How tight to fit a cribbing collar? Please help

[Nari]

Following a bad colic that my vet is almost certain was caused by his cribbing my horse is now wearing a cribbing collar

. I've always hated & avoided them so don't really know how tight I need to fit the damn thing - it's the old fashioned nutcracker type. YO says as tight as I can get it but that looked like it was strangling him

so I loosened it off a bit. Please can someone give me a guide?

 

[PapaFrita]

Ah, well PF cribs and has had colic twice however, vet is convinced that in her case the colic was caused by her intolerance to cubes (apparently this is quite common) causing a buildup of gas. I put a collar on PF during the day and just tight enough to discourage her unless she's really really desperate. Don't fit it when neddie's got his head down or it'll be too tight when he brings it back up. Some horses do need a tight collar for it to be effective, but personally I'm just trying to slow PF down.

 

[PapaFrita]

Sorry, meant to add that since changing her diet, she's been absolutely fine, so I think vet was probably right

 

[Nari]

Thanks, especially for the tip about fitting with his head up! I'm glad PF has been fine since you stopped the cubes, unfortunately Jim seems to do it whatever he's fed, even on 24/7 summer turnout, but like you I'd settle for just slowing him down at the moment. It's the first time he's colicked & I know the extra stress of being parted from his friend had made him crib more (they're back together now but that means out of a herd - any ideas on how to make an ID share nicely?!) but since he's had his cribbing stopped he seems generally calmer so I think there may have been a low-grade problem for a while.

Thanks again.

 

[the watcher]

Sorry, can't advise on the fit, i have one for my crib-biter/windsucker, but can't bear to use it on him as he becomes sooo depressed the minute it is put on, and I worry that he can't relieve digestive discomfort.
Coligone has had many good reports, and may help..I just make sure my horse has access to forage 24/7 and the peace and quiet to eat it, this seems to help (oh, and a Rennie after his meals)

 

[horsegirl]

I would recommend the leather "miracle" collar rather than the metal one. Someone on Ebay sells them for about £20 and although they are a bit stiff at first mine is nice and flexible now.

 

[Heidi1]

Sorry can't help with the collar, but try Coligone www.coligone.co.uk or PM H's Mum, honest it is worth a try......

 

[PapaFrita]

Oh, how horrible for you. I used to have a horse that colicked quite frequently and I was always worried sick about her! I'd forgotten about Coligone, but I think it's an excellent suggestion and certainly worth a try

 

[Nari]

Thanks for the Coligone suggestion everyone but I've already tried it. It seemed to help for the first few days, though I had to hand feed him, but after that he refused to eat anything with it in even if I left the feed in overnight. Mind you that was better than the other cribbing/digestive supplements I've tried - he doesn't believe in making my life easy!

Management wise he gets daily turnout, adlib hay & usually no cereals (not that this seems to make any difference to him so he gets Tiger Oats when working more). Luckily he doesn't seem at all stressed by the collar, just eats more hay which as far as I'm concerned is a good thing.

Someone had said to me that the miracle collars were more severe - have I got that wrong?

Thanks for all the replies and ideas!

 

[k9h]

Had mirical collar for my lad. He omly cribs when eating. Put it on fairl tight & he culd still cribs so everyday I kept going up a hole. Ended up so tight that it dug into his ears at the front so I threw collar away as lad doesnt have any adverse reaction to cribbing doesn't affect him in anyway & as isaid only does it when eating. Told Mirical collar people it didnt work & hey said well you didnt have it tight enough. So I explained I had it soo tight it has cut into his ears. They still insisted that it must be tight & that it must need to be so tight to stop him! I hung up. That was 7 years ago so they my of changed the design a bit but a I don't know??
Sorry not been much help to you!

 

[Nari]

k9h at the moment any feedback is a help! I shall play around with my old fashioned collar & see how loose I can fit it but still stop him swallowing air & try to get enough electric round his field that he can't crib when he's out. Damn horse makes me feel bad even though I know it's for his own good!

 

[Acolyte]

Oh dear, horse I bought yesterday cribs - now I'm panicking he is going to colic, even though I have known him a year and he hasn't done yet

He wears what I always thought of as an ordinary crib collar - doesn't even seem very tight to me, but it stops him cribbing completely.

Oh dear, really worried now - I've changed his diet from mix and chaff to nuts and chaff, would nuts be worse for colic do you think?

 

[the watcher]

My crib biter is 12 and he has done it al his life, and never had colic.

Mix or nuts - makes no difference IMO if the ingredients are the same. The only thing that seems to agree with mine is a lot of fibre (ad lib hay, speedibeet and alfalfa in his case, together with soaked oats) and the probiotic in Pink Powder..and a Rennie after meals to get him over the initial urge to crib bite.

I know there have been surveys that indicate that oats can cause more acid problems, but I haven't seen an increased incidence of crib biting in my boy.

 

[Acolyte]

Thank you - will get myself organised and get some sugar beet too, he always used to have it I believe