Cribbing Advice

[timbobs]

My lovely boy has started cribbing badly.

He always cribbed occasionally, but not at all in the field he has been in for the last few months.

He has been diagnosed with ulcers and in the last 2 weeks has started cribbing almost constantly so I'm after some advice on how to stop it!

I've painted cribbox on every fence post but he also cribs on the side of the fence, not just the top. It seems to be after feed times, so i think his stomach is uncomfortable. He had to have some antibiotics 2 weeks ago which I think have unsettled his stomach.

He is going back to be scoped next week so will see what is going on then, but any advice on lessening the cribbing would be appreciated!

He lives out 24/7 and always has access to forage.

 

[Auslander]

First port of call is resolving the ulcer related discomfort, rather than stopping him cribbing. He obviously needs to crib, so preventing him will distress him. I'd be tempted to hold fire til his ulcers are being treated, then you can make it harder for him to crib.

Electricity works better for me than cribbox - I've got 2mm electric string along the top of my fences, which gives off a hefty wallop - and means they don't dare go near enough to the fence to chew it (my main issue, rather than cribbing).

I have one cribber here, who is allowed to crib to his hearts content - he's 26, has cribbed all his life, and gets very upset if he can't - so he has a designated cribbing area!

 

[timbobs]

First port of call is resolving the ulcer related discomfort, rather than stopping him cribbing. He obviously needs to crib, so preventing him will distress him. I'd be tempted to hold fire til his ulcers are being treated, then you can make it harder for him to crib.

Electricity works better for me than cribbox - I've got 2mm electric string along the top of my fences, which gives off a hefty wallop - and means they don't dare go near enough to the fence to chew it (my main issue, rather than cribbing).

I have one cribber here, who is allowed to crib to his hearts content - he's 26, has cribbed all his life, and gets very upset if he can't - so he has a designated cribbing area!

Yes I'm assuming the cribbing is discomfort related as he's only ramped it up in the last 2 weeks

He's currently on gastrogard and going for a 2nd Scope on Monday. My concern is that he's ruining the posts and I don't want to upset the yard. Tried electricing the top of the posts but he just cribs down the side of them instead. It's posts with electric tape across rather than post and rail.

I wondered about putting guttering around the posts so he can crib but not damage them.

Also wondered about putting a specific cribbing post in the field for him!

 

[Auslander]

Also wondered about putting a specific cribbing post in the field for him!

Sounds like a good plan! If he's determined enough to crib on plastic fence posts - he's pretty hardcore!

 

[timbobs]

Sounds like a good plan! If he's determined enough to crib on plastic fence posts - he's pretty hardcore!

Haha sorry didn't explain very well! He has wooden fence posts and electric tape between them so he's cribbing on the wood.

He's even started cribbing when coming in to the yard for a groom which he's never done before poor boy obviously isn't happy at the moment, but not sure how to settle his stomach down!

Tried the Protexin Quick Fix and that hasn't helped