Miracle collar

[Nari]

Has anyone used one & do you find them more effective than the nutcracker type of cribbing collar? Any feedback would be wonderful as they are expensive but I'm getting desperate!

Please don't turn this into a for or against collars discussion. I already do everything I reasonably can but it doesn't seem to be enough & for his own safety I need to stop, or at least cut down, the amount he's cribbing.

 

[spaniel]

I know two people who have bough the Miracle collars. One got sent back and the other is stored away in a trunk. Neither worked Im afraid but they were bought for very confirmed cribbers.

 

[Evil_Cookie]

I can't help with the collars, sorry have only seen the nutcracker type... I just wondered if you'd tried that settlex/antacid stuff, can't blumin well remember what it's called now... Anyway someone on my last yard had quite a bit of success with it, cut her horses cribbing down by about half, still cribbed in the stable though... still might be worth a try?

 

[the watcher]

OK I won't start on the pro's and con's discussion..I have one if you would like to try it, put it on my horse once and he became so dejected I swore never to try it again so we have reduced his cribbing with diet. PM me if you want to give it a go

 

[AnnaJ]

Again, I've tried the Miracle Collar and it's gone back in it's box. My mare wears the nut cracker type collar but she's still cribbing. She's started to attack all the new fencing in her new field - my aunt is not best pleased about it!!!!

 

[charlie76]

I have one and it on mega tight for it too work, then it rubs her ears.

 

[k9h]

Was same as charlie76 for me. Had to put it on Nick so tight that it cut into the front of his ears even with sheep skin on & he could still crib then. Rang them up & they said that it was not tight enough. Still insisted that when I explained that it was cutting into his ears.
He only cribed after eating & never lost any weight or condition, so just left him to it.

 

[luckilotti]

had a friend who used one - it seemed to work however - as mentioned before - it has to be on very tight - and then it rubs, maybe you could try one - and loosen it with time and hope that your horse had got 'out of the habit' and as it was still on - just didnt do it as much?

 

[kcgibson]

my friend used one on her horse and it worked a treat, altho after reading previous posts, doesnt seem that anyone else has the same view! her horse would crib all the time unless the collar was on. you do need them on reasonably tight and my friends horse didnt have any probs with rubbing. as the leather stretches you need to tighten the collar until you eventually need a new one. As i said, it seems im the only one with a positive view so maybe borrow one (as suggested by someone earlier) and see for yourself. Just a thought but if it rubs can you get a sheepskin sleeve to put on the collar?? dont know if that would work or not??

 

[Nari]

The_watcher, thanks for the offer but I ordered one before I saw your post. It seems the company do a money back guarantee on them - & I checked on the phone that it really is a full money back guarantee - so I went ahead & ordered one since all I stand to lose is the postage.

Over the years I've tried loads of supplements but nothing seems to work. My nutcracker type of collar is on very tightly but he still manages to crib in it, though less than if he wasn't wearing it so it isn't useless. Also despite nearly giving myself a hernia doing it up he somehow manages to twist it in the field & I'm worried he'll strangle himself!

 

[madhector]

i know a horse that wears one and only needs it on quite loosly imediatly stops him cribbing, you can easily fit your hand under it it so loose, very odd, without it he cribs constantly

 

[tinker88]

my 2 friends horses wear them 24/7. Works so much better on them than the nut cracker type.

It is tight but looks more comfy than the nut cracker, poss try a prolight curb chain pad on the straps to relieve some pressure?? But they only crib when stabled and eaten every thing up!

My other friends pony managed to do it no matter what! He was a master at it! - even did it on her shoulder when showing in hand!!

Good luck.

 

[MagicMelon]

I have never used the nut cracker type ones as I think they are just horrid things. One my cribber - I tried the Miracle Collar. It did work, but only if I did it up really tight which I just wasnt happy with. She would stand there with her head held out because otherwise the leather bit dug into her throat. So yes it works, but made my pony so damn uncomfortable and unhappy I took it straight off again and its gathering dust in my tack room! (so I have one for sale if you do want to try it).

 

[Paint it Lucky]

Horses generally start cribbing when deprived of food, if your horse has cribbed along time then there's not much you can do but i know people who've stopped or at least seriously reduced the ammount their horses cribbed by giving them constant access to food, i.e. ad lib hay, loads of turnout. Try to make his life really interesting as cribbing can be a sign of stress. Ride him lots and vary his exercise, try not to upset him or be too hard on him. Is he stabled so he can easily see other horses (or has the yard manager isolated him for fear other horses will 'catch' his condition!) horses can't 'catch' cribbing, if they do copy him it's cos they're bored or lack food/stimulation, if they were perfectly happy they wouldn't copy him. Stabling him so he can see and even interact with other horses would be great, indoor barn stables with metal bars inbetween are great for this, he may crib because he is stressed at being isolated.

You say he needs to stop for health reasons but seriously, does he? Unless he's cribbing so much he won't eat properly then it won't really cause him much harm, he'll just need his teeth checked a bit more often as they can wear down easily from cribbing and may need easier to digest food, soaked cubes for example. When he's turned out try to make sure he has company and an interesting field! A nice big one where he can run around with good grazing and features! Not some barren flat square paddock with only grass, horses do not find this interesting, find one with some slopes in and a few trees or hedges.

Try to think why your horse cribs rather than how you must stop him. Sorry if i sound patronising, i'm sure you've tried loads of ideas already but i hope my suggestions help. Remember cribbing colars aim to prevent cribbing by causing the horse discomfort, and even pain if done up tightly, it's like kicking someone in the neck everytime they go to have a cigarette.

I nkow what i wrote above is idealistic and many yards just don't provide the things i suggested but try your best. If your yard manager is having a go at you for having a cribbing horse then reseacrh it's causes and tell her he needs more food/turnout. You need to treat the cause not the symptoms.

Sorry this is so long, hope it helps.

 

[Nari]

PaintedLucky I appreciate you're trying to help but I already do all I can & did ask that this didn't turn into for or against collars.

To answer your points:
- he has ad-lib hay at night & I mean ad-lib, there is always some left in the morning
- he's turned out all day (apart from riding time) every day in a large field that has natural hedges (good browsing!) & six others for company. One of these is his "baby" that I bought him as a companion when he was on another yard that didn't turn out in groups & who he's very fond of. He cribs in the field too so lack of company isn't a trigger.
- I try to ride him most days although a spell of foot problems & the weather has limited this recently but that hasn't altered his cribbing. His workload isn't that varied - mostly schooling - but that's because he isn't a very reliable hack & I value both our necks. Having said that he does short hacks a couple of times a week & genuinely seems to enjoy his school work.
- YO is a star, he has one of the best boxes on the yard! It looks out over his field as well as the whole yard & because people go past it a lot he normally gets plenty of fuss & kisses

. Again he has been in a barn system but it didn't reduce his cribbing & we had problems if he didn't like a neighbour because he will try & attack through the bars.
- the vets are convinced his cribbing is causing him to colic & while I think there may be other factors involved I agree it may be one factor. This means I really need to do something about the cribbing!
- diet wise he's on a mostly fibre diet - Luciebix, Speedibeet & Baileys Outshine. He was having Spillers Hi-Fibre cubes (soaked with his Luciebix) but I've stopped those for now. Cribbing/gastric supplements seem to have no effect whatsoever on him.
- handling wise everything possible is done to minimise stress. He's kept to a routine, although everyone fusses him only me & occassionally the YO handle him, & YO turns him out with horses she knows he gets on with (in her interests too as he's very large & very dominant!). Whatever field he's in he's always kept with "his" pony.

Basically I need to stop or reduce his cribbing & I'm running out of ways to do that without finding an effective collar