Horse Eating Bedding

[windynook]

How can I stop my horse eating all her bedding ?

She is bedded on straw and is eating it all, I have two horses they are both on the same straw but only one is eating it.

I know you can but something on it but cant remember what, as I would normally have them on shavings.

[Kathy@watten]

Jeyes fluid diluted and lightly sprinkled usually stops bed munchers. An additional lick or toy can also help boredom eaters, mind you some horses are so habitually greedy they will scoff everything regardless!

[porshiepoo]

Is it Barley straw? Doesn't always make a difference but our horses always, always, always stuffed themselves if they were bedded on Barley straw.

What you also have to take into account is that horses are natural grazers. If their overnight hay runs out then they'll often resort to eating their bedding, it's not necessarily greed or even boredom, it's simply what horses do instinctively.
I was always told that eating straw can cause colic but I can honestly say I never came across that scenario once, and I was always of the thought that preventing instinctive eating could do more psychological damage than allowing it. I'd much rather have to buy more bedding than deal with a horse that has developed crib biting or wind sucking.

As Kathy has already pointed out, there are many boredom breakers available for horses now, they could be worth a try if indeed boredom is a factor.
If weight gain is going to be a factor though I'd seriously think about getting the shavings back out.

[Ricanna]

I bought a product called Biofresh which was for freshening up deep litter straw bedding but had the unexpected dual function of putting them off eating it. Tried to find the website just now but couldn't find/link broken which didn't sound too good for it being still in business but then my computer takes funny turns. I bought a big bottle so still using it but if you can access it I found it works for me

[Leanne]

Mine are on barley straw and love to eat it. As long as they are used to it then it is unlikely to cause colic. However eating a whole fresh bed would (as my girl did :roll:). I have given up on full straw and now use shredded paper with a straw base. The way I am looking at it is it is better for them to be picking slowly at straw than sitting with an empty belly and wolfing a new net come morning - it's the empty/fast fill that causes colic.

If I am not going to be able to get a lunch net in I tend to mix the hay now 50:50 with straw as it lasts them longer. As long as there is no whole straw in the poo then it is being digested properly and isn't likely to cause them problems...