Cribbing - things to paint on wood to deter...

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kittykatcat

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Hi all, my newest livery (and good friend) has a morgan who cribs. Has been doing it all her life and think it's down to a very stressful weaning - shut in a stable for months on end.....

Anyway, the mare doesn't wear a collar, has as much TO as possible (e.g. everyday 7-7 at the moment - will be 24/7 when it gets a bit warmer!) ad lib hay, low starch, high fibre diet. But she continues cribbing....!

I've asked my friend to paint something on the paddock fencing as it's really starting to be chewed down (horse only been there 2 weeks :s) and she has used Cribox - which seems to be working ok. However, the whole field does really need to be done, and i think Cribox is quite costly???? So was wondering if anyone had any good/cost effective ideas that have prevented cribbing??

I might have dreamt it, but i'm sure there was a post on here ages ago that spouted the virtues of painting on diluted dung????!!!

Thanks :) xx
 
Rather than painting on something nasty could you run some electic fencing over the top rail? If you don't already have some, I don't think it would be unreasonable to ask the livery to contribute to costs under the circumstances.
Naf do a good spray which really stinks but may get washed off in heavy rain, as I imagine would a poo mix. Crib box is good but you have to watch that you/horses/clothing doesn't touch it!!!!
If the horse is prone to weight gain, a grazing muzzle could also prevent damage to your fencing.....
 
Yeah good point re rain and poo mix! Yes i do have some spare electric fencing (although it is the unsightly white plastic post variety!) - maybe i'll ask her to run it inside the p&r fencing - so that the horse cant actually reach. The p&r fence does have a run of electric wire that runs round to stop horses rubbing themselves on it - but this hasnt deterred her!

I'm quite shocked/suprised to see how much damage she's done in 2 weeks!
 
I would take a look at the wire running around the top of the post & rail because if that doesn't deter the horse then there must be something wrong with either the way it's positioned or that the power is not getting through it. The horse should be getting shocked each time it goes to crib if it's fitted correctly?
 
UKDQ said:
Don't quote me on but I believe painting something like hot chilli paste on it can deter some of them.
Click to expand...

I had a TB mare who was a really bad cribber, the livery owner made me put a weaving grill on her stable door to protect it, collars did not work. Someone suggested putting vaseline and then chiili powder on. They assured me it would work, it stopped her cribbing for a small period of time just while she was licking the thing off, it was a complete waste of time. I agree with trying electric fencing.
 
Yeah the electric wire is on - it's just if you imagine a post and rail post....it's on the in SIDE of the rail, rather than the top, so the pony just goes over the top and cribs. The posts are quite wide i guess, maybe like 20 cm and the wire is in the middle, so the pony has a good 10 cm of exposed wood to get at!
 
My TB cribs. YO also likes me to keep fencing in check. In the 6 yrs I have had him he has completley destroyed the 6 bar 15ft long gate on his stable!!! For stable issues I put drain pipe down the sides (in an open converted barn which is gated) which is too big for him to grip.
Generally he is not too bad when out. He will make much less effort to crib now. Over the years his cribbing has reduced significantly however.
My best advice would be as others have said run some tape along top of fence, or run some electric fencing along the inside of fence line around whole of field about a metre from fence. That way there is no way it can crib.
It is nice to hear there are some other YO's who are open to resolve cribbing problems instead of not the allowing the horses anywhere near yards!:)
 
Well...i figure all horses have 'vices' or another....and unfortunately its generally down to some experience the horse has had at the hands of another human being, so i don't discriminate! I've got a horse who weaves - albeit very half heartedly, and i hated going to new yards, being asked 'any vices' and then being looked down at when you sheepishly said 'yes, he weaves a bit' :( Poor T, it's not his fault - i put it down to being tied up in a stall 24/7 when he was 3 and first broken :( electric fence it is then :)
 
Athena, who's a TB mare cribs, whether she's in the field in the winter paddock! There's electric fencing in field but she's got a tree stump that she cribs on. She also has a wooden pallet that she cribs on when she's in the winter paddock. We did remove the pallet from the paddock but Athena went into depression. She has had collars in the past but I don't think they work (that's my opinion)
 
Do you think it's a good idea to give them something else to crib on? If i stop her doing it altogether, e.g. with electric wire - do you think this will increase her anxiety/stress levels, or make her do it more in the stable? Just thinking - i would probably go mad if someone put gloves on me and stopped me biting my nails - but then i'd probably get over it...difficult - wish they could talk :)
 
I would agree with the electric tape, i tried creosote (sp) when one of my boys were chewing wood and it didn't make a difference.
 
I think this is something to think about. Reason my TB is now living out is that new stable needed to be protected all round. Old stable was ok as I had agreed to replace gate so he could crib all he liked on it. I am now worried that if we stop him cribbing altogether that there may be a possibility it'll develop into windsucking? I dont know whether this is likely or not, but OH & I have been trying to think of something we can put in his stable which he can crib on but which won't damage anything structural!
 
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