# Horse Biting Legs



## Chevaux (Jun 27, 2012)

Certainly sounds like something is going on. Could be any number of things - boredom, stress, dry skin, inflamed tendons/joints, etc.


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## goneriding (Jun 6, 2011)

Tying up is painful, never heard of a horse biting their legs when tying up. Excess energy maybe? Vice?


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## COWCHICK77 (Jun 21, 2010)

What are his living conditions like?


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## Shadow Puppet (Aug 15, 2011)

> What are his living conditions like?


Right now...Packed Snow, but in the summer not so good we have lots of mud...


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## Saddlebag (Jan 17, 2011)

I'm wondering if his diet is too rich for him and he's got hives? Any signs of him rubbing other parts of his body. Maybe stress with the change of address? Were there other horses and now he's alone?


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## walkinthewalk (Jul 23, 2008)

^^^ ditto too rich of a diet as a possibility.

Also, if he has a lot of leg hair, has anybody checked for Scratches (a/k/a Mud Fever) under all that leg and fetlock hair?

That stuff itches/pains like nobody's business. Some horses tolerate it better than others.

It's most likely too cold for ticks or mites, if you folks have anything like that:?

Tick bites can really make a horse crazy.


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## Shadow Puppet (Aug 15, 2011)

I was thinking diet to because he recieves a complete feed along with quite a bit of soaked Alfalfa cubes...I have tried telling her..."oh no he's just silly!"...No, no he is not!  Anyways We have had snow since middle of October so I think that if he has scratches it would have healed. And he has always been with horses here as well as when he was at home.


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## Elana (Jan 28, 2011)

Is he gelded?


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## Shadow Puppet (Aug 15, 2011)

Yes he is gelded someone thought it might be that his sheath was dirty, but I cleaned him and he wasn't that dirty afterall...


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## Palomine (Oct 30, 2010)

Scratches won't heal if they are there without treatment. And thrive in wet conditions.

He will eventually, if something isn't done to figure this out, begin to try and outrun the pain/aggravation, and then may have a dead horse when it goes through fence, or gets out into road.

Sad that something that could probably be easily fixed, is being ignored.


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## BethyJP (Sep 4, 2012)

My horse bites her legs when she gets mites. Might be worth just having a quick look through the fur if there's no obvious signs of swelling or injury? Double check for scratches/mud fever too!


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## Stay at home mommy (Sep 25, 2012)

I knew a horse that used to do his when he was feeling full of himself. He never did any damage to his legs. He wasn't actually biting his legs, but it sure looked like he was. He was also an older stallion who was freshly gelded.


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