WOOD CHEWING HORSES

The Down and Dirty Remedy

John@JRHenline.com

www.HorseCommunities.com

Horses that chew wood should not be confused with horses that Crib. Cribbing is the act of biting on something and sucking air. Wood chewing is just what the name implies, chewing on any wooden object. They may eat some of the wood or just leave it in a pile on the ground. This condition is extremely destructive and can be a health hazard to the horse as well. Wood chewing is generally thought to be caused by boredom. It has also been suspected that nutritional deficiencies could be a cause.

First, eliminate the nutritional part of the equation. Make sure that they are being feed an ample supply of good hay or grass and that a supplement of vitamins and minerals are being consumed. A salt/mineral block is also helpful. Allow a few days to monitor their behavior for signs of a reduction in chewing. If you can rule out nutrition as a cause then it is probably boredom and that's where the remedies start.

There are sprays and ointments that have an unpleasant taste that you can buy in your local feed store to apply to the wood surfaces. Rebuilding your barn and fence with steel is also an option. Ultimately you must correct the boredom issue. This is no easy task. Most horses are not allowed to free range on thousands of acres of green pasture. They are kept in stalls and small paddocks. Many are isolated from other horses. Move them around to different paddocks, change their routine, add objects to their stalls or paddocks to peak their interests. Just keep trying to mix things up for them and keep their lives a little more interesting.

STOP!!! Don't read any further if you are eating, getting ready to eat or have a queasy stomach!!!!

The "Down and Dirty Remedy" that I have been using, well it's a little gross and messy, but it is FREE and NATURAL! Take an old bucket and an old paint brush and put some fresh manure, from the horse that is chewing, in the bucket and add water. Mix the contents into a thick soupy like consistency and then use the paint brush and paint all of the wood that the horse is chewing on with the "special sauce". You will have to reapply fresh sauce for several days but your horse will stop chewing on wood that has been treated. After the horse has left the treated area alone for a few days you should then scrape off any residual sauce and repaint the wood. There is a common but crude saying that explains why this works but I will use the one I learned from an old Florida Cracker, "horses don't eat after themselves".

Have fun!!!!

John Henline

John@JRHenline.com

www.CentralFloridaCountryLiving.com