Managing a windsucker/cribber

jenbleep

jenbleep

Well-Known Member
Joined
9 November 2005
Messages
14,674
Location
North West
Visit site
Hi all :)

I was wondering if you had any pointers about looking after a horse that windsucks.

I know a horse who usually wears a collar, but has been without one for a few weeks. If he's in the stable he doesn't, as he always has hay and he has no door to grab hold off (he has one of those chains across the door, or course the door is there it's just not closed in the summer!) As soon as I bring him out to tie him up he starts grabbing the fence and sucking, makes a horrible burping noise. He sometimes fall to sleep when I am grooming him, but he really is always doing it.

I don't see him in the field all that often, but when I do he's always eating and nowhere near the fence :)

He is on a low starch diet (just cubes and some chaff) and has Gasti-Aid (NAF) I believe.

Perhaps he should have a lick when he's by the fence? I don't bother shouting at him because it's a waste of time (and he's not being naughty per se) and I ignore the behaviour, but it's bad for his teeth and the fence!!

Any ideas? Do you find it difficult to manage a horse that windsucks or does it not bother you? Have you found livery yards not happy about stabling a horse with this vice?
 
Mine's a windsucker, and like yours will use any surface to do it on (lead ropes included!). Livery yard is great about it, and try and make sure he isn't without hay. Am now going down the road of scoping as wouldn't be surprised if there were ulcers at play.
 
I had a gelding that cribbed for most of his life. He lived to age 30 and his teeth were great. We took everything out of the stable that he could get his teeth on and, like your's, he had a chain across the door. I did have him in a collar for a while when we moved yards but I hated this and so did he. He was dark bay and, where the collar was fitted, his coat went grey. I eventually brought him home when we moved to our own yard and we dispensed with the collar altogether. As long as he had food he was not bothered to crib. We now have a friend's mare at home with us who cribs just like my gelding did. It doesn't bother us and the horse seems happy. The only thing I would say is that there is much written about horses who crib having stomach ulcers so maybe a chat with your vet maybe of some help.
If you want to save your fences from being damaged - get a length of drainpipe and split it down the length of one side and push it onto the rail - this might help.
 
I have a cribber who was chronic when I bought him and now isn't too bad, I tried the collar which made him box walk and chew wood and be very grumpy so it got taken off again.

As long as he is on decent pasture when out with others and a high fibre diet (alpha a, high fibre cubes and a bit of speedibeet) he seems to be doing okay. Supplements wise I found that a mix of Yea-Sacc and Linseed seem to be the best. I have tried a trial of gastroguard to check for ulcers with no luck so didn't try scoping. I also found out from a sales record (ex-racer) that he has cribbed since 2 so I'm either awful and he's had ulcers from 2, or it is habitual... He is also a bit of funny one as he actually like the security of his stable, so I have to be careful when he's turned out 24/7 as he can drop weight in the 2-3 weeks after full turnout period.

As for yards that don't like cribbers/windsuckers, if they don't like them or enforce rules I don't want to be there tbh. I've been lucky and had no problems finding a yard, last 2 yards have also let me put rubber tops on his metal round his stable too. I always make sure he has a lick or something to play with/eat at all times to keep him distracted.
Moving to a yard with a strict routine helped too, as he knew what to expect and when rather than being stressed when things might happen if that makes sense? He is a creature of habit and still normally has an afternoon nap!
 
Last edited:
Zuzzie said:
I had a gelding that cribbed for most of his life. He lived to age 30 and his teeth were great. We took everything out of the stable that he could get his teeth on and, like your's, he had a chain across the door. I did have him in a collar for a while when we moved yards but I hated this and so did he. He was dark bay and, where the collar was fitted, his coat went grey. I eventually brought him home when we moved to our own yard and we dispensed with the collar altogether. As long as he had food he was not bothered to crib. We now have a friend's mare at home with us who cribs just like my gelding did. It doesn't bother us and the horse seems happy. The only thing I would say is that there is much written about horses who crib having stomach ulcers so maybe a chat with your vet maybe of some help.
If you want to save your fences from being damaged - get a length of drainpipe and split it down the length of one side and push it onto the rail - this might help.
Click to expand...

What a really nice, enlightened approach :) I'm not surprised your horse lived a long happy life with you. It is lovely to hear of someone being tolerant of the horse's quirks.
 
We have a couple on my livery yard. One of the retirement liveries does it but he now has a full partition wall between him and his neighbour, and carpet etc over the top of his door. He doesnt do it when at grass thankfully.
Another, sadly does it everywhere and anywhere. She is only just 4 and its heartbreaking for the owner. it has been her owners choice to have her in a collar in the stable, which works well however, she does it CONSTANTLY in the field, which is causing a lot of damage and also the other liveries are starting to now complain :-( we are trying to think of a good solution to keep everyone happy - we dont want her in the collar in the field as we dont feel thats fair on the horse, at the moment we are thinking of trying her with a grazing muzzle on when out?

the owner of the said horse did post at the start of the year on a horsey facebook group and some of the responses were crazy - such as covering her stable walls in liquid manure..... we didnt try that one!
 
One of mine windsucks. He is a stress head and very oraly fixated - he plays wth any and everything.
At the yard I am currently at, he wears a collar pretty much 24/7, which I hate doing however that is the rules I agreed to when I took him there. He tries to windsuck when he is first bought into the stables, but after realising he isn't getting anywhere, goes and finds something else to play with. He has ad lib hay and is turned out into a large paddock every day. In summer, he is at a friend's place and their fencing is different, so he gets lives in the paddock 24/7 without the collar.

So far his teeth are fine and it doesn't affect his weight at all, but I think he will always be a windsucker. I will just have to adapt my management plan depending on the conditions.
 
I have been lucky in that all the places I have been have been very tolerant. I accept that cribbing is part of my horses nature, and have catered accordingly. We have a corner feeder with additional support so that she can crib on it, a wooden bar across the door which serves 2 purposes and a piece of pipe over the door to protect it.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top