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How to Stop Horses from Chewing Wood
Wood chewing is a common horse problem which not only damages wood but can also injure your horse. The splinters can get stuck in the teeth or gums of the horse. If swallowed, they could puncture the stomach or intestines. Consequently, to protect your horse and your property, one should correct this habit as soon as possible.
One should first check that the problem is actually wood chewing and not cribbing. The two are sometimes confused as both result in wood damage and both involve the horse biting wood. However, they are very different problems. Wood chewing is simply that the horse chews on wood. Cribbing doesn't involve chewing the wood but rather the horse firmly griping the wood with its teeth, then arching its neck and swallowing air. If you happen to see a horse performing either of these activities it should be apparent which is the problem, since they are very different. Looking at the damaged wood will also likely determine which problem the horse has as in one case it will be nibbled away whereas in the other it has been firmly gripped and pulled.
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.
If one does not know which of these possible causes is the issue, one can simply address all three. Try to provide as much pasture time, exercise and other mental stimulation as possible so that the horse is not bored. Watch the horse to see possible sources of stress (such as bullying by another horse) and fix the problem. Put a mineral stone and salt lick in its box to address any mineral deficiencies in its normal diet.
Taking these steps should improve the situation but may not stop wood chewing completely. Unfortunately, once the habit has been established, simply removing the originating cause will not eliminate the habit. One also needs to address the behaviour as well.
One does this by actively preventing the horse from chewing on wood. Putting a live fence wire on top of fencing rails will prevent chewing there. A metal strip on wood surfaces in the stall (e.g. stable door) will make chewing difficult. One can also use one of the speciality paints which have been developed to taste bad; simply paint these on the wood surfaces to discourage chewing. Note that such paints need to be redone every few weeks since the taste fades and that one should first check that any such paint has been veterinary approved.
It is important to do both these steps: address the cause and discourage the activity. If one treats the cause (e.g. boredom) but not the behavior (e.g. with unpleasant tasting paint) the habit may diminish but is unlikely to stop. Alternatively, treating the behavior (with unpleasant paint) but not the cause may stop the horse from chewing wood but the horse may then develop a different behavioral problem in response to the continuing underlying problem.
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