Cribing Advice

ktj1891

ktj1891

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Posted: Wed Feb 12, 2014 12:17 pm Post subject: Cribbing help

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My boy has cribbed since I got him in 2010 straight out of racing however he is now doing it much more although management and diet has improved.

I have in the past collared him, put cribbox up etc but now just let him do it. Recently we have lost a bit of trust in eachother as I have told him off a few times for doing it and now he hates me going near him when he cribs. Although he is getting much better already and I have learn't my lesson.

I have now accepted he will just do it a lot but what can I put on stable door to reduce the impact on his teeth? Also any ideas how I can help reduce him doing it again, I don't know why he is doing it more, its not happened overnight but just gradually over time. The more I study him the more I see how stressy a horse he is although he doesn't actually appear to be, being that he is very laid back and lazy he can quickly turn into a stress head.

Any advice appreciated.
 
Have you had him scoped for stomach ulcers? They can contribute to cribbing and are more common in race horses/tb types.

Other than that turn out as much as possible and feed ad lib forage if stabled - we have a cribber on livery here and tbh he is a pita as he detroys fencing, but if has enough to eat, keeps him distracted from the habit to an extent.
 
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What are you feeding him? Some feeds have higher starch and sugars and are not good for cribbers. Is he happy with the horses hes turned out with. Some horses need to live out and feel so much better when they are not confined. How is the turn out etc. Is it a busy yard, again some horses get very stressed when there is so much going on.
 
have you tried settlex? it seemed to help my mare and although didnt stop the cribbing completely it made it much less. i put a half drainpipe over the door to make it more difficult for her to grab hold.. i have since found that she has now stopped and the only change has been giving her prascend as she was diagnosed with cushings a couple of years ago...i removed the half drainpipe as it wasnt needed and always know if her acth levels have increased because she begins to crib again and once the tablets have been increased, she sopts again.......good luck
 
My horse doesn't crib but gets really bored and frustrated in the stable if he hasn't got any food! I try to turn him out for at least 6 hours a day and put calmer supplement in his feed everyday to help tire him out. You could put lots of licks/toys in his stable to help distract him. My friend used a large plastic tube cut in half and put it over the door - this worked really well because her horse couldn't grip the tube with her mouth :)
 
Feed him very low starch feed and turnout as much as possible, ad lib hay and cover your doors if you need to!
I'm studying equine psychology and don't like trying to stop them doing it, it is a coping mechanism so is unfair to stop it once they have developed the sterotype.
Make sure he hs a good view of other horses and turn him out with others if possible, and for as long as possible.
Crib biting develops as the horse has need to do something with its mouth, once it is learned, even when stuations are better, the horse will always crib bite- some never even show reduced crib biting although other reduce it with more hay available etc

Make sure he likes his hay/haylage, and try get plently of licks/toys for his stable :)
 
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