Life with a Windsucker?

[disco]

Hi All,
Can anyone tell me their experience of life with a windsucker?
I'm currently after a new horse, looked at a few that were not right for me, looked at one yesturday and it fits the bill perfectly - however - It's a windsucker. My field would be perfect for it as it has electric fencing all round. I have a stable plus there is one other horse at livery.
Is it a vice that I shouldn't let bother me OR should I not touch it with a barge pole?
Many Thanks

 

[rrose]

to be honest if this horse is what you have dreamed off and suits you down to the ground why not.

Good luck

 

[horsegirl]

windsucker or cribber? If it is a windsucker then the electric fencing won't help but as far as I know it is purely a habit originally developed through boredom, like nail biting in children.

 

[marmite]

I think she means cribber tbh thats why she said she has electric fencing.

My first horse i owned was a cribber to the point i penned her off with electric tape and i went to catch her and she latched onto my arm to do it i ended up with a huge grot.

I wouldnt go near another one personally as with ammeretti she would try to do it with a special collar round her neck and everything.
She did it while she ate which we think played a big part in the colic that killed her.
I put plastic guttering and piping all around all bits of her stable i could so her teeth would slide off but she mangaed to do it on flat bits of wood ect they will more or less find a way.

 

[disco]

It's a windsucker but they said it looks for something to hold on to then braces it's neck then gulps

 

[Tempi]

with a windsucker the electric fencing wont help, but with a cribber/windsucker it might as it will have nothing to crib/suck off when its in the field. Also those collars they sell are useless, so dont fall into the trap of buying one!!

 

[marmite]

could not agree more it did nothing for ammeretti if anything wound her up and made her want to do it more its not a habbit they really even grow out of ive never heard of a horse giving up this habit.

 

[Tempi]

there are however a lot of suppliments around that can help with cribbing (which sounds like its what ths one does) and my friend used one on her horse which reduced his cribbing/sucking dramitically. Havent a clue what it was called and she has since left my yard so ive no way of finding out, sorry!

 

[Supernova]

My boy windsucks. He only does it when eating hay though. If he's in stable he leans over the door and kinda pulls it towards him making strange noises. He also does it without the aid of something to lean against. He arches his neck and makes the horrid noise!!

I dont really see it as a major problem and if he is your dream horse in every other way I would go for it. The only problem you may find is with weight loss. I do struggle with my boy, and its a vicious circle, year round living out would be better but because of his breed he is needs to be stabled in the winter. I compromise as much as I can and keep him out for as long as possible, though obviously if he has hay out that doesnt solve the problem.

Now if the horse is a cribber, that's different. I wouldnt buy a cribber, they are destructive and cause constant worry with colic. I know someone with a cribber and even with a collar, he was a nightmare. Their fields had electric all around, and things hanging off gates etc so he couldnt crib and he was always coming down with colic. A constant worry as an owner.

Good luck, let us know if you buy him.

 

[jj_87]

As a Livery prospective an horse that cribs windsucks is hard to manage as it wrecks fencing ect and also it could cause tension on the yard by peoples horses supposedly catching a vice. We had a lovely ex race horse who cribbed on our yard about 3 years ago and the ruptions it caused on the yard were phenominal. Livery yards are very picky abouty horses with vices so just be careful

 

[PapaFrita]

If your YO doesn't mind, and horse is perfect in every other respect, then I'd buy it

I'm not sure windsucking IS 'infectious'; PF is the only horse out of 30-odd at our yard that windsucks and none of the others shows any signs of copying her.
I've heard Coligone is great at reducing windsucking too. Wish I could get it out here!

 

[horsegirl]

catch it? It's not a disease! It's a habit, a bad habit, but still a habit

 

[marmite]

She meant to copy it everybody else got it you seem to be very good at jumping on people and controdicting them.

 

[disco]

Thank you all, I have learnt some valid points here i.e my windsucker sounds more like it cribbs as well as windsucks. Also a very valid point re livery because as you rightly said people just dont want them on their yards and it causes who ha.
Many thanks again to all who replied!
I'll let you know what I decide to do.

 

[Weezy]

My best horse was a sucker - never gave him a moments prob in his life!

My current horse is on Coligone to assist with his windsucking - you can really tell when he hasnt had it!

 

[Baggybreeches]

My mums horse does both and apart from the odd mild episode of gassy colic when she is bored (off work) it does not cause a problem we have never had any of the horses copy her and we have had her for 7 years now. Sometimes her door hinges do give way because of the strain she puts on them when gulping but this has only happened twice in seven years. We even took off her collar as that seemed to make her do it more. Learn to live with it and you should be rewarded with an excellent horse, but do make sure the vice is reflected in the price.

 

[Boxers]

2 horses on our yard windsuck and they both wear a collar thing which goes over their ears and under their chin/neck. they both also have chains across their doors instead of having the door shut or a pole across.

One of them wears the collar in the field too but the other one doesn't as she doesn't do it outside

 

[Chambon]

Ive had one in the past, but I wouldn't ever have one again. I can't stand seeing them do it and I would worry about others copying.

 

[disco]

Thank you to all who replied.

With help from you guys I weighed it up and choose not to have the horse.

Good news though - I've now found a lovely mare, she suits me down to the ground AND SHE'S VICE FREE!