Miracle Collar -- Feeling Guilty

My OTTB cribs "lightly" if there is such a thing. He tends to do it more while eating. Out in a paddock he tends not to do it at all, and if there is grass he doesnt even think of cribbing. But after our recent colic scare, my trainer said we need to try a collar since he may have gastric issues. We got the miracle collar and put him on "neigh-lox" and the difference in my horse is stunning after only 10 days. He has finally gained weight easily, he finishes ALL his hay for the first time, and his gurgling stomach is quiet. His manure is better formed and more regular. All good.

However, I feel SO bad that he is wearing this tight collar! He seems to move, eat, etc normally, it just looks mean to me.

Should I just get over it and consider it the lesser of two evils?

I may be the wrong person to read this....I had one who was the same way. Only cribbed when he ate, and rarely when outside. (typically only when waiting to come in). He wore a miracle collar in his stall......until one day he stretched as he came out-and passed out. Literally fell out on the conctrete floor, scaring everyone around and injuring himself. After numerous tests, etc, and rest from the injuries he recieved from this.....I had an internist out from the large group in Mont. Co Md.......she could find nothing wrong with the horse at all-then I told her he wore a collar....that was all she needed to hear. Apparently it is more common than we know-they move funny and cut off the blood supply to their brain and pass out. He never wore the collar again.
I know there are plenty out there who wear them and fine-but that was enough for me. (and I no longer have him, so have NO idea whether he wears one now.....they are aware of the issue).

My quarter horse has to wear a cribbing collar. After a $140.00 chiropractic bill to realign his neck due to the cribbing, it wasn't something I wanted to repeat. The chiropractor said that if he continued cribbing, he'd be out every month to fix his neck. I was given the suggestion of feeding him amaferm and he's been on it for 3 weeks. He seems to be doing a bit better but not enough to show that he doesn't need his collar anymore. He doesn't wear it when he's outside grazing so he gets a break from it for long periods of time everyday so the guilt I have is very minimal.

Frank, your situation, while frightening, sounds more like a too-tight collar than the collar itself.

OP, what struck me is you said his once gurgling stomach is now quiet. A horse's stomach is SUPPOSED to gurgle. No noise is bad news. If all this is coming from your trainer, I would look into talking to a vet about it.

I would say the collar is the lesser of two evils. I used to own a "light" cribber also (only did it if he had to stand in a stall without any hay) and I had him wear the miracle collar for two reasons. First, he had the same colicky stomach issue and, second, if allowed to crib unchecked they will grind their teeth down to nothing. Sure, there are horses who can crib off of crossties and find other ways to satiate their need, but a collar can help ward off some scary issues.

They make fleecy stuff that you can cut and apply to it so it doesn't rub their hair off, but it makes them look a little bit like Jane Fonda! I also know a lady who thinks the collar is mean so she keeps a grazing mask on her mare to keep her from cribbing, but personally when I hear that poor mare clanking around and looking like Hannibal Lecter I think the collar is significantly less cruel. Also, just be careful not to make it too tight. I always preferred the miracle collar with the leather part than the collars with the metal pinching mechanism.

Riccilove-seriously don't think so. Horse had been wearing it in his stall for a few months, on the same notch, and it happened when he stretched his neck as he exited his stall. Just going by what the vet said.......I can say I will never own a cribber again.....:(

I would have to say that the collar is the lesser of 2 evils. Sure, it poses its own set of risks but since he is already healthier, that would be a big issue for me. From the sound of it, I wonder if maybe he is a windsucker. That usually causes more gastrointestinal issues that just cribbing.

Anyway, if it works, use it. Just be aware of the risks associated with it and be prepared for whatever may come up.

His immediate improvement in several ways makes me think its the lesser of two evils also. Honestly, it doesnt bother me when he does it. Its for him that we are trying the collar. When I adopted him from the racetrack (where he was about to go to the slaughterhouse) I saw he had one of the collars with the metal piece when I visited him the first time. All the hair in that area was gone. I do have the fuzzy fleece pieces on his collar. He certainly doesnt struggle to do anything with it on. He eats, drinks, plays, whinnies, etc as normal. When I crosstie him to groom I take it off, and it stays off until after his workout, his bath, his grazing time. It goes back on when he goes to bed so he doesnt crib all night

I am hearing there is surgery for this too. I am quite sure it is very expensive and maybe very risky.

He is just working so well and is such a good boy. I don't like how he swishes his tail when we put the collar on!