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Cribbing!!???

7K views 28 replies 18 participants last post by  loosie 
#1 ·
How many of you have or know horses that crib?
Are you annoyed by it?
Any health issues?
Does it affect your day to day life, and/or your horses?

Thanks
 
#2 ·
I have a cribber. I know that there are three or four other cribbers at my barn, and I've known two other horses at previous barns that I've ridden at that crib.

I personally am annoyed by my horse cribbing, because I know its bad for him! lol He is a little skinny, but I think thats lack of food/muscle. His teeth are getting crooked but he doesn't drop food, so I'm not super-duper worried.

I don't think it our affects our riding or our life together, he doesn't try to stop on a fence line to crib or anything like that. Mostly its just stressful because I think its an ugly habit and I want him to stop!
 
#3 ·
I have a cribber. I know that there are three or four other cribbers at my barn, and I've known two other horses at previous barns that I've ridden at that crib.

I personally am annoyed by my horse cribbing, because I know its bad for him! lol He is a little skinny, but I think thats lack of food/muscle. His teeth are getting crooked but he doesn't drop food, so I'm not super-duper worried.

I don't think it our affects our riding or our life together, he doesn't try to stop on a fence line to crib or anything like that. Mostly its just stressful because I think its an ugly habit and I want him to stop!
Oh okay, thats good it isnt affecting his health :) The reason I was wondering, is because I am interested in buying a horse that cribs.. Like almost half the horses in the world do it :P
I just wanted to see how many people have horses that crib.
Is there any way to stop them? besides the collar?
Like, if they arent bored, will they stop? xD
 
#4 ·
It depends on the horse, really. I know collars aren't effective with my boy, he's pretty dedicated, lol. At his previous home, they had hotwire on the tops of their fences and around the trees, so that kept him out of the habit for awhile.

I have heard that if you keep a horse nice and tired, they don't crib. Usually when I put my horse back after a good workout, he cribs as soon as he gets in the stall, so whether my boy isn't tired enough, or that statement is false, I couldn't tell you. You can try a variety of things, hanging a hay bag so their hay lasts longer and they're distracted, their are plenty of coatings that taste nasty that you can paint on your stall doors and your fence boards. You can also use something like tobasco sauce or unscented bar soap.

I have a thread going about suggestions on what to do since I think Ice has ulcers....one of the signs of those is cribbing. Make sure he doesn't have any gastric problems or things like that also.
 
#5 ·
I used to have a cribber...but he doesn't crib anymore :) I got him knowing he was a cribber but I refused to put the collar on him. I hate collars, they only mask the actual problem and they are just horrible things.

Cribbing is not a vice, it's a health issue. It's caused by digestive upset, usually by ulcers. What really helps is making sure the horse has constant access to forage...if he can't be out on pasture all the time, he needs hay at all times. If not, excess acid will build up in his stomach, irritating the stomach lining. Cribbing is the horse attempting to 'burp.' Humans can burp to release pressure, but horses can't, so that's why they crib.

The myth with cribbing is that other horses can pick up the 'habit' just from being around it, but that is not true. Cribbing is a health issue, not a vice like I stated.

What I did with my horse is 1) turned him out on pasture 24/7 with access to free choice hay, 2) treated him with a cribbing supplement from FeedMark to see if that alone would cure it, 3) since the supplement didn't rid the cribbing altogether, I treated him for 72 days with U-Guard 2X ulcer powder (I couldn't afford GastroGuard). Now he doesn't crib :) I've also made sure he gets plenty of exercise, low stress and just make sure everything in his life is balanced.
 
#6 ·
I grew up around a barn with two bad/chronic cribbers. they were downright mean, so I suspect they did have some health issues that lead to crabby behavior. If your treating the problem i see no reason not to put a collar on them... especially if your horse is destroying someone elses property (ie you are boarding.) If I boarded horses, I would require all cribbers wear a strap if it helped, because I dont want to be replacing fences and stall doors all the time. Do you have proof that every single horse that cribs has health issues? I believe a majority of them do but IDK about all of them. Ive seen horses with constant forage access that still crib.
 
#7 ·
We have a horse that is a cribber. Its a very bad issue that can result in health issues such as weight-loss, crooked teeth, ulsers, and crankiness. All they want to do is crib. Its a drug to them It starts out as being bored, then it turns into a habit, then an addiction. I'd get a cribbing collar ASAP.
 
#8 ·
my new rescue is a cribber and i found these links, that help alot.

http://www.ultimatehorsesite.com/info/cribbing.html
Natural Supports for Ulcers, Cribbing & Wind-Sucking


(cribbing prevention things)
Health & First Aid - Cribbing Prevention

Hope this helps xoxo.

I do agree with SpiritHorse on this, except for the collar, in a sense.
if you need to get a collar than get it and see if it helps, but you should have him on supplements and lots of forage for him,

I completely disagree with cribbing makes a horse crabby,
 
#10 ·
Cribbing comes about due to stress of unnatural, unhealthy management practices, such as keeping a horse stabled a lot, solitary confinement, boredom, etc. Particularly due to unhealthy feeding, such as infrequent(less than 3-4 times daily) rich & or large meals, and lack of forage/fibre, as in free choice hay/grazing. It is an obsessive compulsive coping behaviour, which is thought to be self-reinforcing because it produces endorphines that may reduce the horse's stress/pain.

In a study done a number of years ago on Australian racehorses, a huge percentage were found to have stomach ulcers, and the vast majority were cribbers, so I think the jury's still out on mental stress being a possible cause, but the physical causes have definitely been proven.

It is an annoying 'habit' that can be virtually unbreakable in many horses, even once the diet & management have been rectified. Horses can damage timber fences, doors and their teeth in the process. I'm pretty sure that it's now been proven that horses don't learn the 'habit' from eachother. Therefore, if a number of horses at the same barn develop the habit for eg. then it's pretty obvious the management practices aren't healthy for the horses there.

While it has been linked to weightloss & colic, it seems that it is a *symptom* of the problems that cause the prob, not the cause of it. Eg. stomach ulcers & unhealthy feeding practices lead to weight loss, colic and cribbing or windsucking.

I wouldn't be worried about acquiring a cribber, so long as I had a decent *healthy* environment to keep him - eg. 24/7 turnout with other horse(s) and free choice hay/grazing(well, I wouldn't take on any horse without those requirements). I would treat him for ulcers, if I thought it was probable, preferrably avoid, replace or minimise the amount of timber fence posts or rails, & paint them with 'cribbox' or such as a deterrant. Then I would pretty much forget about the problem.
 
#11 ·
Wow this got alot of replies! :] Thanks everyone!

I talked to the owners, and she said he only does it when he is confined somewhere and is really bored. A collar stops him from doing it though.

I am really tired atm, but I will read it again tommorow incase I missed something :)

Thanks for the links TwisterRush! xD
 
#12 ·
My ottb cribs, from what I have seen cribbing and weaving are pretty common in them. Thankfully he only does it when stalled, so we just leave him out, and the weather has not been bad enough to feel the need to stall him. Not sure what we are going to do when it starts to get really cold, probably just blanket him and leave him be.
 
#19 ·
and the weather has not been bad enough to feel the need to stall him. Not sure what we are going to do when it starts to get really cold, probably just blanket him and leave him be.
I think the way you wrote that first bit is so right.... it is the owner who feels the need to stall a horse generally. A horse, being a horse, is capable, & generally happier staying out in most weather. If the horse has a run-in or open stable or other shelter, they can put themselves 'away' on the occasions they want to.

Regarding rugging, I'm by no means 'against' it. There are horses who are unacclimatised going into winter, have no other shelter, don't grow a good coat, etc, etc, who may need them. But there are some problems with it to be aware of. If a horse is rugged long term - say for weeks or more at a time over winter, the muscles under the skin that control the lay of the hair can atrophy & then the horse has less ability to control his temperature - hot or cold - without the rug. This effect is worse the heavier the rugs. Over rugging can also prevent or reduce the ability of the horse growing a nice winter coat. Leaving horses rugged long term can cause skin irritations. If the horse is too hot & therefore sweats, this can exacerbate skin irritations & create a wonderful environement for infections such as 'rainscald'(not to mention when hot, rugged horses roll in a dam!). Not to mention if a horse is too hot & stuck in a rug, it acts like a sauna suit. They also prevent a horse from acclimatising to their environment.

Given the above, if your horse is healthy, has some shelter and the weather gradually gets colder, to allow the horse to get used to it, I'd be inclined to leave the horse unrugged. If he is shivering or seems too cold, is losing weight, there is unseasonably cold weather, I'd rug him with a lightweight rug. If for whatever reason you think he's best left rugged, I'd use a light rug, ensure it is removed at least once a day for an hour or so, for grooming & a break from pressure on the muscles. I'd also ensure I could remove the rug on any warmer days, to ensure the horse doesn't overheat & sweat. If I wasn't in a position to remove the rug on at least most days, and get it off in warmer weather, then I'd consider leaving the horse unrugged & providing better shelter, more hay etc, may be a better alternative.

....& back to the original subject
do cribbers turn into windsuckers
Often the terms are used interchangably, but some horses don't suck air in when they 'crib'. As far as I know, most horses in this predicament suck air, but it seems they either just do or they don't. Especially if you remove the source of stress from the horse in question, he's not likely to learn to windsuck if he was 'only' cribbing. Woodchewing may be different though, may be due to the same stress & stereotypic behaviour, but esp if it's eating tree bark & the likes, may be just a nutrient deficiency.
 
#13 ·
:) I am really excited! I am convinced on him... but its just my mom i need to convince.. she thinks cribbing is major bad, and never to get a horse that does it.
 
#14 ·
If not controlled, it can be a little trying.....but obviously you're going to do everything in your power to control it. Have your vet explain to her the little things that can be done to reduce the urge to crib (basically he/she should say everything we've said here) and thatit doesn't effect the true soundess of the horse in the slightest!
 
#15 ·
As far as I understand it, cribbing and other stereotypy behaviours such as weaving and stall-walking are related to stress or boredom, but I recently read a study in the Journal of Livestock Production Science suggesting that it may also have a hereditary component.

However, there is strong evidence supporting that the hypothesis that it releases endorphins and becomes a self-reinforcing behaviour. Basically, they get high when they do it. It's a ****** to get rid of once they have acquired the habit. I have seen horses turned out in a lovely field of green grass standing by the gate, cribbing away, or I've seen a horse in cross ties twisting his head around so could crib on the bloody cross tie.
 
#18 ·
Cribbing is a nasty habit: first, they eat all boards. And many barns are really unhappy to have cribbers (up to the point they just don't take them in). My neighbor's OTTB out 24/7 cribs like 50% of time (at least). Whenever I see he chew on fence, or stall boards, or ring fence, or whatever is comfortable for him. Cribbers are harder to keep weight on and are prone to colics. I mean, I'm not against them and if my horse would do that - well, bad, but it is what it is. But if you choose between several horses it's better to go with non-cribber.
 
#21 ·
my boy cribs and i bought him knowing he did. it seems like he only does it when he's first put into his stall and when he is first put into the grazing field. everyone at the barn knows that if they ride him until he has a wet blanket, he is so tired that cribbing is the last thing on his mind. i was actually thinking about buying one of those weaver miracle collars that i read about in my horse and rider catalog.
 
#23 ·
i was actually thinking about buying one of those weaver miracle collars that i read about in my horse and rider catalog.
It really depends on how serious your boy is about cribbing. I know some people who've used it and it works, and in my personal experience it hasn't...I'm reluctant to put it back on even with the fleece covers I just bought because it has to be on the very LAST notch (I think I counted it out to be the 12th or 13th) and it at least looks like it chokes him.

If you do buy the collar, you also have to be very religious about taking it off when you ride. The trainer at my barn saw a horse collapse mid-workout because he was wearing the collar and couldn't breath. The horse ended up suffering brain damage and became in showable.
 
#22 ·
There are 3 cribbers at my barn. Two are fairly good.. only crib when stalled for more than an hour. They don't crib in the pasture.

Russel, however, will crib anywhere. He also cribbed RIGHT through the 'miracle collar,' and uses a metal hinged collar in the field, and a feed bag in the stall.

Personally, I wouldn't get a horse knowing s/he cribs. It wears away their teeth, and they colic so easily. Russel has colicked 3+ times since arriving, and that's a lot of vet bills.
 
#26 ·
My OTTB doesn't crib but he does chew wood when stalled or frustrated. I agree with Spirithorse that it can indicate an ulcer but I think it is a chicken and egg thing there (hard to sort out what is health related and what is behavior leading to health etc. etc.) the bottom line is if I keep him on pasture with shelter and work with him most days (riding, groundwork or both) and make sure to exercise his mind first and foremost he almost never reaches to chew on anything but his feed. I also mix up toys and distractions in his shelter now that it is crummy out and he spends more time in there. Best of luck
 
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