Itchy little sucker

Jessey

Well-Known Member
Dec 20, 2004
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Suffolk, UK
Dan loves to itch, he's just a fat furry little pony and enjoys a good scratch. But I am less impressed that his new favorite place is on the legs of the shelter, on one he's dug the dirt down several inches getting sufficient purchase!

He's got trees to itch on, and a sand pit to roll in but I need to stop him rubbing on the shelter, any suggestions of how? I really don't want to have to electrify the whole thing!1718EC7D-80A8-4AA6-AF27-0ABDC75281C3.jpeg
I thought about putting a couple of old tyres around the bottom (figured if he can't get his legs close he can't rub) but am concerned certain other equids will stick their feet in the gap between tyre and post!
 
Oooh Dan! Chloe too loves a good scratch and like yours has access to many things to rub / scratch on, but still will often be found either helping herself to leg scratches against a full wheel barrow - thus tipping it over onto the yard, or rubbing against the bottom rail on our post and rail fencing down the side of the garage, so much so that she snapped one length! Eeek. Sorry no ideas on stopping himo_O
 
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I would be putting tyres round it to a certain height and filling them with concrete to keep them there and discourage him from scratching
 
I would be putting tyres round it to a certain height and filling them with concrete to keep them there and discourage him from scratching
If they’re filled with anything solid he’d still effectively be rubbing on the posts tho. Perhaps I could make some kind of lid for them tho…..🤔
 
I know you dont want to electrify it. But me thinks a temporary electric wire round the post at bottom height might be enough. Some screw in insulators to keep wire off the post. You could use leadout cable through the roof and run it down each individual post and then join up to poly wire round each post. A few jolts as he backs up to it might cure him. Leave it up and if whilst your up there you catch him in the act. Liven it. Even if its rigged up in such a way you can liven by clipping on a crocodile clip to the live fence if near enough.

When we had the goats we had to rig up an electric wire across the window as one persistent so an so kept jumping up causing issues. It stopped her.

The rams also like head butting gates and the gate posts. So i have to wire them all. But there not always on.
 
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