By Jess Hallas-Kilcoyne

Is your horse destroying your barn, shelters, and fencing with his wood chewing habit? A horse that has taken to gnawing on wooden fences, stall doors, and stable walls can not only cause extensive damage to the facility, the splinters he swallows may put him at risk of colic or other gastrointestinal problems.

Horses chew wood for a number of reasons, but boredom and stress are the most common causes. Stalled horses, and those with limited turnout, may turn to chewing in the absence of anything else to keep their brain busy.

Increasing turnout, providing a stall toy to play with, ensuring regular exercise, and smaller, more frequent feeds with plenty of forage throughout the day can provide the bored horse with mental stimulation, and the stressed out horse with a more appropriate outlet for his anxious energy. If the chewing persists, your horse may be suffering from a mineral deficiency. Providing your horse with a salt lick, or feeding a mineral supplement can alleviate this problem.

Metal edging can be used to protect the tops of stall doors and other exposed wood edges from a horse that likes to chew. Photo: Robin Duncan Photography

Monitor your horse’s behaviour carefully, and if there is still no improvement, consult with your veterinarian.

Some horses continue to chew out of habit even after the root cause of the behaviour has been addressed. At this point, there are a number of options available to discourage your horse from chewing.

Horses that have only recently begun chewing may be deterred by strong smells or tastes. Try smothering fences, stall doors, and any other favourite chewing spots your horse might have with a bar of fragrant soap or a bitter tasting product that is horse-safe. There are a number of commercial sprays and paints designed specifically for deterring wood chewing in horses. These products are a good choice for smaller paddocks as they wash away with rain and regular reapplication can be time-consuming.

Running horse-safe electric fencing along the top of wooden fence rails is a more costly option, but is a very effective deterrent.

The tops of stall doors can be protected by covering them with metal edging or metal mesh. However, your horse may try to chew the metal which could damage his teeth, so keep a close eye on him after installing any metal deterrents.

Main Photo: Robin Duncan Photography