Crib biting

[Saf]

Hi
A new horse has arrived on the yard who cribs for hours on end. The owner said she did not know he did it but he looks like he as been doing it for years, she has just bought the horse, no vetting.

Thing is everyone is now worried their horses may copy? Do they?

I have suggested ulcers and have read a bit on it?

What would you do if your horse was stabled close to the horse with good view?

Thank you

 

[Sarah_Jane]

We have a wind sucker on our yard in full view of everyone and despite worries no one has copies as yet (5 years)

 

[Silgram]

Have owned a cribber for 14 years. No horse has ever copied. Have tried treatment for ulcers on mine but did not work. Does appear to work for others though so worth a try.

 

[Saf]

Thank you SJ makes me feel better, will pass onto the others

 

[Saf]

Thank you, have been doing lots of reading on ulcers (too much time on my hands) so will pass on some info to the owner, worth a try

 

[horsegirl]

Other horses don't copy. She could put a collar on although some think this is cruel or just try to minimise by not feeding loads of cereals and making sure the horse always has hay and stable toys. It might be worth getting the vet to check for ulcers although even if these are cured the horse probably won't stop cribbing. Many people have reported good results from Coligone but it is too expensive for me to consider and someone told me that the ingredients are the same as gaviscon (I don't know if that is correct as I don't know what is in coligone)

 

[Saf]

Thanks HG
I'm glad everyone agrees they dont copy, I'm not keen on the collars, every horse Ive seen before when the collar is taken off goes mad cribbing as if they are missing something. If its the need for saliva to calm the stomach then maybe they should left to do it but try slow feeding in toys etc?
I see more reading coming on

 

[jojoebony]

I took on an ex racer that's cribbed for years. I won't put a collar on him as it is stress relief for him - evident because when he is free from pain and settled he doesn't do it. He's bad at the mo as he is injured and in lots of pain and it seems to make him feel a little better.
I've had him next door to two of my own youngster and neither have copied - although the new one has copied another horse at the end of the stable block that kicks the door. We have a yard of 25 horses and none of them have copied my cribbers antics.

 

[Happytohack]

Cribing is not copied. Horses crib to relieve discomfort often caused by excess stomach acid. Cutting out all cereals and feeding a forage based diet (e.g. simple system feeds) and ad lib hay can help along with an antacid, such as Feedmark's Settelex. Turning the horse out as much as possible should also help. If this person bought the horse and was not told about the cribing, she could easily insist on returning the horse and having her money back as it is something that must be declared prior to sale.

 

[amandathepanda]

did equine behaviour as part of my HND in Equine Science at Hartpury. No scientific proof that horses copy stereotypic behavious such as crib biting. My 2 year old has been stabled next to my ex racer that cribs since she was a tiny baby & has never copied, she has also not copied her mum weaving.

 

[seabiscuit]

They do not copy. Owen and Forrest lived together for a year, just the two of them, Forrest cribbed like hell and Owen never once picked it up.

Vicijp had a foal that started cribbing a few weeks after it was born- had never had another cribber anywhere near it .
I think horses are genetically predisposed to it.

They dont necessarily crib because of stomach ulcers,more often because food they eat causes excess acid production. So a high fibre diet does help. Loads of adlib good quality hay and as little cereals as possible will help. Ask them to try the simple system range of feeds for a high fibre diet.

Also put an electric tape across its stable door and remove any surfaces/ledges in the stable then it wont have anything to crib on. They always find a way tho but just put cribbox on whatever theyre cribbing on. Its really bad for them to allow them to crib.

 

[Daisychain]

A friend of mine bred 3 foals out of his mare, all by different stallions, the foals were all left on their mum for about a year, lived out, with access to grass and hay all year round, everyone of these foals cribbed/windsucked, the mother does not do it, all we could think is that the younger ones picked it up of the older siblings, so i would always be cautious with young horses around cribbers/windsuckers, never seen older horses copy.

 

[jac47]

I would not worry your horse will most definatly not copy this horse that's a myth. My horse cribs and no others ever copy him. He use to wear a collar but does not any more only bad thing is that he slackens all the fence posts. Electric stops him cribbing on them. It does no harm to horse or anyother