windsucker/cribbers- would you buy one?

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sjfan5555

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Hi,

Ive have had a horse on trial for a fews weeks.
Nice horse fab breeding great big jump, free schooling over 1.40m but only problem is she wind sucks/ cribs.

For the first 3 weeks she was fab but then one day she was really nappy and started rearing and was resistant to leg pressure. she kept trying to bite my foot and was girthy to saddle up. never put ears back just not happy/comfortable.

A couple of days before she sarted rearing she was in season and was fine- really easy.
shes been in season twice in last 5 weeks? is that normal?

Gave 10days off and rode last night-reared up when got on. kicked her on and then she reversed and reared into a ditch. wasnt happy with leg going on and nappy.

was skinny when got her but now look heathier and a nice shine and body condition.
She had rain scald as was out all winter.
She had a nice attitude up until this rearing. Shes six and all ive been doing is hacking walk and trot and one session of jumping (loose).


Teeth back ok.
Fed oats, balance and alfa a, red cell, salt.

I really like her but not sure if maybe
1. ulcers
2.hormones

dont know what tp do as have to make up my mind about her asap.

If anyone had a windsucker/cribber who has ulcers and did they heal up with gastroguard etc?
thanks
 
My cob wind sucks and it doesn't effect him at all, he only does it whist eating his breakfast/dinner though.
 
Reading your post literally, the problem doesn't seem to be the wind sucking as the (pretty serious) deterioration in its behaviour. Unless you have the skill/time/money to sort this horse out, and as you have it on trial, then I would return the horse. There are plenty more out there.

That being said, if you want to persevere, have a look at changing diets (not sure why on oats if not in high workload); look at high fibre diet (forage alone, or high fibre/low starch mixes/cubes). I was concerned last year my mare had ulcers as she was colicing fairly frequently and I did of lot of on-line searches. The bulletin boards are full of people who have spent thousands on treatment (scoping, gastroguard, antibiotics), not always successfully. If it seems a bargain horse for its ability maybe someone already knows there is a problem?

Also check saddle, back etc as especially girthing up is a problem.

You seem pretty stoical about a horse which rears - if it was me it would be gone.

In response to your actual question - if it was just wind sucking and I was stabling on my own premises (some livery yards don't want them) and everything else was fine - health, vet check, performance and behavior, then I could live with it as long as price reflected the fact.
 
Yes, I'd buy a windsucker/cribber if the horse ticked all the boxes.

Gave 10days off and rode last night-reared up when got on. kicked her on and then she reversed and reared into a ditch. wasnt happy with leg going on and nappy.
Click to expand...

However I wouldn't buy the horse you have described.
 
This sounds like my mare, she is in season a lot and nappy and reared and sensitive to the leg, I had her back and teeth checked and all was ok, however it turned out she had kissing spine and the vertabrae were touching, its just a thought.

When a horse rears there has to be a reason and personally I would not touch a horse that rears, although I still have mine! since shes had the treatment she no longer rears.

I also looked at a horse that windsucked and loved it but as my horse in on livery the yard would not have a windsucking horse on the yard, I tried other yards and found the same response so couldn't have her in the end.
 
No problem with windsuckers/cribbers, but massive problem with rearing. It sounds like the windsucking is the least of the horse's problems, so I'd personally be very careful with a horse such as this .....
 
My first thought on reading your post is that you are feeding a lot of high energy food stuffs and tbh, oats + red cell would be quite an explosive mix anyway. Even normally sane horses can go OTT on red cell If you like this mare I would actually review your feeding, cut out the red cell immediately and move her gradually over to just something easier like nuts.

As for the cribbing - you don't say how severe it is and if you can manage it to a degree. There are some horses who, with access to plenty of forage will reduce it right down, there are others for whom the only way to stop is by putting a collar on. That becomes contentious as you are obviously masking an issue not sorting it but at this time, there is no definitative answer as to what causes this behaviour so no absolute answer. Some people have managed to sort it by using things such as Rennies. I did have a cribber and while he wasn't too bad, he was fixated so I ended up using a miracle collar (padded with sheepskin) on him. While I was fully aware I wasn't actually sorting out his problem (and we did try everything), having seen 3 horses go down with surgical colic, directly attributed to their cribbing, I decided that the collar was the lesser of 2 evils. Would I buy again? only if I felt it was a truly fantastic horse and the cribbing was not that manic (i.e would not have to find a post in the field to crib on, or crib continually)
 
The cribbing wouldn't be an issue for me. Would be sensible to rule out things such as ulcers, but often these things are ingrained habits you cannot get rid of. I would steer completley clear of a cereal diet and feed fibre only.
I think you need to worry more about the behavioural issues. To be honest, unless she's an absolute bargain and you have the time and knowledge to try to get to the bottom of it, I would send her back :( Rearing horses are no fun and why spend your money on one you now know does this when you can more than likely find one much more suitable.
 
I've taken on a cribber on loan and it doesnt affect him at all (i've just found Cribox which is amazing!!) however with the other behavioural problems you have mentioned, this would put me off the horse. You have to think in the long run whether it is something you think the horse will grow out of it or whether these problems are a long term thing and i'd want to know why the horse has started rearing.
 
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