Sick of horse cribbing!!

[hroes]

I have a 20 year old tb who will not stop cribbing! He's been doing it since before he arrived at the yard where hes been over 10 years. He has tiny top teeth because hes worn them down and his belly is constantly swollen and sore! The only thing I've found that works is Tabasco sauce on his door which made him less sore on his belly and happier but now hes cribbing on anything he can find including the stone walls! He even does that cribbing 'grunt' when hes not chewing on anything! What else can I do?? What could be causing him to crib so much!

 

[bonny]

probably nothing except learnt to live with it....he's not going to stop after 20 years, turn him out as much as possible, 24/7 if you can.

 

[hroes]

probably nothing except learnt to live with it....he's not going to stop after 20 years, turn him out as much as possible, 24/7 if you can.

When he's turned out he'll just stand by the fence and crib on it. Just worried he might get colic eventually.

 

[Frozen Hoof Boots]

I read the other day that giving hay before hard feed can help. I personally would be looking at gut health. Some cribbers have undetected gastro ulcers.
My mums horse was a ex racer and cribbed worse after hard feed. She colicked regularly and it ended up killing her. She was 20 when she died. That was 20 years ago now and looking back she had all the signs of ulcers but then it wasn't a known issue like it is now.

What are you feeding. It needs to be fibre and more fibre...

 

[bonny]

After 20 years I wouldn't worry about colic, just ignore it if you can.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Take a deep breath - investigate the possibility of stomach ulcers, keep the horse out as much as you can with ad lib forage and let the horse crib.

ETA. http://myhorse.com/blogs/horse-care/dentistry/consider-ulcers-horse-nutrition-to-combat-cribbing/

 

[putasocinit]

Turnout, lots of hay in box, change stable so he can see more, check for ulcers poor boy, feed acidosis, cribbing is a way relieve an ache, not because they are naughty

 

[AmyMay]

Agree about checking for ulcers.

 

[Dreamer515]

i have a 19year old ex racer who cribbs. its a habit they pick up from being stressed and even if they arent stressed no more chances are you will never stop them. we had to use a cribbing collar at our old yard but that made him worse and because he had a bodged up wind opperation from before i got him it didnt sit right and rubbed him, hence why we moved him. ive had him 9 years now and never has he had collic or been ill with it however i know someone who had a collicky cribber and they used to put a grazing muzzle on her when turned out which seemed to work. i let mine get on with it as i think if its stressed released then not being able to crib will make him even more stressed, but as i said he doesnt get ill with it.