scatty_mare
Well-Known Member
Will try to be brief.
My mare has gone against the grain and taken up windsucking when turned out to pasture, no hard feed, loads of company, no stress.
She did it a bit when I first got her 5 years ago - she is an ex-racehorse and had been neglected and a bit starved for a year before I had her - but it really was only occasional (she had one tasty bit of wood, and if she wasn't tied up next to that bit of wood she didn't bother). Despite being an anxious beast who struggled to maintain condition, and being fed on high-cereal and high-molasses feed (didn't know any better!) she stopped cribbing only a couple of months after she arrived.
18 months ago she broke her withers and was turned out on field rest for 6 months. It was then that she started cribbing again, and now does it very persistently.
For the last year (since I brought her back into work) she has been on simple systems feeds (ie high fibre, low sugar), has not struggled to maintain condition, is a calm and secure wee beastie, and is turned out 24/7 with suitable company. She came in at night during that very cold winter but always had ad lib hay.
She now cribs persistently on fence posts and gates, and on the metal strip on her stable door. It is not affected by workload, but she definitely does it more immediately after her handful of hard feed.
So, could the cribbing have been a response to pain? and either now it has become a habit, or she is still in pain. (she is now only in very light work as she never really came right after the withers thing).
What do you think?
I think the done thing now is to offer you a g&t and a roast dinner for trudging all the way through that
My mare has gone against the grain and taken up windsucking when turned out to pasture, no hard feed, loads of company, no stress.
She did it a bit when I first got her 5 years ago - she is an ex-racehorse and had been neglected and a bit starved for a year before I had her - but it really was only occasional (she had one tasty bit of wood, and if she wasn't tied up next to that bit of wood she didn't bother). Despite being an anxious beast who struggled to maintain condition, and being fed on high-cereal and high-molasses feed (didn't know any better!) she stopped cribbing only a couple of months after she arrived.
18 months ago she broke her withers and was turned out on field rest for 6 months. It was then that she started cribbing again, and now does it very persistently.
For the last year (since I brought her back into work) she has been on simple systems feeds (ie high fibre, low sugar), has not struggled to maintain condition, is a calm and secure wee beastie, and is turned out 24/7 with suitable company. She came in at night during that very cold winter but always had ad lib hay.
She now cribs persistently on fence posts and gates, and on the metal strip on her stable door. It is not affected by workload, but she definitely does it more immediately after her handful of hard feed.
So, could the cribbing have been a response to pain? and either now it has become a habit, or she is still in pain. (she is now only in very light work as she never really came right after the withers thing).
What do you think?
I think the done thing now is to offer you a g&t and a roast dinner for trudging all the way through that
What you've got to determine is why she's stressing and wind sucking at the moment - have you moved yards/stable mates changed? Routine changed? Something has happened to trigger her off again.