're not, he's incredibly chewy. He has his teeth checked every 6 months at the moment as he's so young, by a proper equine dentist. He commented last time that there were a few little niggles associated with teeth moving, but nothing superbly out of sorts that would explain such incredible chewing.
I'm running out of ideas! I need to stop him chewing, or I'm going to end up very unpopular with my livery yard owner-who is also a good friend! Anyone have any thoughts?
I have a 5yo ISH (3/4 Irish Draught) who is a dream to ride. However, he chews. Everything.
He is out in the field from 8am til about 4pm daily. Since our grass cover is wearing thin, they are hayed as well. He'll quite often ignore the grass and hay, and come over and chew the fence/gate. He has access to other wood in the field, as part of is wooded, but he doesn't seem interested in that!
When he comes in, he is groomed, and they are fed at about 5 (unless I'm still working him, in which case he's fed as soon as we're done). He gets Alfa-A with a quality feed balancer, plus about half a scoop of horse and pony nuts in a treat ball to try to keep him occupied. He also has a Jolly ball which he pretty much ignores (though he'll happily throw his water bucket around instead), a Likit with boredom breaker attachment, and free access to a salt lick which he uses.
At approximately 7pm they are given their hay ration. He has 26 pounds according to our (ancient) scales. He has it in a hay bar as I don't like the idea of haynets which put his head at an unnatural angle, and he has a tendency towards eating them anyway. He doesn't always finish his ration.
He eats his stable. I've covered everything in cribox, so he went for the CEILING JOIST!
I do know he's young and his teeth are moving again, but even when they're not, he's incredibly chewy. He has his teeth checked every 6 months at the moment as he's so young, by a proper equine dentist. He commented last time that there were a few little niggles associated with teeth moving, but nothing superbly out of sorts that would explain such incredible chewing.
I'm running out of ideas! I need to stop him chewing, or I'm going to end up very unpopular with my livery yard owner-who is also a good friend! Anyone have any thoughts?
