Windsucking? A harmless habit or a problem?

[seoirse]

We've recently taken a pony on loan and were warned when we took him on that he was a crib biter. It turns out he actually wind sucks, and quite frantically actually when he is stressed out. He is a 14hh native type, who has had laminitis once mildly in the past, so he's always been kept on restricted grazing. He is quite a stroppy boy and can be bolshy on the ground but is an angel to ride and safe for a novice 12 year old. We have just moved him into a new paddock on Sunday with electric tape all around and there is nowhere for him to windsuck. He seems totally content in the field and was laying flat out yesterday in a sunny spell. He seemed happy yesterday when I went to get him in but when we got him to the yard he was windsucking madly on the fence. On going back to the field he was quite calm and ate his hay. This morning apparently he was very grumpy and bit the girl that when to change his rug, then ran off round the field bucking (she hadn't put a headcollar on him to change rug which she should have done), so he's now out without a rug.
I'm beginning to wonder if the windsucking is actually a sign that there is more of a problem such as ulcers? I've never dealt with wind sucking or ulcers before though so know nothing about the link between the two, if indeed there is one?
If we can't suss this out the pony is going to have to go back unfortunately as we've had problems bringing him in due to him being bargy, he is now lots better and as long as an adult brings him in he's ok and the girl can then ride him. I'm beginning to wonder though if his stroppiness and general attitude is a sign there is something else going on in which case he is going to have to go back sadly.
Any thoughts would be most appreciated.

 

[Goldenstar]

Wind sucking and ulcers are linked and they have a higher rate of colic than non windsuckers ,and I would never ever take one on.

 

[Waltzing Matilda]

I have just taken a windsucker on trial. She was treated for ulcers many years ago and her general condition is good, so I think it is now a learned habbit which makes her feel good. she mainly does it if she doesn't feel.in control of a situation, and If u shout no at her she generally stops. So I am doing sum trust exercises with her so she can start to look to me for guidance and not worry about stuff!!

 

[seoirse]

I have just taken a windsucker on trial. She was treated for ulcers many years ago and her general condition is good, so I think it is now a learned habbit which makes her feel good. she mainly does it if she doesn't feel.in control of a situation, and If u shout no at her she generally stops. So I am doing sum trust exercises with her so she can start to look to me for guidance and not worry about stuff!!

This sounds similar to ours, his condition is good and he only appears to do it when he is unsettled or a bit stressed out but the grumpiness he can occasionally show has had me wondering if he is in pain especially as he was particularly grumpy this morning after a couple of days of not being able to wind suck?

To be honest I think we are fairly close to making the decision to send him back as we've spent weeks sorting out the leading in and out issue and now we've got another problem. The bottom line is he really isnt suitable for a child as we were expecting him to be. I'm just interested to learn something about windsucking while I'm faced with it!

 

[TJ&Ozzie]

My 22 year old TBxconn pony is a bad windsucker and has been for 16 years. He went out on loan whilst I did my GCSE's and came home a windsucker (I was livid!) A horse on the yard he was on did it and TJ being a young an impressionable little chap copied it! He does it in the field, in the stable and basically wherever here can. He is and always has been in good condition. The only way it seems to have effected him is his front teeth now don't quite meet so he has to have long grass and his hay in a rack instead of a net. We have tried everything to stop him but nothing has worked. He is and always will be a windsucker.