RE: wood chewing
This message is from: "Mary Sergeant" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I am looking into the nutritional aspect. They are devouring their mineral salt block! -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of [EMAIL PROTECTED] Sent: Friday, September 26, 2008 5:16 AM To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Subject: wood chewing This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Gail is right about the wood, the chewing begins as the days get colder. But I wonder if it is because their pasture goes down to nothing in winter, not much to browse or amuse? But it could be minerals. My husband will throw a log or two in the pasture in winter, sometimes branches. This keeps them amused for days and has never given any problem. I remember riding my Morgan and I asked him to step over a pretty big log and he put his nose down to it. I thought he was scoping it out to see how big a step to take, but - nope - he started eating it! Valerie Columbia, CT Save on Trade Schools - Click here. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/Ioyw6i3oLawYOEh7EtLPdL6vcNT5gwAf p3aZyqm8UpXTIcK2Cg4Aya/ Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
wood chewing
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Gail is right about the wood, the chewing begins as the days get colder. But I wonder if it is because their pasture goes down to nothing in winter, not much to browse or amuse? But it could be minerals. My husband will throw a log or two in the pasture in winter, sometimes branches. This keeps them amused for days and has never given any problem. I remember riding my Morgan and I asked him to step over a pretty big log and he put his nose down to it. I thought he was scoping it out to see how big a step to take, but - nope - he started eating it! Valerie Columbia, CT Save on Trade Schools - Click here. http://thirdpartyoffers.juno.com/TGL2141/fc/Ioyw6i3oLawYOEh7EtLPdL6vcNT5gwAfp3aZyqm8UpXTIcK2Cg4Aya/ Important FjordHorse List Links: Subscription Management: http://tinyurl.com/5msa7e FH-L Archives: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw Classified Ads: http://tinyurl.com/5b5g2f
Epsom Salt and Wood Chewing
This message is from: "Joe Glick" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> A recent topic about wooding chewing was of interest to me. I have heard many reasons for wood chewing but some time ago a equine nutritionist said wood chewing comes from a magnesium deficiency. It is most common in the spring. In the winter horses go into a form of hibernation where their organs slow down to preserve energy. In the spring, as the days become longer and warmer, their body needs magnesium to come out of hibernation. He went on to say that tree bark contains magnesium and if there are no trees with bark to eat they will chew on wood. Has anyone else heard of this? My horses rarely chew on wood so I was never able to prove it one way or another. This spring my yearlings started chewing on wood so I gave them free choice minerals and that seemed to stop the chewing. Was that a coincident? Then recently Gail Russell wrote about feeding Epsom Salt to horses. I didn't realize that Epsom Salt is magnesium ( if I did, I forgot ). I think the next time I see my horses chewing wood I'll give them Epsom Salt. My question is, how much would you give? Could I feed it free choice? I'd like to hear other's thoughts on this. Thanks Joe Glick Glick Family Farm The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
colic in winter/wood chewing
This message is from: "Beaver Dam Farm" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hello from Carol Naveta Rivoire at Beaver Dam Farm in Nova Scotia -- A long time ago, 20+ years, when we were getting going with Fjordhorses, I kind of bragged to Bob van Bon, Chief Inspector of Fjords for Holland, that we'd never had a serious injury or illness. -- He said to me . . . . "That's because you don't have many horses yet." -- What he was saying, of course, is that if you have enough horses, even if they're given the best of care, things do happen. -- Or, as Murphy's Law has it . . . "If anything can go wrong it will" and I've always thought this "Law" applied even more so with horses. And believing strongly in Murphy's Law as we do at Beaver Dam Farm, we do everything in our power to keep our horses healthy and safe. -- This involves a huge amount of effort and an extremely conservative attitude. -- Some may think our way of doing things is overly fussy, overly conservative. Maybe so, but the result in 27 years of raising, training, and selling Fjords is that we've only had two major problems. -- One was with BDF Malcolm Locke when he broke a hind leg at 2 weeks old. We think one of the other broodmares in the broodmare band stepped on Malcolm while he was stretched out sleeping. That's just a theory. It could have happened some other way. -- That year we had five or six foals. I can't remember off the top of my head. -- Malcolm was a late foal, and it was August and the flies were bad. The mares were forever stamping to get rid of them. -- We think one of them, his dam maybe, stamped and broke his leg. -- And we think it happened in the run-in shed where the mares and foals gather to escape the flies. -- -- So now, under the same conditions, we don't keep so many mares and foals together thinking this tactic will lesson the chance of a repeat. Malcolm's broken leg was set, and after two marathon surgeries he did OK. -- We kept him a stallion, and sold him to a breeding home where he proceeded to sire some of the most beautiful Fjords in America. -- Malcolm is now at another breeding farm in CA. The other serious incident we had was the imported yearling filly with the abscess that got into her spine. She had to be put down. I talked about this a week or so ago. As to colic in winter, our thoughts are that we must get as much water in the horses as we possibly can. -- To do this we have heaters in alll the outside tanks. -- We feed huge amounts of soaked (really soaked until soupy) beetpulp, and we put a lot of salt into each bucket. The salt makes them thirsty and the tepid water invites them to drink. We monitor the tanks and buckets very carefully to be 100% sure they're drinking a lot. We think the soupy,. salty beetpulp is the best insurance we can have against impaction colic. -- The horses need wet stuff in the winter because all they're eating is dry hay. -- They need lots and lots of water, and some of them will not drink enough water unless "forced" to by salt induced thirst. In 27 years with Fjords we have never had a colic surgery. We've had a few colics, but never (knock on wood) one serious enough for surgery. Actually, it seems to me that we've had fewer winter colic incidents than in the summer, and this tells me that our soupy & salty beetpulp works. We heartily recommend this wintertime tactic to keep horses from colicing. You will be amazed how much water the beetpulp can absorb, and once it's absorbed, go ahead and add more water. Kind Regards, Carol Naveta Rivoire Beaver Dam Farm Fjords II, Ltd. Phone: 902-386-2304 Fax: 902-386-2149 URL: www.beaverdamfarm.com E-mail: [EMAIL PROTECTED] "Raised by the Sea in Health and Tranquility" The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
Re: wood chewing
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] This message has been processed by Symantec's AntiVirus Technology. Unknown.data was not scanned for viruses because too many nested levels of files were found. For more information on antivirus tips and technology, visit http://ses.symantec.com/ Received: from smailcenter69.comcast.net ([204.127.205.169]) by comcast.net (sccrmhc13) with SMTP id <20070219020050013007t7goe>; Mon, 19 Feb 2007 02:00:51 + Received: from [67.171.20.61] by smailcenter69.comcast.net; Mon, 19 Feb 2007 02:00:50 + From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Subject: Re: wood chewing Date: Mon, 19 Feb 2007 02:00:50 + Message-Id: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> X-Mailer: AT&T Message Center Version 1 (Oct 4 2006) X-Authenticated-Sender: d29vZGJlcnJ5ZmFybXNAY29tY2FzdC5uZXQ= MIME-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: from multipart/mixed by demime 1.01d X-Converted-To-Plain-Text: Alternative section used was multipart/alternative I was discussing with friends my fjords appetite for the trees in our pasture this winter. I was told that in one area of the country the bears were eating all the bark off of trees, and killing the trees. Wildlife Biologists determined that they were after the sugar. They started putting out sugar blocks and the bears quit chewing on the trees. Could there be more sugar in bark during the winter? Or could this be a reason for this instinct? -- Original message -- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (fjordhorse-digest) > This message has been processed by Symantec's AntiVirus Technology. > > Unknown.data was not scanned for viruses because too many nested > levels > of files were found. > > > For more information on antivirus tips and technology, visit > http://ses.symantec.com/ [demime 1.01d removed a section which didn't have a content-type header] The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
Re: wood chewing
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Why are they like that in just the Spring? Why do people make maple syrup only in the spring? The sweet sap rising during the warm days and cold nights of late winter makes the wood taste and probably smell especially good. Sugar maples happen to have the highest sugar content in their sap, but the sap of other trees is also sweet. What horse can resist a treat like that? DeeAnna The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
Re: wood chewing and cribbing
This message is from: "ruth bushnell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> "they eat bark and wood of trees which is different from cribbing." I agree... My horses don't crib, in fact I've never had one that did, thank goodness. But most have chewed wood, fences, trees etc. Beth IT SOUNDS AS though wood chewing can lead to cribbing, and should be discouraged. Another interesting facet I saw was that it is contagious, besides obsessive.. if one horse does it, another picks it up. Here's more.. Ruthie, nw mt US " 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. " http://www.horsekeeping.com/horse_behavior/cribbing_or_wood_chewing.htm The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
Re: wood chewing
This message is from: "Warren Stockwell" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> I have beavers in my barn! after trying I think every method. I found in a clients barn the answer to my chewing dilemma. They use chicken wire around the uprights wrapped tight and stapled on with no sharp edges. Along the ridges of stall doors and corners strappin for wall board corners. I think that's what it's called. It is the stuff they use to finish corners in houses with the sheet rock. It's thin metal and inexpensive and a quick install. Hasn't stopped them from grabbin at the stall doors and such but I'm not replacing the boards every year either : ) Roberta - Original Message - From: "Jeanne" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 4:45 PM Subject: wood chewing > This message is from: "Jeanne" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > Oh boy... talk about fjords chewing on wood. My three fjords, I swear, turn > into part beavers in the spring (seems like that's the favorite time of year > to chew) Why are they like that in just the Spring? Board, cold in spring > storms cuz their loosing winter coats, some sort of deficiency? I don't > know... but to stop them, we have tried painting wood with "chew stop" and > that doesn't even slow them down a little bit... in fact our one mare, > HayLee, even licks the stuff off the paint brush. :-| > > So, every summer we replace stall parts, chicken coop parts and posts. :-) > > Jeanne > - Berthoud, CO where our snow is beginning to melt and oh the mud now ! > > > -Original Message- > From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Beth Pulsifer > Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 2:03 PM > To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com > Subject: wood chewing and cribbing > > This message is from: "Beth Pulsifer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > "they eat bark and wood of trees which is > different from cribbing." > > I agree... My horses don't crib, in fact I've never had one that did, thank > > goodness. But most have chewed wood, fences, trees etc. > Beth > > The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: > http://tinyurl.com/rcepw > > The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: > http://tinyurl.com/rcepw The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
wood chewing
This message is from: "Jeanne" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Oh boy... talk about fjords chewing on wood. My three fjords, I swear, turn into part beavers in the spring (seems like that's the favorite time of year to chew) Why are they like that in just the Spring? Board, cold in spring storms cuz their loosing winter coats, some sort of deficiency? I don't know... but to stop them, we have tried painting wood with "chew stop" and that doesn't even slow them down a little bit... in fact our one mare, HayLee, even licks the stuff off the paint brush. :-| So, every summer we replace stall parts, chicken coop parts and posts. :-) Jeanne - Berthoud, CO where our snow is beginning to melt and oh the mud now ! -Original Message- From: [EMAIL PROTECTED] [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] On Behalf Of Beth Pulsifer Sent: Saturday, February 17, 2007 2:03 PM To: fjordhorse@angus.mystery.com Subject: wood chewing and cribbing This message is from: "Beth Pulsifer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> "they eat bark and wood of trees which is different from cribbing." I agree... My horses don't crib, in fact I've never had one that did, thank goodness. But most have chewed wood, fences, trees etc. Beth The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
wood chewing and cribbing
This message is from: "Beth Pulsifer" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> "they eat bark and wood of trees which is different from cribbing." I agree... My horses don't crib, in fact I've never had one that did, thank goodness. But most have chewed wood, fences, trees etc. Beth The FjordHorse List archives can be found at: http://tinyurl.com/rcepw
Re: gettin' the cows and wood chewing
This message is from: "Karen McCarthy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Bonnie, I checked out Maple (Acer) and Linden (Tilia) species on this site : http://www.ansci.cornell.edu/plants/index.html and there were no red flags raised...so keep tossing those branches ;~D It's funny, but my fjords are not wood eaters. They are out on very rough pasture allot of the time, and when brought in, they ignore the wood in the stalls and just loaf, but not the "regular" horses! We put old engine oil brushed on the wood they try to chew - probably just as toxic as creosote, but allot less $$! Yes, Bonnie, the fjordies & I get to play with the cows now and then. Dave now has about 30 head; 10 of them are yearlings, and they are here on the ranch where we live & caretake, the older ones are all mixed in w/ another larger herd on a ranch we lease for cattle & hay from the BLM, all together about 130 are over there. This Sat. am we get to go vaccinate, so that means getting to bring 'em in to the sorting area. My 5 y.o. mare Alycia (Sven x Thyri) isn't a cutting horse, (sorry, IMO fjords don't come close to what a good 'cowy' cutting horse can do, but she is fearless and will watch a cow, and can stay on 'em, hold 'em & push 'em w/ the best of them. Her little sister, Idelle (Sven x Tise ) is a little hotter (takes after her dam Tise) and she is skittish about cows. For some reason, she missed being in with them, and now she is 3 1/2 and acting up around them - time to put her in with the yearlings for some de-sensitizing! Karen McCarthy Great Basin Fjords Carson City, NV _ Get your FREE download of MSN Explorer at http://explorer.msn.com/intl.asp
gettin' the cows and wood chewing
This message is from: Bonnie Liermann <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Hi List: Wow Karen! I didn't know you got to "wrangle some cows" where you live. That sounds like such fun. Cold, but fun. My horses chew everything they can, including the plastic tops for T-posts. I painted the inside of their shelter with cresote and hung various toys (which they ignore). Hopefully the cresote will save my shelter this year. But I have allowed them onto my cement cowyard because it is so muddy and they have started on my barn and windows, so out in the mud they go again. I have left nice, slightly rotted wooden fenceposts out in hopes they will chew them. I believe they are cedar, but they ignore them. How frustrating. I will put some big branches out. Does anyone know if maple and linden are alright? bonnie in Wi
Re:climate/wood chewing
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] I grew up in Spokane, WA (won't mention years). Summers were magnificent and usually fell on a Tuesday. One of mine eats wood, too. She doesn't crib. She's just really smart and gets bored easily. I'm so glad I no longer have a wood barn. Spraying chile mixtures on it would help for a few weeks at a time. I was getting ready to tack chicken wire over it. Gail-Dorine
Re: Wood chewing here too
This message is from: "Jean Gayle" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sorry I am 47 emails behind, how did this happen. When I said wormed for bots I meant any wormer that kills bots. Ivermectin always is my choice. I rarely have wood chewing except around Oct,Nov and after worming it stops. Jean gayle Aberdeen Wa where we have SUNSHINE -Original Message- From: Rogillio's <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: 'Fjord Digest' <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Date: Wednesday, February 03, 1999 5:50 PM Subject: Wood chewing here too >This message is from: "Rogillio's" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > > "Jean Gayle" wrote: > >""Have you wormed for bots? Chewing is often a sign of worms migrating. For >chronic wood chewers I put a block of wood in that I choose for them."" > >We had an ice storm before Christmas that damaged a lot of the trees, many limbs fell. It's not been dry (rains EVERY week-end) enough to burn them. I noticed that both horses, but predominantly Tyr were stripping the bark off these fallen branches. It appears that they're working on tree trunks now. > >If indeed they are chewing because of worms migrating, may I ask what you meant when you said 'wormed for bots'. Are you referring to a specific wormer? A double dose? Wormed again in a short period of time, like a week? They are due to be wormed again, but the chewing started mid-cycle. > >I'd fence them off from the trees and branches, but we have literally hundreds of trees on our property, no way to put them out of bounds and still have a hope of grass growing. > >Thanks, >Casey
Re: Wood chewing here too
This message is from: Jean Ernest <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> We don't have bots up here in Interior Alaska, and yet most horses chew wood. Mine start chewing especially when the snow first falls, when they are bored, etc. I cut green aspen saplings for them to work on, they will chew the bark and underlying layers off. I originally had big spruce trees in the paddock and thought the horses couldn't hurt them, but they dug up the roots and chewed the succulent bark off them, and that and the soil compaction, manure, etc. killed the trees. The chewing seems to calm down when I add Calf Manna to their diet. I think it is the calcium and MAGNESIUM, esp. as I have heard of others just adding a calcium-magnesium supplement which slowed down the chewing. BTW, bots require worming with an Ivermectin product I believe, the other types won't touch them. Jean and Four Fat Frosty Fuzzy Fjords in Frozen Fairbanks, Alaska where it warmed up to a balmy, sunny -40F today! > "Jean Gayle" wrote: > >""Have you wormed for bots? Chewing is often a sign of worms migrating. For >chronic wood chewers I put a block of wood in that I choose for them."" > >We had an ice storm before Christmas that damaged a lot of the trees, many limbs fell. >If indeed they are chewing because of worms migrating, may I ask what you meant when you said 'wormed for bots'. Are you referring to a specific wormer? Jean Ernest Fairbanks, Alaska [EMAIL PROTECTED]
Wood chewing here too
This message is from: "Rogillio's" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> "Jean Gayle" wrote: ""Have you wormed for bots? Chewing is often a sign of worms migrating. For chronic wood chewers I put a block of wood in that I choose for them."" We had an ice storm before Christmas that damaged a lot of the trees, many limbs fell. It's not been dry (rains EVERY week-end) enough to burn them. I noticed that both horses, but predominantly Tyr were stripping the bark off these fallen branches. It appears that they're working on tree trunks now. If indeed they are chewing because of worms migrating, may I ask what you meant when you said 'wormed for bots'. Are you referring to a specific wormer? A double dose? Wormed again in a short period of time, like a week? They are due to be wormed again, but the chewing started mid-cycle. I'd fence them off from the trees and branches, but we have literally hundreds of trees on our property, no way to put them out of bounds and still have a hope of grass growing. Thanks, Casey
re: wood chewing
This message is from: [EMAIL PROTECTED] (BRIAN C JACOBSEN) Dave McWethy asked, "Shouldn't pressure treated wood be avoided where a horse might chew on it? Dave, You're definitely right. For anyone that isn't aware, pressure treated wood is actually chemically treated wood with pressure used to force the chemicals into the wood. When you get the information on the chemicals that are used, there are warnings for people not to handle treated wood without gloves, and not to breathe the smoke if treated wood is ever being burned. Now I don't know anybody who always wears gloves when they handle treated fence posts, etc, but it wouldn't be a bad idea. There are also warnings not to use treated wood for a food preparation or food serving area, and not to allow animals to chew on treated wood. Having said all that, I have not yet heard of an animal that was sick from chewing on the stuff, but I don't think I'd like to take a chance on my horses being the first ones. For anyone who might not be familiar with "treated" posts or boards, they are the greenish-colored ones and are supposed to last for around 30 years depending on how wet your area is. They are good for fencing - just keep your horses from eating them. Brian Jacobsen, DVM Norwegian Fjordhest Ranch Salisbury, North Carolina ___ You don't need to buy Internet access to use free Internet e-mail. Get completely free e-mail from Juno at http://www.juno.com/getjuno.html or call Juno at (800) 654-JUNO [654-5866]
wood chewing
This message is from: "Dave McWethy" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Brian, I got in on this wood chewing string late, as I have been away a few days. I wanted to mention that I remember from years ago at the stables in Newburgh NY where horses are imported to and where they stay for quarantine, that the stalls were made of pressure treated lumber, and were well chewed. At the time it seemed to me wrong that pressure treated lumber was used, particularly in a facility which was established for the purpose of health of horses. Shouldn't pressure treated wood be avoided where a horse might chew on it?
Re: wood chewing...
This message is from: Mary Thurman <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> As Ingrid put it, it seems Fjords get bored easily and begin to chew on things. After having tried all the "sure fire" no chew methods - from deisel oil to hot sauce - and finding they eventually ignore them all if they are really bored, I mentioned the problem to a friend who is a horse trainer. He gets horses with all kinds of bad habits and I wondered what he used for wood chewing. Very simple. Rub all the wood surfaces in the horse's stall with a bar of Ivory soap. Sounded good, but would it work? (Ever have your mouth washed out with soap as a child?) It works, and they don't seem to become "imune" to it. I use it when I first notice a horse chewing, they usually stop, and I don't need to use it again for a long time. Sometimes they forget, so I soap things up again and that's the end of it. It doesn't seem to hurt them. I don't think they really eat very much before they decide it isn't to eat. If anyone else tries, or has tried this, please let me know how it works for you. Mary - == Mary Thurman Raintree Farms [EMAIL PROTECTED] _ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com
wood chewing...
This message is from: Ingrid Ivic <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> > But I > see others of you already heading out the back door for the garden > gleefully but semi-coherently, with a slightly glazed look to your eye > and spittle coming out the corners of your mouth, snickering over and > over "so, you want to chew on wood do you?!" > > Brian Jacobsen, DVM : ^ ) > Norwegian Fjordhest Ranch > Salisbury, North Carolina > Oh Brian...that was me! Lovely description by the way.*BIG GRIN*Seriously though, I was wondering when someone was going to mention how bad it is for horses to chew wood. Since ours are turned out nearly all the time, I haven't come across too much of a problem...just those occaisional times they need to be kept in when they drive me batty! I have found the "Louisiana Hot Sauce" works well for a short time...then for some reason, they ignore it. Of all the breeds I've seen so far, these little fjords are the worst for chewing wood. Could it be they are so intelligent, they get bored much quicker? I think so...the little darlins...Aaarrr! Ingrid ;o)
