Is it normal for a horse to chew on wood?

Question

My horse is chewing my barn in half , is this normal?

Answer 1

It is often caused by boredom and lack of nutrients; the effects are similar to those of cribbing: stall damage, choking, colic, and tooth wear.

Cribbing: The horse bites on the wood on the side or door of a stall, flexes, and pulls back, swallowing air. Cribbing can be caused by stress or pain, as it produces endorphins which cause a temporary feeling of euphoria. Cribbing can be very serious as it can lead to weight loss, tooth wear, poor performance, gas colic, extreme barn damage to the stall, and, in rare cases, death.
Coprophagy or Dirt Eating: The horse eats his manure or dirt in the stall. This is normal in very young foals (2-5 weeks), but can cause problems in older horses. It can be caused by a lack of protein and minerals or parasites.
Food Bolting: Horse eats his food too fast. This is caused when there is competition for food or when the horse is underfed. It decreases absorbtion of nutrients and can be a cause of choking.

Answer 2

Wood chewing is when a horse gnaws wood fences, feeders, stall walls, or posts. This is destructive to facilities and the horse can suffer colic from eating wood splinters. Some horses really turn into beavers! Wood chewing is common in foals as they test their first incisors and also when their temporary incisors begin to be replaced at 2 1/2 years of age. To keep wood chewing from developing into a life long habit and to prevent a horse from "discovering" cribbing, provide the horse a well-balanced ration with minerals and plenty of long-stem hay for roughage, especially during cold, wet weather. Horses who are satiated with roughage are much less likely to chew wood. Be sure the horse gets plenty of exercise, with time out on pasture if possible.

Protect all wood that the horse comes in contact with. You can do this by covering the wood with sturdy metal edging or use electric fence to keep the horse away from the fence rails altogether.

Answer 3

Your horse is looking for some nutrients that are missing in his diet or he is bored. Both of these situations can cause them to chew on wood. Check with your vet or feed supplier to make sure he is getting all of his nutrients, and purchase a horse activity ball for him to play with so he won't get bored.

Answer 4

You should have a VET see your horse IMMEDIATELY. He's 'chewing wood' because his diet is 'missing something' that he needs, and the vet can tell you what that is and can also check the horse's 'digestive tract' to be sure none of the wood he's already chewed has 'punctured' it ...

Answer 5

both of my horses have eaten the bark off of most of trees in their paddock