Discourage Foals from Chewing Mare’s Tail

Broodmares put up with a lot from their frisky foals! One foal behavior that also annoys owners is when the youngsters decide that it’s fun to chew on mom’s tail. Once one foal starts, some horsemen swear the behavior is copied by other foals, and pretty soon the pasture is full of stubby-tailed mares that not only look odd but are also tormented by flies they can’t swish away.

Several commercial products claim to help in discouraging foals from chewing on tails. If these products aren’t effective or you want to try a home remedy, some horse owners swear by mixing petroleum jelly with dry mustard, black or cayenne pepper, or alum and working the mixture into the mare’s tail hairs. All these products are available in the spice section of grocery stores, and at moderate strengths, they won’t hurt the foal if he takes a taste.

You may need to experiment with how to put the mixture together, as there are no hard and fast guidelines as to how much powdered substance should be added to a handful of jelly. If you can smell the mustard or pepper, that’s probably enough. In any case, be sure not to get any of the treated jelly on the sensitive skin under the mare’s tail, and watch her hind legs for signs of irritation.