Ever heard of windsucking/cribbing through skeletal pain? (also in vet)

scatty_mare

scatty_mare

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As title.
Have been wondering about this for a while as my mare seems to have developed this habit since breaking her withers 18 months ago.
Nothing in her diet/lifestyle has changed to stress her or put her more in the ulcer danger zone, if anything she has a more 'natural' life now than she did before.
The only thing I can put it down to is that either the pain of the injury or maybe the stress caused by being in constant pain is what has triggered this response and now that the pain has gone - I hope, she seems sound and happy - the habit remains. She's not terrible, but she definitely has become a bit of a junkie. She did used to crib when I very first had her, but not as much as now, and she hadn't been seen to do it for over 3 years before the injury.
Has anyone heard of this before?
G&T and a mars ice cream for anyone who has bothered to read :D
 
Was she on box rest after she broke her withers?

One of mine is a wind sucker, and he definately does it more if he's anxious/in pain, but he is another junkie!
 
It doesn't surprise me. looking back, when my old boy was in pain his gribbing went through the roof, to the point he would ignore his haynet. Current mare is similar, and because I recognise it now I administer pain relief.
 
Sorry only just saw your replies - thanks.

She was on box rest only for a couple of days, with company to keep her calm and ad lib hay (she couldn't lower her head to graze)
Then the vet said it would be ok to move her to a 12x12 pen in the field - which she jumped out of after a week - so after that we decided she would be quietest and do herself the least harm pottering about in a small paddock with a quiet pony.
She was only on bute for about 10 days. At the time I was keen for her to manage her own pain, and didn't want bute to cause intestinal discomfort if it could be avoided. She seemed happy in herself.

No, there have been absolutely no changes to routine, and although she was a little worrier when I bought her 5 years ago, she has mellowed such a lot and really is like a different horse.
I trust her implicitly, and I would say that our bond is mutual. She respects people now and seems secure with her place in life. Honestly, she has a very unstressful life (no more competitions sadly, just very light hacking atm) and is fed/managed with gastric health in mind. It is important to me!

I suppose that windsucking and other stereotypical behaviours are a response to stress. Pain is a kind of stress therefore it is probable that pain of any kind could trigger this behaviour.

Poor mare :( I will look at giving her some pain killers again. To be honest I think that if she isn't comfortable even in the field - although she is sound - then I certainly shouldn't be riding her at all and maybe the kindest thing for her will be the hardest thing for me.
Oh dear.
 
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It might not be pain related before YOU start stressing too much!!. She has had a change in her normal life, had to go through being injured so is reverting to a previous behaviour. Why don't you see if you can get her to reduce this in the same way that you did previously?

I had a cribber myself and did so much research/reading etc but could never get to the bottom of what was causing it. I just managed the symptoms using the advice that seemed most sensible (pretty much a constant supply of forage, low stress, lots of turn out etc etc) but what we could never really get to the bottom of - what was actually causing it. He reduced the behaviour (like your mare) but never completely stopped.
 
Not sure if this is relevant...my ISH started wood chewing & absolutely destroying my post & rail after 3 years of leaving it alone. It turned out that he had EPSM which I was making worse as I didn't realise & was doing everything wrong.

When I started managing the EPSM, he stopped wood chewing as if by magic...which was annoying as I'd bought several hundred pounds' worth of mains electric fence to stop him doing it, which I hadn't got around to installing.

I think he was quite uncomfy as he was v stampy as well.
 
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