Franklin Levinson's
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My horse eats 'tails.'
Hi Franklin,
I have a 23 month old gelding who eats tails. He did it when he was with his
mother, but we thought he would grow out of it. He didn't leave his mother until I
bought him at 8 months, could that have anything to do with it? He usually only does
it to horses that are below him but has now started getting chunks of every horse in
the field even those above him. What are some ways that I could get him to stop?
Thanks, Lindsay
Hi Lindsay,
Tail eating/chewing can be a somewhat difficult behavior to undo. I know folks who have tried wrapping the tails of other horses in the pasture. But the wraps come undone fairly easily unless really secured with tape. Some have tried putting a very unpleasant tasting substance on the other horse's tails (cayenne pepper solution in a spray).
The mare permitted this to happen and thus the foal got the message it was OK to
do it. I doubt if it had anything to do with when the foal was weaned. Most mares
won't allow it from their foals. I suggest the pepper spray as it shouldn't hurt the
tails and won't hurt the gelding trying to chew them. Please keep me posted as this
is not uncommon and I would love to hear if the pepper spray works for you. Good
Luck.....
Sincerely, Franklin