Posted 2018-02-15 8:41 AM Subject: Horse eating wood fence
Extreme Veteran
Posts: 599
I just found my new horse eating the top rails of my board fence. I can see she’s done it all along the outside of my ring. What can I do to stop this??? She’s not cribbing - biting pieces off and eating them. She’s on ultium feed with plenty of hay (orchard mix) but she seems to prefer the fence to the hay.
Posted 2018-02-15 9:13 AM Subject: RE: Horse eating wood fence
Hummer's Hero
Posts: 3071 Location: Smack Dab in the Middle
Hay in a slow feeder that helps simulate a grazing action. LOOSE salt and mineral with Phosphorous in it. Wood chewing is usually a sign of phosphorous deficiency, but can be from plain ol' boredom.
I agree with it being boredom. Our “range pony” (foundation bred QH mare) came from a herd of ~20 horses running free on hundreds of acres, to a two acre pasture with buddies across the fence, and she has taken to nibbling on the wooden fence posts and all around her stall. She doesn’t eat it, it’s just something she does to pass the time. The weather had been so nasty and cold she wasn’t getting worked.
I get Dove bar soap and run it along all the wood she’s chewed, and she never goes back to it. We’ve always just used bar soap and it works well for us.
ETA: she has access to hay and pasture 24/7, along with a salt block and gets LMF Super Supplement once a day.
Horse eating wood fence
