Am I the only person in the whole world who lets my horse crib?

[Starbucks]

He doesn't crib if you put a grid up, but no one knows why they crib, so I don't like to stop him.

I make sure he has something nice and soft to crib on so it doesn't damage/hurt his teeth. I don't know anyone else who does this though!

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[SatansLittleHelper]

Havent bothered trying to stop mine either x

 

[Ellibelli]

I found my cribber has stopped completely after changing his feed to low starch high fibre stuff with no grain in (Pure Feeds, ERS Pellets, Copra etc). I mainly did this as I was struggling to keep weight on him, but the side affect of stopping him cribbing makes me wonder if his previous diet was giving him tummy ache? So, yes I was happy to let him crib, but in this particular case I'm glad I managed to stop it.

 

[Brightbay]

He doesn't crib if you put a grid up, but no one knows why they crib, so I don't like to stop him.

I make sure he has something nice and soft to crib on so it doesn't damage/hurt his teeth. I don't know anyone else who does this though!

?

Shame you don't, as it's the most humane way of dealing with it (once you've tried all management options that might reduce it in terms of turnout, types of feed etc.).

 

[JJones]

I let my horse crib as well. she gets too stressed if you try to stop her. When I first got her i looked into it. Changed diet, put her on lots of remedies, used various humane and miracle collars but it was upsetting seeing her stress so much. So now I ignore it.

 

[dianchi]

Cribbing is a symptom not a cause, have had one go through colic op from it I would be allowing it so to speak.
High stomach acid/ulcers are common causes, I would try treating over just allowing personally

 

[smellsofhorse]

I know stopping a horse cribb can cause more stress.
As you are stopping him doing something he feels he needs to do.

But instead of just ignoring it.
The owner needs to find out why horse wants to do it and stop the need.

Does horse have enough fibre?
Is he bored?
Does he need more turnout?

Does he have ulcers or in pain?

I wouldnt ignore it, I'd want to.know why.

 

[Suby2]

My pony who normally lives out 24/7 had to stay in following a check ligament injury. After a number of weeks she started to crib which she had never done before. In her case I think it was boredom/stress and allowing her more (but still restricted) space the problem went away and she has never done it since.

 

[xDundryx]

Didn't stop my ex racehorse, he only did it at feed times or when anyone was outside his stable ignoring him, it was annoying and a couple of people complained their youngsters might copy it (which they didnt..) I think it was from years of 24/7 stabling

 

[_GG_]

I would be inclined to ignore it if stopping it caused more stress BUT...only after doing a full investigation to rule it out as a symptom of something else. I think I'd also be a bit paranoid and inclined to rule out causes on a fairly regular basis.

 

[leflynn]

I let mine crib, I have tried a collar (was awful and he stressed and chewed wood/box walked). A change of turnout/diet/environment have improved it no end! I have conveyor belt across the top of his stable to try and protect his teefies a bit too Ulcers have been ruled out and I know he has done it since a 2yr old.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

Ours wears a cribbing collar as he was destroying the doors and if we topped them with metal he wold destroy his teeth.

It's a habit not through any issues we have found he just does it in the field, in the stable in the trailer with food, without food, he will stand in the field for ages doing it rather than graze or eat hay with supplements without supplements so he has the collar on to protect his teeth.

 

[Capriole]

Cribbing is a symptom not a cause, have had one go through colic op from it I would be allowing it so to speak.
High stomach acid/ulcers are common causes, I would try treating over just allowing personally

This. I'd be making sure he's ok and if there's anything I can do to make him more comfortable if there is, rather than just leaving him to it.

 

[skint1]

My friend and I both have mares who crib, they live together, sharing a stable and field. We let them crib, the place is old and falling apart and about to be built on so the farmer doesn't care. I've kept the mare in places where she's had to wear a collar, and she does wear it ok, but seems happier cribbing with her friend. Nothing about either horse's lifestyle or diet would lend itself to this habit, they have yea-saac/brewer's yeast supplements, neither are underweight either, they are both ex racers, they both came to us doing it. I suppose they do it less often than they used to, but they do enjoy a good crib after dinner

 

[_GG_]

My friend and I both have mares who crib, they live together, sharing a stable and field. We let them crib, the place is old and falling apart and about to be built on so the farmer doesn't care. I've kept the mare in places where she's had to wear a collar, and she does wear it ok, but seems happier cribbing with her friend. Nothing about either horse's lifestyle or diet would lend itself to this habit, they have yea-saac/brewer's yeast supplements, neither are underweight either, they are both ex racers, they both came to us doing it. I suppose they do it less often than they used to, but they do enjoy a good crib after dinner

They might not be "enjoying" a good crib after dinner. They might need a good crib after dinner to help deal with discomfort? I have no issue at all with letting a horse crib when I have ruled everything out, but that for me would be proper investigation by a vet.

Not meant as a dig...I just don't know that a horse can enjoy cribbing. Then again, maybe it's like a smoker wanting a quick puff after a meal

 

[Capriole]

I'd have them both looked at for ulcers, personally.

 

[khalswitz]

My horse very occasionally does it - and only when tied up, never when stabled.

He lives out 24/7, on a PSSM diet so low starch/sugar and high fibre anyway. He's normally fine in a stable, but he HATES being tied up, and will weave and crib when tied up, even with a companion tied next to him, but doesn't in a box. You also see his muscles tremoring more from the PSSM when tied up as he gets so stressed.

Vet has seen him, and doesn't think it is ulcers. He just hates being tied up.

 

[2horsesnomoney]

He doesn't crib if you put a grid up, but no one knows why they crib, so I don't like to stop him.


?

ok so firstly we do know why most horses crib so i would investigate and treat, cribbing is a symptom of something else so stomach ulcers and Hind gut ulcers are top of the list with pain and discomfort, diet and managment.

Also to straighten another point horses youngsters or otherwise DO NOT copy "vices" they cannot learn these vices.

 

[Megibo]

I'm inclined to let the horse get on with it, ruling out any discomfort that could be causing it... it's stress relief so let them de-stress I say.

My ex-racer weaves (not manically) when she wants something like dinner or more hay etc apparently when I'm not there she doesn't do it.

 

[Luci07]

ok so firstly we do know why most horses crib so i would investigate and treat, cribbing is a symptom of something else so stomach ulcers and Hind gut ulcers are top of the list with pain and discomfort, diet and managment.

I wish I could agree with you but I can't. We do not definitively know what causes cribbing. For everyone who just shrugs their shoulders and say its not a big deal, you will find someone else whose horse has ended up with colic as a result. You absolutely have to rule out the possible causes and indeed, many can be "treated" by looking at the feed. I have had a cribber and by ensuring he had access to forage at all times, I managed to reduce this behaviour, but I spent a lot of time and money trying to work out what caused it. Over time, I tried feed changes, mirrors, ulcer treatments, supplements, even rennies, nothing worked.

In my horses case, his cribbing was severe when stabled so resorted to a miracle collar (padded) and then tried getting him to live out with no access to surfaces. That sort of worked, as in no more cribbing, but I had simply removed what he could chew, I never found out why he did it. I "think" now that he may have started it as a result of feeding practises (he had been shown at a high level before I bought him and was grossly overweight), but he was also a very unforgiving horse so in hindsight, I do think his problem became a habit. I did sell him on for dressage with full disclosure and all his history. His owner had him out a lot but let him crib from time to time as she felt she could deal with his behaviour at that point.

However you look at it though, cribbing is a response to something that has gone wrong for the horse and before you ignore it, you need to be sure you understand (or as near as you can) what went wrong and ensured there are no physical issues causing this.

 

[fburton]

For everyone who just shrugs their shoulders and say its not a big deal, you will find someone else whose horse has ended up with colic as a result.

How can one be sure that the colic was caused by the cribbing rather than, for example, the colic and the cribbing both being caused by the digestive system being in an abnormal state?

 

[_GG_]

I wish I could agree with you but I can't. We do not definitively know what causes cribbing. For everyone who just shrugs their shoulders and say its not a big deal, you will find someone else whose horse has ended up with colic as a result. You absolutely have to rule out the possible causes and indeed, many can be "treated" by looking at the feed. I have had a cribber and by ensuring he had access to forage at all times, I managed to reduce this behaviour, but I spent a lot of time and money trying to work out what caused it. Over time, I tried feed changes, mirrors, ulcer treatments, supplements, even rennies, nothing worked.

In my horses case, his cribbing was severe when stabled so resorted to a miracle collar (padded) and then tried getting him to live out with no access to surfaces. That sort of worked, as in no more cribbing, but I had simply removed what he could chew, I never found out why he did it. I "think" now that he may have started it as a result of feeding practises (he had been shown at a high level before I bought him and was grossly overweight), but he was also a very unforgiving horse so in hindsight, I do think his problem became a habit. I did sell him on for dressage with full disclosure and all his history. His owner had him out a lot but let him crib from time to time as she felt she could deal with his behaviour at that point.

However you look at it though, cribbing is a response to something that has gone wrong for the horse and before you ignore it, you need to be sure you understand (or as near as you can) what went wrong and ensured there are no physical issues causing this.

Great post

 

[2horsesnomoney]

I wish I could agree with you but I can't. We do not definitively know what causes cribbing. For everyone who just shrugs their shoulders and say its not a big deal, you will find someone else whose horse has ended up with colic as a result. You absolutely have to rule out the possible causes and indeed, many can be "treated" by looking at the feed. I have had a cribber and by ensuring he had access to forage at all times, I managed to reduce this behaviour, but I spent a lot of time and money trying to work out what caused it. Over time, I tried feed changes, mirrors, ulcer treatments, supplements, even rennies, nothing worked.

In my horses case, his cribbing was severe when stabled so resorted to a miracle collar (padded) and then tried getting him to live out with no access to surfaces. That sort of worked, as in no more cribbing, but I had simply removed what he could chew, I never found out why he did it. I "think" now that he may have started it as a result of feeding practises (he had been shown at a high level before I bought him and was grossly overweight), but he was also a very unforgiving horse so in hindsight, I do think his problem became a habit. I did sell him on for dressage with full disclosure and all his history. His owner had him out a lot but let him crib from time to time as she felt she could deal with his behaviour at that point.

However you look at it though, cribbing is a response to something that has gone wrong for the horse and before you ignore it, you need to be sure you understand (or as near as you can) what went wrong and ensured there are no physical issues causing this.

Ok so i agree with you on the most part as i do think cribbing should be investigated, But i still feel Cribbing is nearly always due to digestive discomfort or pain elsewhere in the body even horses that are scoped to be clear of ulcers often on PM have hind gut ulcers or improve with gastroguard - leading to diagnosis of hing gut ulcers. Even with diagnosis we can never definatly know but the research shows a strong link between ulcerated digestive system, colic and cribbing - altough it is a chicken and eggg situation with cribbing coilc and ulcers which comes first ! but most important is to treat it!
Thats my opinions anyway

 

[stormox]

I have read research on cribbing that says some horses are just pre-disposed to it, so you could feed one horse loads of corn, little work and no turnout and he might never start. But others, like mine, who only gets haylage, plenty of turnout and plenty of riding, started it after spending 2 weeks at a livery yard where there were many cribbers! It has even been said that the 'pre-disposed' horses could be seen doing something similar 'in utero'. I know from experience that many horses who like to play, or flap their lips, in their water bucket start cribbing, as do 'nibbly' youngsters.
But I couldn't stand the annoying noise he made, so I stopped my fella by putting wide drainpipe he couldn't catch hold of along the edges of his doors. Im hoping that as he'd only just started doing it he will forget......

 

[EquestrianFairy]

I spent thousands on my mare to try and get to the bottom of her cribbing- ulcers (bad ones!) were found and treated which cut down her cribbing massively along with a special diet but she still does it. She's turned out 24/7 with no hard feed ATM and it's the best it will ever be now but I'm not prepared to shove a collar on her and I never have. She had spent 5 years coping with her ulcers before I had her and that was her way of doing it, I'm not going to change a 5 year habit and tbh if it pleases her to have a crib once in a while then so be it. I know she is not in any pain so it is totally habitual.

 

[Luci07]

I have read research on cribbing that says some horses are just pre-disposed to it, so you could feed one horse loads of corn, little work and no turnout and he might never start. But others, like mine, who only gets haylage, plenty of turnout and plenty of riding, started it after spending 2 weeks at a livery yard where there were many cribbers! It has even been said that the 'pre-disposed' horses could be seen doing something similar 'in utero'. I know from experience that many horses who like to play, or flap their lips, in their water bucket start cribbing, as do 'nibbly' youngsters.
But I couldn't stand the annoying noise he made, so I stopped my fella by putting wide drainpipe he couldn't catch hold of along the edges of his doors. Im hoping that as he'd only just started doing it he will forget......

Interesting...I can only speak from my experience which is therefore, limited! However I do personally know of 3 Primitive Rising horses (1st generation, PR as the sire) who all cribbed. Each horse had an excellent start, all very talented, all properly cared for. All cribbed (including mine) and 2 ended up with really bad colic.

 

[stormox]

I don't know if its just coincidence that a lot of the cribbers Ive known have been connemaras......

 

[Spotsrock]

I let mine and dealt with the ulcers.

 

[legaldancer]

Interesting...I can only speak from my experience which is therefore, limited! However I do personally know of 3 Primitive Rising horses (1st generation, PR as the sire) who all cribbed. Each horse had an excellent start, all very talented, all properly cared for. All cribbed (including mine) and 2 ended up with really bad colic.

I know of a Primitive Rising horse that cribs too - very interesting.

 

[MagicMelon]

I wouldn't stop them as such but I would try to work out what would minimise his need to do it. I'd get him scoped for ulcers and keep him out 24/7. I had a cribber once, if she was in overnight for a show the next day she'd crib like mad but leave her out and she didn't do it nearly as often.

Luci07 - YOu say they had been "properly cared for" yet they still cribbed. But does that mean they were stabled a lot? And fed probably high cereal feed?