Horses chewing wood is a common problem, which not only damages stables and fencing, but can also injure the horse. The splinters can get stuck in teeth or injure gums. If they are swallowed, the stomach or intestines may be injured, on they could lead to impaction colic. Therefore, for both the horse and the facilities, one should try to correct this problem promptly.

One first needs to check that the problem is wood chewing and not cribbing. Both activities are similar in that they involve the horse biting and damaging wood, but they are completely different problems. Wood chewing is exactly that; the horse chews on wood (e.g. in its stall or wooden fencing). With cribbing the horse does not chew on the wood but instead grabs it with its front teeth, then arches its neck and sucks in air. If you watch the horse, you can easily see which of the two problems it has, as the two activities are completely different. If you can’t catch the horse in the act, examination of the wood should tell you, as one needs to check if the wood has been nibbled away or simply bitten hard.

The most common cause of wood chewing is boredom. Horses which are left in their boxes most of the day with nothing to do simply do not have enough mental stimulation, so they start chewing on wood to occupy themselves. Another cause is stress or nervousness; just as some people chew their fingernails or pencils when they are stressed, a nervous horse confined to its box with nowhere to direct its nervous energy may start chewing on wood to distract itself. The third possible cause of wood chewing in nutritional deficiencies; if the horse’s food does not contain all the minerals they need they will start to chew on other items (such as wood or earth) in an attempt to obtain the missing minerals.

The first step in fixing the problem is to address the underlying cause. Since it is not always possible to know which of the three possible causes is the problem, the easiest solution is to address all three. Provide the horse with as much pasture time as possible, as this provides mental stimulation and also an outlet for nervous energy. Give it chewy food such as grass and hay, which will occupy it and meet its natural desire to chew better than fast foods such as grain or muesli. Companion horses, exercise and an interesting environment all help. In case the problem is nutritional, ensure that it has good access to a salt lick and a mineral stone. Try to identify anything which may be causing the horse stress (e.g. bullying by another horse) and address the issue.

With the above steps, one should quickly see a reduction in wood chewing activity. Unfortunately, once a horse has been chewing wood for some time, it becomes a habit and continues even after the original cause is removed. Consequently, in addition to fixing the habit, one also needs to take steps to break the habit.

One stops the habit by making it unpleasant or impossible for the horse to chew wood. There are a number of products which are designed to taste terrible which one can paint onto wood surfaces, so the horse does not want to chew on them. For fencing, adding an electric fence wire (under current) to the top of the rails will keep the horse from chewing them. Within the stall, one can place metal strips onto the top of wood (e.g. on top of wooden stall doors).

One should make sure to address both the cause (e.g. boredom) and the behavior (e.g. with paint). Doing just one or the other is insufficient. If one fixes the cause but not the behavior, the habit is likely to continue, although to a lesser amount. If one prevents the behaviour (e.g. with paint) but does not address the underlying cause, the horse still has a problem and this may well lead to the development of a different behavioral problem.

Duber Stewart is the owner of Horses For Sale, and author of Wood Chewing

Tags: Horses