# What do you use to stop wood chewing?



## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

I had a TB Mare that loved to much wood herself - I tried a few products, one was Tobbasco Sauce. I painted it all over the wood..but that was a pain in the ****, and took a lot of time.

So I invested in this for when she was in her stall, and it worked wonders:

It is called "Best Friend Equine Muzzle"










I put fleece on her halter so the halter wouldn't leave marks on her face while being left on her overnight while stalled - but it worked well. She was able to eat her hay, drink water - without knawing away on the wood.

She was the only wood chewer I've owned. The mare I got after her, was a cribber, so I used this exact thing with her, and it worked well for her habit.


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## equiniphile (Aug 16, 2009)

You could try putting a plastic or metal cover along the top of the stall where they chew. We have an awning outside the barn, and lately Molly has taken to chewing the support beams. Put a little tabasco on em, and she won't bite them anymore! Sundance used to enjoy the taste of hot sauce though, when we put tabasco on the beams then he would lick it all off :shock:


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Muzzle is an obvious thing but is not something one can stick on their horse 24/7. Plus, it only prevents the chewing from happening, it does not even attempt to teach the horse that chewing is bad.

Surprising the stall is not the issue. It is during turn out. And chewing has happened to everything from the mounting block that was (not anymore) stored at the end of the turn our area to the cover for the heated water trough. 

I think it is more a fun past time than anything else and I would prefer the critter learn that chewing is bad, not simply prevent the chewing.

Thank you for the Tabasco idea. I might have to try that.


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## riccil0ve (Mar 28, 2009)

I use tar. It stops them from chewing at one specific spot, but they usually just find another spot to chew on. My barn is spotted with a LOT of tar marks, lol.

If they are only chewing on corners and edges, I would just get a metal piece that you can screw over them. I can get a picture for you of what I have at my barn if you'd like.


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## Beau Baby (Oct 28, 2008)

Our horses chew when they're bored or hungry, usually in the winter. We put metal strips on the fence.


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## Delfina (Feb 12, 2010)

My sister-in-law's horse adores Tabasco, she walked up and down slurping it all off the fences.

My trainer sprays vinegar, when she bought her property the barn looked like it had housed beavers and after replacing all the wood, she doesn't want it getting chewed!


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Yepper, beavers..... that is what I seem to have too.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

AB, NOTHING worked for me. I tried those expensive "stop chew", I tried painting with something ugly, I tried pepper spay - they love it all!  (and yes, they do it for fun: hide in shed when it's windy or rainy and entertain themselves). 

I got fed up when I saw the corner of my shed is all chewed on earlier this week. So I gonna put the metallic corner on that (similar to what I have on stall doors (built-in)) on weekend and see if that will help.


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## Alwaysbehind (Jul 10, 2009)

Well, Kitten, I am glad I am not the only one.

We have lots of metal caps and corners. I can not very well metal cap the entire fence. And obviously one can not metal cap the mounting block (though it is no longer at risk, since I removed it) or the wood cover for the water trough.

I was hoping there was something.

I have one horse when bored who will chew on the flat part of the wall. Ya know, mid board. Not edges or corners.

And no, they do not need more hay. Free choice right now.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

Hay has nothing to do with it for sure. Mine get lots of hay, so they are warm and full and then have to find some fun (as they are just 6). During summer they graze, but now there is no grass at all, so all fun is in eating the trees and shed. May be suggested muzzle is the only way to go (but personally I really dislike muzzles).


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## MN Tigerstripes (Feb 20, 2009)

Soda does it too. I haven't figured out anything to stop it yet. Maybe some of these suggestions will help.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I have found (as mean as it sounds) that pepper spray works for my horses. I have several cans from where I used to work and decided to try it after some of my guys started chewing the lip of my new water tanks. I just sprayed some around the outside edge and they don't chew anymore. The only problem with using that though, would be that it will stain your wood orange.

Oh, and if you use that, make sure that you don't get any on your fingers and stand beside the wind (neither upwind nor downwind) when you are spraying it :lol:.

This is the brand that I have. Just to give you an idea of how powerful it is, the hotness of peppers is rated on the Scoville heat scale. Your typical jalapeño rates between 2,500 and 8,000. This stuff is rated at over 2 million LOL.
Top Cop Pepper spray: Primary Users: Law Enforcement, Military, Correctional Personnel.Top Cop Pepper spray is distribbuted by security pro USA


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

smrobs said:


> I have found (as mean as it sounds) that pepper spray works for my horses. I have several cans from where I used to work and decided to try it after some of my guys started chewing the lip of my new water tanks. I just sprayed some around the outside edge and they don't chew anymore. The only problem with using that though, would be that it will stain your wood orange.
> 
> Oh, and if you use that, make sure that you don't get any on your fingers and stand beside the wind (neither upwind nor downwind) when you are spraying it :lol:.
> 
> ...


Hot pepper products work the best in my experience, too...but as you say, you want it to be as hot as you can get, it does stain wood, and eventually dilutes from the rain. Luckily, I've never needed anything hotter than cheap store brand hot sauce.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

Is there even a way, to "Teach" a horse that chewing wood is bad? I think it's impossible to so do. It is a vice, like cribbing is - and you cannot teach a horse to not crib.


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

MIEventer said:


> Is there even a way, to "Teach" a horse that chewing wood is bad? I think it's impossible to so do. It is a vice, like cribbing is - and you cannot teach a horse to not crib.


Although we may consider it a vice, wood chewing is quite natural to horses just like stripping the bark from trees. Except for making it less appealing (e.g. pepper) or running a hot wire on wood fences, I think it's pretty much a lost cause.


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## PintoTess (Aug 18, 2010)

I used to use duct tape. They hated the feel of it on their teeth. And also Carpet (Providing that they don't actually EAT it) Works as well.


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## Xela (Jan 26, 2011)

I've always used muzzles. Or put these metal strips along the wooden areas of the barn/pasture. What about hot wire?


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## Levade (Apr 13, 2011)

Crib off seems pretty effective, but is basically expensive creosote. Perhaps try surgical alcohol, as that's what it smells like? Don't know if this would damage the wood though.

Other than that, pair your fencing with electric tape, but allow your horse something to chew, like a big cherry wood log. And it also can be a sign of vitamin defficiency, so I would provide a mineral lick.


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