Feeding hay out of a bag and making your horse nibble through safe rails will slow down her meal, so she’s less inclined to chew wood.

It’s not unusual for horses with too much free time on their hands to start chewing wood. This does not mean the horse has deficiencies, assures Dr. Eleanor Kellon. However, it can wreak havoc with your fences, pillars and posts, not to mention your horse’s digestive tract.

Overweight horses often have abnormally large appetites. If you’ve recently implemented a weight loss program (as outlined in “Lean Cuisine: Did Someone Say Diet?” Perfect Horse, April 2006), your horse is probably getting plenty to eat. Yet he is likely undergoing an appetite readjustment. As his weight normalizes, his cravings should decrease.

In the meantime, to combat wood-chewing, here are a few simple strategies:

Feed the horse on a strict schedule. Late feedings only make the horse fret more.

Feed hay from a net/bag or feeder with slots. This slows how quickly the horse can eat. Hay nets or bags can be hung on the other side of the fence and carefully secured there to prevent any danger of the horse putting a leg into them.

If necessary, soak hay before feeding to leach out simple sugars. This reduces the calorie content of the hay, allowing you to feed more.

Muzzle the horse between feedings.

Increase your horse’s exercise to increase his metabolism, decrease his appetite and make it easier for him to relax between meals.

Farnam Giving Away Diamonds
Sixty years ago, Farnam was a diamond in the rough—a name that was introduced as a small, mail-order operation in the Midwest. Today, the company is the largest marketer of equine health care and nutrition products in the United States, with more than 150 products.

To celebrate its diamond anniversary, Farnam is holding a Customer Appreciation Sweepstakes. The company will be giving away five pairs of diamond stud earrings, five diamond bracelets, four diamond horseshoe pendants, and two specially designed diamond eternity circles surrounding a silhouette of a horse. Drawings will be held on May 31, July 31, September 29 and November 30. No purchase is necessary to participate. Sweepstakes entry forms and rules can be obtained online at www.farnamhorse.com. Farnam dealers also have Anniversary Coupon Books, which contain the entry form and $60 in savings.