windsucking

[emmilou]

Hi all.
right! have tried two full courses of colligone with no success at all

i dont no what else to try? ive used cribox, collars (which i hate) and various potions.
does anyone no of anything that might help? i hate collaring him but its the only option at the moment when he's stabled xxx

 

[AmyMay]

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i hate collaring him but its the only option at the moment when he's stabled xxx

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Do you have to??

Sorry if you;'ve been through all this already

 

[emmilou]

well, he's very persistant with it an he's in a barn at the moment. the others stabled dont really like him doing it plus, he destroys the stable door too! and the fence posts (a few came down already!) x

 

[sloulou]

my old horse is a windsucker and he has had colic many times over the years...

Collars really don't work for him (and clearly stress him out).

So the vet gave him an iodine injection (I think - maybe any vets here might know exactly what it could have been?) and he hasn't had it now for about 5 years...

Sorry if have got the wrong end of the stick - buit assumed yours is getting colic?

 

[emmilou]

no, strangely, he doesnt? he has had 2 bouts of choke (which brought on mild colic) but he's in good health other than the fact he windsucks x

 

[sloulou]

oh ok... well I don't think there is proof it is linked anyway!

As for the windsucking, we just ignore him - he does it on anything (in the field as well)... and on any surface (even concrete, if no other option!)

 

[emmilou]

oh god! theres two of him then! he's like that, anything that stands still long enought!
oh well, if i had my own yard or he was stabled furtur away i would, but i dont want him destroying the yard single-handed! x

 

[sloulou]

can you protect the bits of stable/ yard he used with something like hessian? Oddly mine always like to windsuck on a rug when it is over a stable door (obviously that was bad!). but something that might be tough enough to withstand the sucking might help?

No other horses have ever 'caught' it from him, so I don't think that would be a problem - there are two other windsuckers at the yard, both of which came to the yard already windsucking. oddly allthree of them are chestnut geldings (whether that makes any difference I don't know!)

Not sure what to suggest, really... x

 

[emmilou]

hmmm, will try doing that to his door and see. thanks. its odd that theres Nothing out there that can help?!

 

[the watcher]

I let mine get on with it, but have acheived a real reduction in cribbing/windsucking time by giving him masses of hay to play with (loose on the floor) in the stable and out in the paddock, and a Rennie or two after meals.

I feed a lot of fibre too, along with his soaked oats..I was warned that the oats could lead to an increase in stomach acid and discomfort, but there is no sign of this happening, just as well because windsuckers are not often good doers.

In the paddock electric fencing prevents too much damage, and he has one or two favourite fence posts that he tends to crib on, which we have left not electrified.

Can you fix something secure inside the stable for him to crib on, and then make every other edge and surface as unattractive as possible? My boy only cribs on the anti weaving grille -nothing else, and he doesn't damage that

 

[the watcher]

[ QUOTE ]

No other horses have ever 'caught' it from him, so I don't think that would be a problem - there are two other windsuckers at the yard, both of which came to the yard already windsucking. oddly allthree of them are chestnut geldings (whether that makes any difference I don't know!)


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Spooky - mine is a chestnut gelding too!

 

[emmilou]

well, he doest it off a variety of thing in his box anyway, its just very irritating and others hate it. i feel obliged to collar him. ive nevr heard of rennies tho?
does it help? x

 

[PLAYBOY]

the miricle collar is brilliant stopped my old boy and didnt seem to bother him to much and looks alot nicer than those metal ones ! also u can get the sheepskin fluffy strap covers to stop any rubbing x

 

[the watcher]

I am not sure which measure has actually reduced it, but an antacid after meals can't hurt...Gaviscon is also good..be sure to buy tablets that can be chewed and don't need to be sucked.
I know my boy's digestive system makes some horrendous noises (sounds like a rumbling tummy) and I would hate to collar him if that meant he couldn't relieve his discomfort

 

[sloulou]

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Spooky - mine is a chestnut gelding too!

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Is yours too emmilou??!

re: the rennie - I thought Coligone was a sort of ant-acid anyway? Although I expect rennie cheaper option!

 

[emmilou]

no, he's bright bay! sorry, ruined the link! did try the mirracle collar but he ended up with a bald ring round his neck. nice!
might try gaviscon too. everythings worth a try! x

 

[mcavity]

i have tried rennie aswell, it helped, he also has a food ball that keeeps him happy. Try putting a drain pipe over the door, stops mine??

 

[chriscrogul]

My bay tb gelding is a "sucker" too! In the field he's too lazy to walk to the fence so he has a couple of pony pals who obligingly take turns to let him use their backs! If I'm leading him and stop to chat for too long he gets me in a horsey "arm lock" with his neck so he can windsuck! It doesn't worry me at all, I think its his stress relief. I am equally unfazed by my 12yo daughters thumb sucking but it bothers other people! My husband sucked his thumb 'til he was 21, through peer pressure he stopped but then became a heavy pipe smoker; what would my horse turn to if I stopped him 'sucking? In the stable he doesn't crib bite but just hooks his chin over the door. When I bring him in at night he gets the hump if I tie him up to do him, better to allow him access to his door!

 

[Bounty]

With my windsucker i made sure I fed ad-lib hay, and avoided mollassed feed like the plague. A&P do nice unmollassed feed, or you could try the soaked oats. I bulked out the feed with chaff (again, as little mollasses as poss) and speedibeet. She had high fibre nuts in a treat ball so that she could trickle feed to a certain extent.
She still windsucked at feed time, but a definite improvement from a horse that windsucked almost 24/7.

ETS: the saliva is natures equivalent to coligone /rennie/ranitidine/settlex etc, so as long as the horse is foraging you shouldn't be needing these.

 

[XmisshorsestyleX]

We used to give a windsucking pony Rennie tablets which worked amazingly..

 

[air78]

Coligone has not stopped my boy, but I still give it to help with colic.
I do not use a collar......IMO they are cruel.

I just try to keep him busy with hay etc and a feed ball, but apart from that I let him get on with it; it makes him happy- who am I to argue!

Don't let the people at the yard bully you or make you feel bad about it. If they knew more about it, they would understand it is not contagious (sp), unless their horses are unhappy in the first place- in which case they should be ashamed of them selves!
If he's causing alot of damage to his door could you get some sort of thin rubber (stockboard?) to nail over the top?

 

[emmilou]

thanks everyone for the andvise. really helpfull. i think i will uncollar hima nd try covering his stable door.
just a quick question tho?
how many/much rennie's should i give him?
thanks xxx

 

[air78]

I give about 4, I break them up and put them in his feed.
I don't think you can give too many!
I was thinking of trying gavisgone liquid?

 

[druid]

Gaviscon works really well given as 50ml orally syringed before feeidng (or use cheaper "Acidex" from Boots!)