Suddenly crib biting?!

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

Once things start to go wrong, they snowball! Pony 1 came down with mild laminitis 48 hrs ago. Both ponies have been off the grass and shut in the yard, but not shut in the stable because I only had one stable in use. I've bust a gut clearing out the second stable, and now I have two beautiful, deeply bedded stables.

BUT. Pony 1 is still turning somersaults if I try to shut her in (because the partition between the stables is too high for her to see over easily). And after 4 minutes, pony 2 started crib biting! I've had this pony 7 months, never ever seen this behaviour from her before. (Never shut her in a stable before).

A 13yo pony must have learned this behaviour at some point in the past- she wouldn't just randomly decide to start? It's not something I've somehow done to her, right?!

Anyway, both ponies are back out on the yard. Sigh. I'm a bit annoyed with myself for not specifically asking this question when I bought her. But equally, I did get her vetted, and the vet would have asked a generic "any known medical issues or vices" question. Do you think a seller is obliged to divulge something like crib biting if they're not SPECIFICALLY asked about it?

 

[Upthecreek]

Was the pony definitely stabled in her previous home? If not the seller may not have been aware. The reason you haven’t seen the behaviour before is because she hasn’t been stabled in the 7 months you’ve owned her. They can start doing it at any age and the stress of being shut in without being able to see her companion after being out 24/7 for 7 months would trigger it. It’s a stress response to a situation they dislike or find uncomfortable just like box walking or wind sucking.

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

Was the pony definitely stabled in her previous home? If not the seller may not have been aware. The reason you haven’t seen the behaviour before is because she hasn’t been stabled in the 7 months you’ve owned her. They can start doing it at any age and the stress of being shut in without being able to see her companion after being out 24/7 for 7 months would trigger it. It’s a stress response to a situation they dislike or find uncomfortable just like box walking or wind sucking.

You're right, I don't know for definite that she was ever stabled in her previous home. So maybe (like me until today!) they just never saw it.

 

[be positive]

They can start cribbing at any time, one of mine started after a stressful stay in hospital, he returned with a serious mouth injury and struggled to drink, he was seen to crib one morning and I immediately called my vet and got him onto gastrogard as I suspected ulcers, he stopped and has shown no signs since, there is a definite link to ulcers, stress can bring on ulcers and in turn the cribbing, your pony may never have been in such a stressful situation before so I don't think you can blame the previous owners for not disclosing it, mine had been with me for several years, had lived in at night every winter, had been on box rest for 2 months with no sign until he was tipped over the edge by the negligent treatment at the vets.

Having 2 ponies so attached to each other is a problem that really needs addressing, although now is not really the time to do it, get them used to being in, having short periods of time apart so they are not so stressed if something happens will help for the future.

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

pony 2 (crib biter) is a ridden pony, and pony 1 is a non-ridden companion. So pony 2 does get taken out by herself 20-40 mins 2-3 times a week. Pony 2 never makes a fuss about this (but she's not the one being left behind!) Pony 1 always box walks, but when she's well I just give her a small amount of hay and leave her to it (often we're only in the field, in sight of the stable). How would you approach the problem differently? (sorry- that sounds totally arsey. I promise it isn't, I trust your advice, it's a genuine question!)

I've tied pony 2 on a post and rail fence (on baler twine obvs ) out of sight of pony 1, she's never cribbed. This is why it seemed to coincide so exactly with me shutting the stable door. Like, I shut her in, I walked round to the other stable, let myself in, and in that time she'd already started. I let her straight out, and she's not done it again, despite having lots of suitable fence posts/rails available. She probably is a bit sad not to have been in the field for 48hrs, but surely she's not excessively stressed about it? She's got a lovely sized yard to wander round, a bit of hedge to nibble, adlib soaked hay, and a companion. Ugh, I give up for tonight!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Can you lower the stable partition so that they can see each other?

 

[Not_so_brave_anymore]

Can you lower the stable partition so that they can see each other?

It's sollid concrete ?