How do I stop my horse chewing the fence !

A recent case I saw involved a horse that chewed fences, the brand new post and rail fence was quickly being ruined by the horse and various different applications of foul tasting products failed to stop the behaviour. The owner was at a loss of what to try next.

Wood chewing can be based on a nutritional deficiency or a horses behavioural needs not being met, resulting in frustration and boredom. Horses naturally graze high fibre material for 18-20 hours a day in a herd environment. If a horse is stabled for long hours without adequate forage then they are more likely to develop a stereotypy such as wood chewing.

A vet check was the first step to rule out any physical cause for the behaviour.

The next step was to look at the horses history,  environment and lifestyle. When the owner acquired the horse she was underweight, she was now in good health but had to have her weight managed during spring and summer.

We investigated the option of a tracksystem for the horse, to increase turnout, increase exercise, ensure the horse always had company and forage with ad lib low quality hay. During winter the owner reduced stabling as much as possible, provided ad lib hay and enrichment in the stable including tree branches.

These changes made a big difference to the wood chewing behaviour, allowing the horse to behave more naturally with increased forage and movement reduced her frustration,  alleviating the need for her to chew the wood.