A friends problem

[taffydales]

Thinking about it I,m not sure this in in the right place, but hey ho, I called to see a friend of mine tonight and and she was showing me her post and rail fencing that her youngster has started to chew, she has only just started to do this and dose,nt crib bite in the stable, I know there is something you can buy to paint on wood to stop them doing this but just wondered if it was down to a possible deficiency as I have had no experience with any of mine doing this.

[greydales]

I think youngsters can chew if they are teething, and many horses and ponies just like the taste of wood - if you think about it they do naturally eat tree bark. I don't know about any deficiency causing it as such. Cribox is very good at deterring them but it's quite messy.

[harveydales]

As Gill Says, it could well be a teething thing. They sometimes do this if the diet is short of fibre so maybe extra hay in the field will help? I often put tree branches in the paddocks for the horses to strip the bark off (trees I know are safe ofcourse). They love this and it can help save the fencing. Also, since I've been putting those big Rockies salt licks in the filed I've had no chewing.

[dollylanedales]

My neighbour has had her paddocks post and railed, but this winter I have noticed one of her ponies has chewed all the top rail - I am wondering if they are doing it while standing waiting for her to feed them - and its a habit.

Touch wood I have not had this problem (well, Oliver wrecks the rails, but never chews them). A couple of winters ago, one of my oldies, not sure which, started to chew wood. I gave her a lick, as I thought she was lacking in some mineral or vitamin, and it must have been, because she did not do it again.

I know if they do crib bite, it can be very hard to stop. Some liveriy yards will not have a cribber on their yard, and I suppose you can't blame them!

[Debbie]

Blossom's done this off and on during her teething stages, but mostly I supply her with safe branches that she can strip and chew. I figure anything to help with the 'itching'. She also gets Hylands teething tablets to help with any other teething probs.

Sometimes I think it can be a trace mineral deficiency, but I have no clue which one. If she gives a trace mineral, maybe adding a seaweed supplement to the diet may help. Something like Source?

Hopefully its just a stage and her youngling doesn't continue to do this.

[JoM]

My friend has a 16 year old Tb and he chews wood! No idea why!

We have just moved into brand new wooden stables! he is in his element! I just hope the livery yard owner doesnt see the knaw marks!