Horses are highly intelligent animals that prefer large areas, and when kept confined for too long can develop negative behaviors out of boredom or frustration. A common way for horses to soothe themselves during such moments is chewing on wooden surfaces in their enclosures such as their wooden stalls.
Chewing wood damages it while creating problems for horses as well, such as undue wear on incisors and possibly swallowed splinters.
Medical conditions like vitamin deficiencies could prompt horses to chew wood, but most often their chewing on wood indicates boredom or separation anxiety.
Why Do Horses Chew Wood? Horses may chew wood for several reasons. One such reason could be environmental: wild horses do not typically engage in this behavior and therefore, confinement environments tend to create conditions conducive to such behavior in horses.
Boredom Horses who are kept alone for too long in stalls or paddocks without enough fodder may become restless and chew fences for stimulation.
Nutritional Deficiencies
Vitamin deficiencies may lead to vitamin-induced pica–an intense craving for non-edible substances to combat an ongoing deficiency–in a horse, though this symptom is less frequently seen than it used to be.1 Pica could signal serious nutritional or hormonal imbalance.
Habit Some horses may have learned to chew wood from stable or pasture mates, which acts like mischievous children; when introduced with this behavior they try it regardless if it would never have occurred to them alone; thus creating the habit. When trying to break this pattern it can be more challenging since you may need multiple horses in order to break this bad habit.
Cribbing
Horses that crib can be hard on both wood (and other surfaces). But this does not constitute true wood chewing.
Cribbing (also referred to as aerophagia) is an obsessive-compulsive disorder found only among domesticated horses that involves sinking their incisors into an upright object such as a fence post, then pulling back while inhaling and arching its neck.2 While not really chewing wood pieces like it was intended, more like leaning against its surface so as to forcefully inhale air through this behavior.
How to Stop Wood Chewing
Once your veterinarian has cleared away any medical or nutritional issues, you can begin working on curbing the behavior that is prompting your horse to chew wood.
Keep Your Horse Outdoors
Horses that are kept indoors may develop behaviors to alleviate boredom and frustration, while outdoor horses may get bored due to limited options after they eat all their hay; in contrast, wild horses spend most of their time grazing.
Allowing horses to live as naturally with other horses as possible outdoors with plenty of grass or hay to nibble can help prevent wood chewing, though sometimes this isn’t possible due to injuries requiring stall rest, limited resources for all-day turnout, or conditions like icy pastures making it unsafe for horses to remain out.
Applying sprays, pastes, or washes that contain bitter tasting substances could be used to protect wood surfaces; however these may wash off with rainfall, leaving your horses without an immediate taste sensation. Make sure any product used on wood is nontoxic before applying it directly.
As part of your horse protection strategy, consider nailing metal caps over fence rails and posts, wrapping trees in protective wrapping material and using plastic mesh. Electric fencing along the top rail of a fence usually deters determined chewers; additionally you could consider setting up small pens around trees to prevent your horse from coming too close and chewing them down.
Socialize Your Horse
Engaging your horse with other horses may help ease its boredom, so try pairing up two horses that both chew wood. Be wary if one of the wood chewers becomes an adverse influence on its nonchewing stablemate.
Keep Your Horse Busy Provide your horse with something fun to play with that will divert its attention away from wood surfaces, such as a large rubber ball.3
Maintain a Healthy Diet
Be sure to discuss this with your veterinarian first, but there is some evidence suggesting that decreasing grain in a horse’s diet reduces their likelihood of chewing wood or engaging in cribbing activities.4 Be sure to provide as much roughage as possible for optimal grazing activity.
Un effective solution for wood chewing in horses can save money and ensure their good health.