what is the best supplement for crib biters?

E

Evie and spec

Member
Joined
26 February 2017
Messages
15
Visit site
Before everyone says you should let your horse crib. I have tried letting him crib but it only causes him to get colic in the long run. Owned him for over 10 years and cribbing unfortunately has never been a good outcome for him. He's very happy on his yard and is not in any stress, it just now seems to have become a habit to the point where he won't graze anymore he will just stand and crib at the fence all day, so turning him out doesn't make a difference for him. When he wears his cribbing collar he still has the odd crib even though it's very tight, he's also worn his teeth right down and soon there will be next to nothing left of them. I've tried cribox but he now ignores it. Iv used squeaky toys on his stable door but he just bites them out the way, he has a weave bar up so he has less room to crib( doesn't stop him) so now I'm trying to find another alternative. I have seen online that there are supplements for cribbers was wondering if anyone has had any luck with them? Also to add he's on a fibre diet with ad/lib hay and Anple of turnout in a friendly herd. I am just wondering if anyone has tried any other tricks as I am now running out of ideas for him. Thanks
 
Thanks, he's a pain in the bum! He makes himself ill doing it, really bad habit. Had him since he was 4 and he's turning 15 this year so it's been a long battle that I'm yet to win!
 
The vet has said he shows Typical sign of ulcers and scoping has been considered but in the end both me and the vet have agreed to leave it and feed and care for him with the correct nutrition and supplements for a horse with ulcers without going down the route of scope and medical treatment just yet as we arnt sure whether he will just be back with ulcers again due to the excess of cribbing. And my vet has said to try get his cribbing down as it is causing him stomach issues.
 
So that will be difficult as you need to treat the potential ulcer problems to maybe help the cribbing? This podcast is a good listen about ulcers https://www.acast.com/horsehour/gastriculcersexplained-richardhepburn
Personally i think maybe he is in pain so he is cribbing because of that? So if you could help the pain could help the cribbing? I don't know how to do it the other way round x
 
My last horse was a terrible cribber and was very underweight. I was convinced he had ulcers so had him scoped and he was clear. Ironically I lost him due to multiple other issues but agree with above post - it can be a sign of pain. My boy dropped even more condition and his cribbing got much worse when he was in pain from the other issues. I feel for you, it's really hard to own a cribber, I hope you find a solution for your boy.
 
I don't think it is a pain thing with him which is why we chose not to have him scoped. We can tell when he is in pain with his stomach (ulcers if he has them) because he will refuse to eat kick you if you go near him and then have a colic ep.The vet has also agreed with us he is very over the top about anything close to pain which is why we don't think the cribbing is pain related. He is the kind of horse that will let you no if he has been bitten by a fly. I genuinely think he does it because he's bored. Weirdly enough he cribs less in his stable than he does out in the field. He's fed 2 big buckets morning and night simple systems fibre cubes, Timothy's chop, lucie pellets and also pink mash which are all great for the gut. He is also on a probiotic for his gut, brewers yeast, linseed, mint, a joint supplements (stomach friendly) and then 2 huge haynets so that his gut is constantly moving. I just want to no what methods there are other than what iv tried already to ease the cribbing thanks x
 
I have a cribber and I'm sorry to say I've tried lots of supplements and things to stop him doing it. Like you I treated him like he had ulcers and gave him gastro plus? or something but nothing made any difference. He was like yours and used to do it in the field as well as the stable and would spend half the day cribbing on the fence honking and the rest eating, so was underweight. The break through came when he had to move to a new yard and the yard manager asked me to put a collar on him. I was very against it but said ok as everything else at the new yard was great. Funny thing was after two weeks of wearing it, we took it off and he'd stopped doing it in the field. Have never been able to stop it in the stable but he just does it at meal times now. You say you have tried a collar and he still does it. Are you sure it's tight enough and have you left it on long enough? Before this happened with my boy I would never advocate using one but the difference it made to my boy was amazing. That was over two years ago and he occasionally cribs in the field in winter when he's eaten all his hay and there's no grass. Sorry no quick fix but I feel your pain!
 
He wears a cribbing collar everyday in the field but not in bed at night, I have a bit of a fear leaving it on him anymore than 8hours a day because a few years ago I put him on livery at a yard and went away on holiday, when I returned he was in the field and the cribbing collar had embedded in his neck! He need it cut out and stitched up. And the livery yard owners tried playing it down as if it happens a lot with cribbing collars which is doesn't with the correct care! So now I have a massive thing about how long I leave him with it. I still do it very tight otherwise it has no affect with him but I don't think I will keep it on him over night x
 
Can I add as well he's in good condition because of the amount I feed him, he's 14.2 and eats the amount a 17h horse would probably consume in a day. He drops weight fast though so his food and weight is always monitored and adjusted when needed. I don't no how to put in a picture but if anyone does no let me no and I will insert a picture x
 
Evie and spec said:
Before everyone says you should let your horse crib. I have tried letting him crib but it only causes him to get colic in the long run. Owned him for over 10 years and cribbing unfortunately has never been a good outcome for him. He's very happy on his yard and is not in any stress, it just now seems to have become a habit to the point where he won't graze anymore he will just stand and crib at the fence all day, so turning him out doesn't make a difference for him. When he wears his cribbing collar he still has the odd crib even though it's very tight, he's also worn his teeth right down and soon there will be next to nothing left of them. I've tried cribox but he now ignores it. Iv used squeaky toys on his stable door but he just bites them out the way, he has a weave bar up so he has less room to crib( doesn't stop him) so now I'm trying to find another alternative. I have seen online that there are supplements for cribbers was wondering if anyone has had any luck with them? Also to add he's on a fibre diet with ad/lib hay and Anple of turnout in a friendly herd. I am just wondering if anyone has tried any other tricks as I am now running out of ideas for him. Thanks
Click to expand...
Have a chat with the people at Equinox, a lot of people have had success with their products. They do one for ulcers.
 
I also have a cribber, he's now 10 and I have had him for 6 years. He's an ex-racehorse and he's always cribbed. I have not had him scoped for ulcers, however I suspect that he may have them although he doesn't show all the classic signs so like you, I treat him as if he has them. I find that what works for him is a forage based diet (also feed Simple System) including Green Gold, Top Nosh (great for condition!), Total Eclipse and grass nuts. He is also on Feedmark Gastric Comfort which I have actually found helps him. Mine has plenty of hay fed from the floor so it is as natural as possible, and I feed at the back of the stable so if he wants to crib he has to move away from his food (very lazy TB who would rather stuff his face and watch the world go by through his rear window!) and I find that stable toys, such as a treat ball with grass nuts in it, heps to distract him. He does have a window at the back so he can still look out. I have also covered the top of his stable door with 12mm rubber sheet (can try and post a photo if you're interested) so that when he does crib it does at least limit the damage he does to his teeth. I know that he does sometimes crib in the field, but I try to limit this by reducing the number of wooden fence posts I have and replacing them with electric stakes. We have electric tape rather than wooden rails which does help. I have to say that I find pain does affect my horses cribbing, and it doesn't have to be pain from his tummy. For example, I changed my farrier recently because the last one was shoeing him too tight at the heel which was making him mildly lame intermitently. During this time he was cribbing so much that he wasn't eating overnight. Since changing farrier he's sound again and his cribbing has reduced dramatically. I'm never going to stop him from doing it, but I find that this routine does help to keep it to a minimum.
 
Evie and spec said:
He wears a cribbing collar everyday in the field but not in bed at night, I have a bit of a fear leaving it on him anymore than 8hours a day because a few years ago I put him on livery at a yard and went away on holiday, when I returned he was in the field and the cribbing collar had embedded in his neck! He need it cut out and stitched up. And the livery yard owners tried playing it down as if it happens a lot with cribbing collars which is doesn't with the correct care! So now I have a massive thing about how long I leave him with it. I still do it very tight otherwise it has no affect with him but I don't think I will keep it on him over night x
Click to expand...

God that is awful!!!!!
 
10 years of this and now you're looking for a supplement? Bit long to wait...
In my opinion there's a few management things that are wrong by the sound of it. Excuse me if I haven't read every comment made too. This behaviour will happen forever. There are things you can do to minimise it but a supplement alone or any other combination of management will not eradicate the behaviour only lessen it.
The horse needs a course of something even if you don't want to scope there's more than likely something going on there; I would try Abler Omeprazole from USA. Otherwise, this would be my approach:
24/7 turnout with adequate grazing and company. Move if need be.
No collar.
Feed- less sugar and starch the better. Linseed with a good simple molasses free chaff and a supplement like Protexin or equimins Probiotic.
Forage low in starch and sugar at all times.
Chaff given before exercise.
If you travel him or an event occurs that is potentially stressful, give him some Coligone.
Speaking from experience, looking after the horse as if they're ulcered to the eyeballs will help immensely.
 
throughtheforest clearly you haven't read all the posts. He can't go out 24/7 as it makes him crib more to the point where he will spend 24 hours of the day cribbing relentlessly. He is put out every morning at 5am and brought in at 5pm through winter months brought in at 3pm due to darkness. he is fed on a probiotic for his gut, brewers yeast for his gut and stress levels, linseed for his weight and skin, he is fed on a very low sugar starch diet which consists of, simple systems timothy's chop, simple systems fibre cube, simple system lucie pellets and also key flow pink mash which is also great for the hind gut. he is always fed before being ridden, and never is left without hay. I have tried everything with him, 24 hour turnout which leads to colic and he doesn't enjoy long periods out and he never has. He is in a large field with a heard that get on great. nutrition wise or care wise he can't have anymore done for him, he's on all supplements for a uclery horse + feed, i am just after a supplement if there is one to reduce cribbing alone. may i add as well he has a treat ball in his stable at all times with lucie nuts in to keep him busy.
 
I have looked at equinox a few times now and it sounds really good but no one i no has used it so iv been 50/50 with whether i should buy it. Do you no anyone who's tried it? x
 
Evie and spec said:
throughtheforest clearly you haven't read all the posts. He can't go out 24/7 as it makes him crib more to the point where he will spend 24 hours of the day cribbing relentlessly. He is put out every morning at 5am and brought in at 5pm through winter months brought in at 3pm due to darkness. he is fed on a probiotic for his gut, brewers yeast for his gut and stress levels, linseed for his weight and skin, he is fed on a very low sugar starch diet which consists of, simple systems timothy's chop, simple systems fibre cube, simple system lucie pellets and also key flow pink mash which is also great for the hind gut. he is always fed before being ridden, and never is left without hay. I have tried everything with him, 24 hour turnout which leads to colic and he doesn't enjoy long periods out and he never has. He is in a large field with a heard that get on great. nutrition wise or care wise he can't have anymore done for him, he's on all supplements for a uclery horse + feed, i am just after a supplement if there is one to reduce cribbing alone. may i add as well he has a treat ball in his stable at all times with lucie nuts in to keep him busy.
Click to expand...

I did state that I hadn't.
The only things I can see that you haven't tried is medically treating for ulcers and Coligone. It's verging on impossible to stop the habit, only to improve the horse's comfort.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top