Foal cribbing - advice please?

[Magnetic Sparrow]

I'm looking for some advice or similar experiences, please.

A friend of mine has a five month old colt foal, not yet weaned or cut, kept out with his dam and another mare and colt. To her horror she has noticed him cribbing on the fence posts of the field. The cribbing colt seems (at least to me) to have had an idyllic life and hasn't even started to get hard feed yet - too much grass.

Putting Cribox on the fence posts seems to stop the cribbing for now, but that's not addressing the cause of this behaviour. Can anyone share ideas or their own experiences that might help us, please?

PS Definitely cribbing not wood-chewing, promise.

 

[Lgd]

Get him scoped for ulcers, much commoner in foals than you would expect.

 

[Magnetic Sparrow]

Really? Wow, that's worth a go, then. The vet has been consulted and said she 'didn't think it could be gastric at that age', but my friend wasn't sure she agreed with that pronouncement either. Thanks.

 

[tikino]

i would second gastric ulcers

 

[Magnetic Sparrow]

Thanks. Sensing a theme here...

 

[elizabeth1]

We bred a foal from our New Forest pony by a riding pony sire.The mare was a fabulous pony with no vices ,lived out 24/7 and her first foal also bred by us, but by a different sire, was 100% the same as her dam.This second foal started cribbing and windsucking on his mother's hocks the day he was born.The mare's diet and living conditions had not altered and she was in fab condition. He was a confirmed cribber all his life.We later found out his sire, and the sire's dam, cribbed too so in this case I think it was hereditary.

 

[foxy1]

My vet told me that foals are prone to ulcers, so worth looking at I think

 

[AmyMay]

Was he cribbing or just having a good old chew, as foals are prone to do??

 

[Magnetic Sparrow]

Thanks to all of you who have made comments and suggestions. Tactful investigation of the stallion as well as the potential for ulcers is on the cards.

Amymay - it was proper cribbing, sadly. I wish it was only chewing.

Never having encountered the problem before I was really puzzled by the poor little chap exhibiting this kind of behaviour after such a short time and a lifestyle that was almost as natural as possible for a domesticated animal.

 

[Chloe-V]

I had one do this and criboxed the posts. That seemed to stop him for a while but now he runs his teeth along the stable door when he's in.

I'd be looking at ulcers too, or at least eliminate it.

I did have a stressy filly get ulcers at 8 months old and I do know some drugs cause it in foals so wouldn't be impressed with suggestion that 'didn't think it could be gastric at that age' . Is the vet that said this particularly experienced with mares and foals ? Foals are a fairly specialised subject .

 

[fburton]

Can one buy cribbing collars in foal size??

 

[splashgirl45]

why on earth would you ask that. finding out the reason for cribbing is the most important and the last thing you would want to do is put one of those on a foal. horses crib for a reason, sometimes its dietary, sometimes stress, sometimes a physical problem such as ulcers, collers only mask the symptoms not cure them!!!!! and in my opinion should not be used...

 

[fburton]

Splashgirl45, I agree with everything you wrote. However, some people think they are beneficial, so it got me wondering whether the 'miracle' collar was also available for foals. If they are beneficial for adult horses, why would they not be for foals that crib?

 

[Magnetic Sparrow]

I really, really hope it would never come to that! We'd like find a way to persuade him not to want to crib.

Thanks anyway.

 

[JanetGeorge]

Get him scoped for ulcers, much commoner in foals than you would expect.

Ditto! Whenever we have a foal that needs treatment of any sort, my vet always puts them on medication to help prevent ulcers - any sort of stress can cause them in young foals!

 

[Chestnuttymare]

Splashgirl45, I agree with everything you wrote. However, some people think they are beneficial, so it got me wondering whether the 'miracle' collar was also available for foals. If they are beneficial for adult horses, why would they not be for foals that crib?

wouldn't say they are beneficial for adults either. horrible things!