Instructions
Check for dietary deficiencies in your horse. Dietary problems are the most common cause of fence chewers. Ensure that your fence chewer is getting a balanced diet.
Break the boredom by improving exercise or providing distractions. If he's alone in the pasture, try getting him a pasture-mate. If he's in with other horses and still chewing, provide a Jolly Ball or some other equine-approved toy, which may deter him.
Feed your horse smaller portions more frequently. Spread smaller quantities of hay at periodic intervals (three or more) throughout the day to keep him chewing more often on something that's good for him, rather than on the fence. Additionally, try adding a salt and mineral block to the field, which the horse might enjoy eating instead of the fence.
Apply a commercial, preapproved liquid solution, following the directions specific to that solution. Reapply as directed.
Apply soap to the fence. Check with a vet for types of soap that will not harm the horse if ingested. Reapply approximately twice a month or after each rain.
Run a strand of electric wire along each piece of accessible fence and electrify the fence.
How to Keep Horses From Eating Fences
Fence eating, like any other bad habit in horses, is difficult to stop. One can spend hundreds of dollars buying products to attempt to do so. Top all this off with the knowledge that as your horse eats the fence, splinters and small pieces of wood are finding their way down into the horse's intestines, potentially causing irritation or digestive problems--issues that lead to colic. Fortunately, you can stop a horse from eating fences with a little effort and without spending excessive sums of money.