if a horse has just started to...

madhector

madhector

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..crib, is it possible with change of routine and home he might stop? only asking as going to see a horse tomorrow who looks fab, owner has been great, taken vids of legs and movement for me, but she just rang to say her daughter went out to the yard and heard a sound coming from his stable and thought he might be cribbing, (he wasnt when she looked in but she thought she should tell us just in case) he lives nextdoor to a cribber so may have just picked it up,

but my question is, if i liked him and ended up having him, if he has just started, how likely with a change of routine, and being away from the other cribber, and being in brick stables, is it that he will stop? also is it worth trying to offer a lower price because of it?

thanks
 
I suppose if he really has only just started doing it, it won't be much of a habit yet so could be stopped by finding the cause of it and removing/ treating that. But I think once it has become firm habit it's a hard thing to stop.
 
no not contagious, but might be copying
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That does partly depend on whether he has really just started doing it, or whether they concluded the chewed up wood and splinters in his chin were going to be a bit of a giveaway.

If he has just started he could well stop again..we had one wood chewer at the yard, then they all started doing it!
 
Its not really the wood thing thats an issue, its the crib biting.
If youre prepared to take on a crib biter/windsucker then go for it.
Just be prepared that she may not be telling the truth that it has just started, and whatever 'level' he is at now it will get worse when you move him. Now she has told you 'he may crib', he can crib for 12 hours a day when you get him home and there is no comeback on her.
I dont beleive that horses can copy cribbing.
Check the muscles around the windpipe - should give an indication of how much he does it.
 
The horse has been confirmed to you as a cribber so I would say I would have to assume that its been doing it for a long time and not just started.

Look for evidence of cribbing in ALL the stables not just the one he is presented to you in and pay attention to any odd looking wear on his teeth, heave lines on the horses sides etc.

Some sellers are very good at putting them selves across as lovely....many are far from it. (I do hope yours is genuine) Be wary.
 
I think you have to see the difference between a horse that nibbles on wood out of hunger, boredom or stress, and one that actually fixes on the wood or other surface (mine will do it on metal) and then gulps air.
However I agree that having been alerted to the possibility, you will have no comeback if yours turns out to be the worse kind of windsucker. There will be some significant development of the muscles under the neck in this case and the horse is like to be a poor doer..the way to see if it does it is to take away all forage and distractions and then just sit and wait..it is often more apparent immediately after a meal.

If the horse just nibbles wood I wouldn't be too bothered, but you will struggle to sell on a true crib biter as so many yards just won't have them
 
probably caught onto it, but with work and cribox, will probably stop, has he been out of work or kept in the stable for longer. crippbbing starts when bored, so maybe he just needs more stimulation
 
PF cribs and none of the horses on the yard (25) or my horses in the UK have copied her. She does it less when she's out, and more when she's eaten or has just eaten. It is a very annoying habit (the noise drives me mad!) although it doesn't seem to affect her health in any way. You could definitely ask for a reduction in price IMO. And it's a good idea to check for signs that neddy in question might've been cribbing for longer than the seller suggests.
 
Owen lived alone with Forrest for 9 months and Forrest was a chronic cribber, and there was never any sign of Owen picking it up even when he was on box rest after his back operation.
I really dont believe that it can be copied. Forrest also weaved and Owen never picked that up either!

If it really is true that he has only just started cribbing ( and I would be very wary of the seller if she has been saying that, she probably thinks she is making the horse sound more appealing for you) then you may be able to substantially reduce the cribbing through the correct diet ( no cereals and no sugar, and a antacid supplement) but a long term cribber its hard to make habits change much...
 
when i spoke to her yesterday she said he had no vices, she has been incredible helpful so far, spoke to her today and she said she had just heard it so wanted to let me know as coming a long way, she didnt see him crib and is watching him carefully from now on, so you never know
 
If the horse is perect in every way it really wouldn't bother about cribbing, box walking is by far the worst stable vice. It might have been the horse next door cribbing anyway my mum's mare has cribbed all the time we have had her and nothing she has been stabled next to has ever copied her, so I do not hold much weight with the 'learning from neighbours' argument.
 
Big lad is a confirmed cribber- he loves it! If I put his rug over the door so he hasn't got anywhere to get hold he gets really cross, and starts trying to throw the rug off!
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He will never totally stop, I have accepted that, but at the yard he is now at he cribs alot less- food and routine etc are the same, so I guess he just likes it where he is.
I think the key to his reduction is his management though, although it's been gradual over the past year- he goes out every day, is NEVER with out food, has a high fibre diet and has coligone.
I would think it odd that this new horse has just started overnight though
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; although I don't beleive horses copy or 'catch' cribbing, initially they just do it if they are unhappy.
 
cribbing is the horse's equivalant of smoking, as it releases chemicals into the horses body that makes them relax, although it is unhealthy for them.
There are many other methods to help prevent this, from cribbing collars, to "goo" to put on what they are cribbing off. If it has only done it once or twice then by making alterations to it's routine i would of thought that you could break it.
 
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