Why do horses chew their stalls?

( I apologize for missing a few days. I didn't have time to queue posts before leaving for a convention).

Sometimes if you look at a stable, you'll see clear evidence that a horse has been chewing the wood of their door, wall, manger, etc. Why do horses do this?

One reason is boredom. The other reason is not getting enough fiber in their diet - horses need a lot of fiber. Sometimes a horse will get in the habit of chewing wood and never break it. This is often seen with horses that have been malnourished in the past. A change of diet can solve the problem, but sometimes the only solution is to cover all the exposed wood surfaces the horse can chew on with rubber or metal.

What is "wisping" a horse?

Natural horsemanship professionals swear by various kinds of massage - but old school horsemen have been doing it for years.

It's called 'Wisping' - and you make a massage pad out of a rope of hay, and bring it down with some force on the horse's major muscles. Traditionally, it was supposed to help tone a horse's muscles, but it's now known that it actually helps the horse relax and when done after work reduces muscle stress. Unfortunately, not many people know how to make a wisp any more.

Why do horses paw the ground?

You often see this in the movies (where the horse has been trained to do it on cue). Why does a horse paw the ground?

There are several reasons:

1. The horse wants to roll. Horses that are going to roll will often test the ground they intend to roll on by pawing at it first.

2. Begging or food seeking behavior. Begging in domestic horses often consists of holding a foreleg up partly folded, but some horses may paw to beg.

3. The horse is overly excited or frustrated - you might see racehorses paw at the start line, some show horses paw when it's close to their turn to go in. A horse that wants to run and is prevented from doing so by his rider may paw. Alternatively, nervous horses may paw or stomp the ground.

4. The horse is bored - this is why horses in lessons might paw when waiting a long time for their turn, or a stalled horse may paw for want of anything better to do.

Pawing at water is a slightly different thing. Some horses just love to play in water and I've witnessed horses paw at water more on a hot day, so they may be trying to cool off. However, some horses will also roll in water, so be careful.

Do horses naturally jump?

Yes and no. Horses are born with the ability to jump - in the wild, if they're running, they need to be able to get past/over obstacles. While they'd prefer to go around, and will generally step rather than jump if they can, they certainly can and will jump in the wild.

However, they do have to be taught how to jump carrying a rider. And not all horses "naturally" enjoy jumping - in fact, a horse that really enjoys jumping is probably the end result of selectively breeding horses that enjoy it. (Some horses seem to think it's a great game, and others would rather do something else).

What is a half halt?

...and how can you only half stop. That's what halt means, right?

A half halt is when you slow a horse until he almost stops then send him forward again. It's done to either rebalance a horse who's struggling to properly compensate for the rider, or to get a horse's attention if it's wandering (they do start to daydream sometimes).

Can horses get dandruff?

Yup. Dandruff is most often seen in the mane and/or tail, but can spread over the entire body. It's caused by all kinds of things - allergies, dehydration, hormonal changes, stress, mites, or just, you know, a genetic propensity to a dry skin. It's sometimes seen in show horses that are bathed too often.

It's treated by adding fat to the diet - usually in the form of corn oil or flax seeds. Extra grooming can also help. And, of course, you can use an anti-dandruff shampoo (not a human shampoo, the PH is different, and using human shampoo on horses can in fact cause dandruff). Some people also use vaseline or mineral oil to moisturize the horse's skin, and there are various lotions made for this annoying little problem.

What is "tucked up"?

A tucked up horse is one who's flanks have collapsed inward. This results in an appearance somewhat like a greyhound (except it's normal for the greyhound). It's more obvious in Thoroughbreds, which tend to have a bit of a narrow stomach at the best of times.

Being tucked up can be a reaction to pain, especially in the digestive system. It can also be caused by malnutrition, especially insufficient fibre. A tucked up appearance after work is often a sign of dehydration - meaning the horse needs fluids and possibly electrolytes quickly.

This racehorse being cooled down is showing a bit of a tucked up appearance - it was an extremely hot day and us humans in the stands needed extra water, let alone the horses!