Wood shavings?

Question

i have a problem with my horse eating all the savings in her stall and i feed her am 1 scoop of grain, 3 or 4 laps pm 1 snoop and 3 or 4 laps, no madder how much i feed her she will continue eatting the shaving how do i stop it or should i stop putting shavings down?

Answer 1

Try and get hold or some crib stop or similar non-chew liquid or gel for stopping cribbing or rug chewing and mix it with as little water as possible until it forms a thin enough liquid to spray.

If you put these together and spray over the top of the shavings when mucked out enough to give her a bad taste you should only have to do it a few times before she gets the idea that its a bit 'yuk' :)

Another idea is if you can get hold of 'smelly' shavings.  I get my little mini Bed-down excel that have either lemon or menthol mixed with that that are advertised as making them 'naturally unappetising' and even when he was in for his laminitis he never touched it. (and before anyone panics -  I didnt starve him he just used to favour bedding over his hay :))

Good luck, hope it works

Answer 2

try using straw.

straw doesnt taste good to horses, therefore she should be less apt to eat it.

Answer 3

To distract her from eating her bedding you can give her a boredom breaker like a Jolly Ball, Pony Pop, or a Lik- It.  That might work.  If it doesn't try putting her out in a pasture or something like that!

Answer 4

have you try hay instead of shavings

Answer 5

I have no idea what some of the terms that you are using mean...I assume that snoop means scoop (you don't say how large of a scoop, lbs and what kind of feed, and laps, I dunno, unless it's flakes of hay...what kind of shavings do you use?  I would probably keep a good quality of Timothy or Bermuda grass hay in a hay bag tied up away from the shavings.... in the stall 24/7...to help lesson the boredom..If you feed your hay on the ground, sometimes the horse just continues to eat after the hay is gone...and develops a liking for it, so changing to straw, (not so palatable) might discourage the habit. Does your horse get out of her stall much?  That could be the problem to begin with, simple boredom.  If you will try this, feed your hay first, and when she has eaten at least half of it, then feed the grain...this will slow her eating down, and she will return to the hay when finished with the grain...if she doesn't get out of the stall much, you might try turning her out more often.  I don't wonder that the horses attempt to eat the bedding, when I clean stalls and put down fresh shavings, it smells so good that I want to go and eat something too.  Good luck, if you try several different things, something should work for you.

Answer 6

Two suggestions:  

1.  Don't put shavings down.  If she can go in and out, is she using them for sleeping or just for eating?  In the summer in a run in that's got a dry floor you really don't need them.

2.  Bed and Breakfast.  Use hay.  She'll eat it, but it won't hurt her.  I'd be afraid of impaction colics if she's eating a lot of shavings.  In many areas, it's cheaper then straw or shavings.

Answer 7

What are laps and snoops?  If this is a term used somewhere else in the world I sure would like the definition.  It's neat how we all have different terminologies!  Love it!  :)

i would suggest taking out the shavings since she has free choice in/out.  It would save you tons of money and work!

Plus the possible cost of colic/impaction!

I also suggest upping her hay ration.  I have a feeling her pasture is not that great and she's not provided with enough 'chew time' so she has chosen the wood shavings to be her new fodder.

The pasture may look green but if you take a good close look you will find alot of weeds and grass that is too tough or undesired.  Mine is like that right now.  Not much good grazing so I have hay on demand (or they chew the barn)

edit: if you must have something in there, try the pelletized bedding.  It's more $ but worth it.  Read the directions as it's not like shavings.  There is a trick to it.

BUT...because it's pellets til it's broken down she may also eat that...*sigh*