Goncalo Alves used for interior of horse stalls

[backinthesaddle2006]

Does anyone know if this wood is toxic to horses? I would like to use it for the interior of my barn including the stalls. I plan on having

2" thick wood planed and either joined or T&G added so the boards will be flush. Metal channels will be on all edges so they can't chew the wood.

In case you're wondering, I found this wood at a local store. It dried too fast and has some checking. They want to get rid of it because while it still has some nice stripes, it's not as heavily striped as they want. That, in addition to the checking (that can be planed out) it's cheaper than pine.

SO.. will my horse get sick if he licks this wood?

[Swingman]

Call your local county extension agent, or an equine veterinarian.

[Lowell Holmes]

I don't know about Goncalo Alves, but during a visit to a local sawmill, I was told that horses will not crib on red oak. I had a cribbing horse and if I had known this, it would have saved me a lot of anxiety and expense.

If you buy the red oak rough from a mill, using inferior grades suitable for stalls and corrals, it isn't that expensive. When your dealing with $1,200 to $12,000 animals, it is worth the consideration.

I've never had one of the expensive horses, but if you add the vet bills, they got expensive. My buckskin quarter horse was really registered as APHA (American Pet Horse Association). They are the most expensive kind of horse, sort of like my Black Lab, :-)

[Swingman]

A horse with a really bad habit of cribbing will/can crib in mid-air, with _nothing_ to bite on.

[Tom Watson]

The last time I built box stalls for my mother's horses I got a mixed load of 8/4 red and white (green and rough).

It didn't seem to make a bit of difference to the resident cribber which got chewed on.

I got out the brake and bent up some caps out of some galvie sheet stock.

Sumbitch chewed that too.

There's no curing stall walkers and cribbers, I guess.

(ps - never buy anything that eats.)

Regards,

Tom Watson

tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)

[Swingman]

Not really, IME. There is a collar with a hinged device that goes under the neck. When the horse tightens his neck muscles to suck in, it pinches the hell out of the windpipe ... still only marginally successful.

[Jim Behning]

That collar did not work. Next idea. Well actually not. Cribbing is supposed to releae some endophine I think. Kind of hard to stop pleasure.

[Tom Watson]

We could insist that horses get married.

That usually stops it.

Regards,

Tom Watson

tjwatson1ATcomcastDOTnet (real email)

[Lowell Holmes]

The collar didn't work for me either.

[Lowell Holmes]

a story like that. :-)

[Henry St.Pierre]

"Lowell Holmes" wrote in news:vke_g.55$073.36@trnddc01:

Can't help myself. Do you still crib or stall walk? Bear in mind that I don't have the foggiest idea what cribbing and stall walking is. Hank

[Swingman]

"Lowell Holmes"

You're supposed to put it on the horse.

[J T]

Fri, Oct 20, 2006, 6:12pm [e-mail] (Tom=A0Watson) doth claimeth: There's no curing stall walkers and cribbers, I guess.

Well sure, if you've got a negative attitude. Think positive. Eat the damn thing.

JOAT It's not hard, if you get your mind right.

- Granny Weatherwax

[Lowell Holmes]

A cribbing horse is one that chews on the wood in a stall or fence at a detriment to itself. Once the habit is formed, it can't be stopped. You can tell a horse that cribs by a thickened neck and possibly by wear on their teeth.

In a horse lover's family, a horse will rank in line right after the family's children often ahead of the dog's in the family. It seems that most horse owners also have dogs and cats. Most horse owners even like Republicans. :-)

[Swingman]

A horse can chew on wood without being a cribber. Cribbing is much worse as it involves grabbing onto something (usually wood, but can be the edge of a bucket or plastic feed bin) with the upper front teeth, flexing the neck muscles and larynx, and gulping air.

What we called "wind suckers" do the same thing with the same effect, but don't need something to grab onto.

[Swingman]

Just for clarification as the above be ambiguous/read wrong ... I was agreeing that there is usually "no cure".

[backinthesaddle2006]

My horses don't crib and it was going to be put into steel channels so there won't be a place to chew directly on the wood.

I was mainly worried about them licking it.

btw... I went and picked up a board of this wood today. It's beautiful, BUT, it has deep checks in it. It doesn't seem to hurt the strength, but should I be concerned aobut the deep checks going all the way through over time?

The other question is how much will it cost me to get Tongue and Grooves put into these boards? I need it to be dimensioned and T&G and maybe planed.

[Henry St.Pierre]

"Lowell Holmes" wrote in news:EHo_g.1602$hK.680@trnddc02:

Thanks for the info. I haven't been around horses to any degree. I remember riding one (or bouncing along on top of one) at a stable about

50 yrs ago. What is stall walking?