Why do horses chew wooden posts?

Maggoty | 09:20 Mon 23rd Aug 2010 | Animals & Nature

7 Answers

or is it just the horses in the field near me?

they are well fed but I often see them gnawing on the wooden gate posts.

Any ideas?

Ali

x

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woofgang

boredom

carmalee

it's called crib biting and is a sign of boredom - funnily enough it's usually associated with stabled horses and the recommendation is to turn them out and the behaviour usually stops! in rare cases it's a sign of an eating disorder but that is exrtemely rare.it has long term negative effects on horses as it damages the teeth, wooden splinters are not the recommeded diet for horses and if accompanied by wind sucking (grasping a surface with the teeth then gulping in air) also distorts the stomach etc.

Maggoty

Question Author

Oh - thanks. Thats weird tho - it is a large irregular shaped field lined by paths and trees with other horses for company.

Mmmm spookey..... x

society

"Why do horses chew wooden posts?"

They love good, hard wood. :-)

tinpotLizzie

For equines on good grazing, this habit is very rare. Utter boredom while confined is the usual cause.
I wonder if the grazing is poor & they may well be lacking vitamins or nutrients. Horses are pretty choosy about the grasses they eat, so maybe good grass is in short supply & they are trying to get nutrients from the wood. A salt lick in a holder may be the answer, fixed to a stout post.