cribbing muzzles.. what are peoples thoughts on these??

Stable vices, or stereotypies as they're now called, are the horse's way of dealing with a less than horse-friendly management. The modern thinking is that the "vice" releases endorphins that makes the management (often over-stabling and no ad lib forage) more bearable for the horse. Wind sucking and cribbing is also believed to be linked to stomach ulcers as the horse is designed to trickle feed and if he isn't allowed to do that then the acids in his stomach will start to erode patches on the stomach wall. To paint evil tasting substances on surfaces or, worse, to muzzle the horse or fit so called anti cribbing collars will make the horse MORE stressed and anyway, he'll probably just develop a different "vice".

The best thing you can do for your horse is give him max turnout all year round, with company. 24/7 if you can, suitably rugged in the winter. If he has to be in, make sure it's for the minimum time possible and ensure he has ad lib forage and at least 1 companion that he can see over his wall or door. Keep to a stress free routine as far as possible. Unfortunately, the endorphin release can be quite addictive (like ciggies or chocolate!) and a horse that is a cribber will often stay a cribber even when his management is changed, but it will be far less. The best thing to do is to try to stop it happening in the first place, but often easier said than done!
 
I agree with BOF. If your horse is happy he won't windsuck/cribite or weave. If you have a horse that already has these behaviours then sticking a collar on him is the equivalent of taping one's mouth shut to prevent over eating, and will cause as much stress.

More forage, more freedom and more variety of work is the answer.
 
Personally I think they're awful things, probably worse than collars even.

There is a very good chance that if you don't manage to relieve the stress that's causing your horse to crib (and for some it becomes an unbreakable habit:()
and just muzzle him, he will teach himself to windsuck instead. I have seen racehorses who want to weave just stand behind the grilles and weave, or start head tossing. From their point of view it is a stress relief and stopping it makes them more stressed, so they find ways round it. A friend of mine used a Miracle Collar (ugh!) on her cribber, it made the horse aggressive. Poor thing not only was prevented from her 'hit' but probably had a headache too! She solved the problem by putting drainpipe on the top of the door and a padded bar in the corner for the mare to crib on. She also fed her away from anything she could grab, so that the feed went into the horse rather than all down the door/over the floor etc. Also made the inhalation of food less likely. Result? One happy well-fed horse who was a lot less stressed and cut down on the cribbing!
 
Thanks for your reply but everything you have said is already in action.. she is turned out 24/7 all year round, always has been, with 3 other youngsters who she is friendly with so no chance of bullying, plenty of grass, haylage all through the winter, heavyweight rug on so shes not cold, and fed everyday twice a day (to keep her weight up) she is only 3 year old and picked the habit up off the horse opposite her before she was even weaned from her mother! she has no reason whatsoever to be "stressed" and i havent even started to lunge/long rein her yet (as i had planned to this summer) as i have been concentrating on getting her weight back on since last winter! im pretty confident that it is habit over a NEED to her. I hate the look of those collars so was looking at alternatives and this was an option someone came up with. She lost so much weight last winter from standing at fence posts instead of eating the grass/haylage i provided and really dont want that to happen again this year!! HELP!

Box_Of_Frogs said:
Stable vices, or stereotypies as they're now called, are the horse's way of dealing with a less than horse-friendly management. The modern thinking is that the "vice" releases endorphins that makes the management (often over-stabling and no ad lib forage) more bearable for the horse. Wind sucking and cribbing is also believed to be linked to stomach ulcers as the horse is designed to trickle feed and if he isn't allowed to do that then the acids in his stomach will start to erode patches on the stomach wall. To paint evil tasting substances on surfaces or, worse, to muzzle the horse or fit so called anti cribbing collars will make the horse MORE stressed and anyway, he'll probably just develop a different "vice".

The best thing you can do for your horse is give him max turnout all year round, with company. 24/7 if you can, suitably rugged in the winter. If he has to be in, make sure it's for the minimum time possible and ensure he has ad lib forage and at least 1 companion that he can see over his wall or door. Keep to a stress free routine as far as possible. Unfortunately, the endorphin release can be quite addictive (like ciggies or chocolate!) and a horse that is a cribber will often stay a cribber even when his management is changed, but it will be far less. The best thing to do is to try to stop it happening in the first place, but often easier said than done!
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applecart14 said:
I agree with BOF. If your horse is happy he won't windsuck/cribite or weave. If you have a horse that already has these behaviours then sticking a collar on him is the equivalent of taping one's mouth shut to prevent over eating, and will cause as much stress.

More forage, more freedom and more variety of work is the answer.
Click to expand...

can you read my reply to BOF please :)
 
jessicaamy88 said:
She lost so much weight last winter from standing at fence posts instead of eating the grass/haylage i provided and really dont want that to happen again this year!! HELP!
Click to expand...

Can you feed her away from the fence? Even make an electric fence 'pen' to feed her in, so there's nothing to crib on while she's eating? I've done this on the past with a seasoned crib-biter and he improved a lot. I also used to put his feed as far from the door as I could when he was stabled-he still turned round to crib on the door, but by the time he got there the mouthful he had, had been swallowed.

Have you considered the possibility she may have ulcers?
 
I wouldn't use one personally.

I still go my original suggestion to actually stable your horse either for part of the day or overnight through the winter, with adlib hay - as being out 24/7 through the winter doesn't seem to help or stop the cribbing.
 
This is a really interesting and informative post, thanks guys :)

(I don't like the look of those muzzles! Looks like something Hannibal Lector might wear :) )
 
Beausmate.. I do actually feed her away from the fence, I bring her out of the field away from the other horses and feed every morning and every night after work. She has no problems eating the the full feed (just stands there eating till its all gone) its when I put her back out she trots off up the field and finds a fence post to crib on! I don't know how young they can get ulcers from or what causes them etc but like I said.. She has done it since a foal after picking it up off the horse opposite!

My worry is she will crib more during the winter when the grass is not as green as shes more interested in cribbing and lose the weight again :/
 
Amymay.. If I don't find anything to help my plan is to stable her during the day when I turn my others Out with a haynet and turn her back out overnight when my others come in. My only worry is keeping her in might stress her as she's never been in before and escalate the problem
 
I have a horse (only had for a few.months) that cribs. Came with a collar. When she was out 24/7 wIth grass, hay, and company she still cribbed without collar. I don't like them but as she was on trial I gave it a go. Tbh it's not as bad as I thought it would b as it just encourages her to keep her head lower in a position she can't crib. However I am still not an advocate of them.

I have spoken to vet about potential ulcers etc but they said with my type of management they will likely heal if she does have any.

I would pimento try working her more to c if that helps but she has had issues with feet and suspected lami so is now in on the yard sometimes either company or horse is just on other side of fence. Stills cribs. Worse after eating dinner and worse if I am watching!!! Which I find random!!!

However I have recently discovered I think it a lot worse if she in pain. She has had feet issues for a long time with remedial farrier in past but didn't really help as I understand it from previous owner. So not sure if she has had some underlying pain for a while? Anyway they other day I discovered what I suspect is an infected flu bite but vet thinks allergic reaction which we are treating but the night It swelled up she has eaten half the stable!! She has not chewed stable at all apart from this in last 6 weeks. So for me this points strongly to a link with pain... but this could just b one of many reasons a horse cribs!
 
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