Would you consider buying a windsucker

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Well I've learned something! I thought crib biting was chewing the surfaces and wind sucking was gulping air with or without holding onto something

I agree with your definition, and with IHW, if I knew the horse and it did the job, wind-sucking could be something I could live with. It would put me off viewing an unfamiliar horse. Cribbing I don't mind, I'm used to everything, especially my hands, smelling and tasting of crib-box.

 

[Casey76]

same having stabled next to one.

I had a cribber temporarily stabled next to B (about 3 months), and it totally destroyed my enjoyment at the yard. He was excessive though, and would crib constantly - up to 10-20 times a minute at feed times, but even at non-feed times he would crib constantly. If there wasn’t a solid surface for him to grip on to, he would crib on ropes, haynets, literally anything he could rest his teeth on.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

A few points.
1. 'Windsuckers' do not gulp air - been disproven.
2. Crib-biters don't gulp air either.

What they are doing is gripping on to something (or nothing) to help them swallow saliva, to buffer acid in their stomachs. They have learned this as a rather pitiful attempt to stop acid burning/ulcer formation when not given appropriate access to forage and/or exposed to stress.
Dogs can salivate without biting something, but horses need to bite, even if it's just clamping their jaw in windsucking.

I would have a windsucker or crib biter in a heartbeat, give them a soft surface (rubber covered if possible) to do it, feed them to reduce any acid/ulcer risk and enjoy them.

And the ultimate cruelty is fitting a cribbing collar - should be banned on humane grounds.

Thanks for posting that. Interesting that they don't actually gulp air at all, I'll remember that. I'm also glad that someone else is anti those awful collars. I also read about an anti cribbing operation that was developed and that appalled me too.

Google found this about the operation.

https://thehorse.com/114251/how-effective-is-cribbing-surgery/

 

[Shilasdair]

Thanks for posting that. Interesting that they don't actually gulp air at all, I'll remember that. I'm also glad that someone else is anti those awful collars. I also read about an anti cribbing operation that was developed and that appalled me too.

Google found this about the operation.

https://thehorse.com/114251/how-effective-is-cribbing-surgery/

I knew a dressage horse that had the operation (this was about 30 or more years ago). You could see his cut muscle in his neck - and he still crib-bit.
I have never understood the point of treating (harshly) the symptoms and not the cause.