cribbing/wind sucking...do horses copy?

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rowdreyer

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My horse shares a field with two others, one is an old retired TB that Cribs/Windsucks at any opportunity, at the moment they are in a field with a rail fence so he spends a lot of time endulging in his addiction. I'm concerned about my horse and the other youngster. Does anyone have any experience of horses picking up these stereotypies in a field environment??
 
In my experience, no, they dont copy.
But I'd have electric tape around the field if the horse were mine to stop it.
 
My gelding windsucks and cribs when in his stable - my mare just looks at him as if he is slightly deranged and ignores him!! It is usually a sign/symptom of ulcers/gastric syndrome and since my geldings ulcer has been treated he has stopped - fingers crossed it continues.
 
No, they should not copy in theory. Generally if a horse picks up a vice/stereotypy shared by another it is not because they just 'decide' to copy it, it is because they are in a similar environment/situation so have the same unfullfilled needs as the horse with the stereotypie so pick it up not because they are copying but because they feel the need to do it. (Probably haven't explained that very well).

For example, say on a yard there is a horse that windsucks and cribs, the horse has always done this, probably due to being deprived of enough food/fibre as a youngster. If the other horses are all fed plenty and are relaxed and happy they shouldn't pick up the habit. If however it is a yard where feeding is restricted and the horses have little to do then they may well start cribbing as they have a pyschological need to chew (designed to eat 16 hours a day), and they may start to windsuck because they are getting stomach ulcers due to not having enough to eat and iwndsucking is thought to help alleviate the pain of ulcers. So they adopt these habits as coping mechanisms not because they are just copying the other horse. Hence why the rule some yards have of not allowing any cribbers/windsuckers or weavers as others will copy them is unfair.

So (after that very long explanation!) as long as your horses have plenty to eat and do then they shouldn't pick up the habit.
 
Not in my experience, if they did, half the yard at my old place would be doing it, and they didn't.
 
not in my experience either, and I have owned cribbers/ windsuckers for the last 6 years and non on my yard have ever copied them
 
Nope
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I've owned my cribber for over 12 years, with many other horses kept with her over that time, and she has partaken in trials regarding it - I certainly don't believe the myth they copy
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Just to support all the previous answers, no, horses don't copy. Have had my mare in a field where her pal cribbed off my mare's rug if there wasn't anything else available, also was at a yard for a long time where stabled horses could see others cribbing and have never seen the stereotypy copied. Have read a lot about the subject and the consensus in the literature also is that copying is a myth.
 
no i don't think they do. doesn't stop people on livery yards getting very het up if their horse is stabled opposite a cribber or windsucker suddenly though!
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nope not as far as i have seen. tammy cribs and windsucks and was stabled directly opposite two ponies for 15 months. neither off them started cribing/wind sucking.
 
Hmmm interesting this. Older horses in my opinion dont copy, and it wouldnt worry me having my older horses with a crib/wind sucker.

Young horses/foals most definately will pick it up off another horse. I have seen this happen. A friend of mine whos mare had 3 foals all picked it up off each other, the mare didnt do it, and they lived out with ad lib forage.

Personally i would never chance a youngster alongside a cribber.
 
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