Help with crib biting!!

[Admin]

Subject : Help with crib biting!!
From : Christine
Date : 10.06.02 9:38:00 PM

Hi everyone. just wanted to ask if any of you have any remedies for puting on the wood in the stable, my mare has been biting all the wood ,she has to come in at night coz she sooo fat!!..
Although she has hay she obviously gets bored before I come to put her out in the mornings. This has become quite a prblem now as the stable is looking like someone has sanded all the wood.

So I need a rememdy that will stop her eating it all . I have tried al the ones from the tack shop, she likes them and last night we tried Mustard .. yes u guessed it she likes that too. lol

she has toys in her stable now but dosen't seem to bother with them. she is 6 and her teeth have been checked .


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Louise C
Date : 10.06.02 9:47:00 PM

Sorry, can't help with the biting, but can you put her into a starvation field for longer, she would have more space and be less bored?

Flynn loves the HorseLyx lickit, they are full of mollases, but shouldn't be eaten all at once or they get the runs!

I have heard there is a new product out which takes them longer to eat the hay, but other than that I can't tell you much about it! Worth asking at your local feed merchant about it though.

Louise


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From :
Date : 10.06.02 9:58:00 PM

It might be worth talking to your vet. Resent research done in this feild suggests that it could be to do with acid imbalance in the gut (some results with feeding andrew's antacid tablets has proven sucessful) This is particularly apparent in young horses and those fed on cereals. It might be worth checking it out just to make sure all is well. It may also be helpful to consider giving her an apple branch to chew on (10% of horses diets are naturally made up of browsing in trees/hedge rows). Have you considered her being able to choose to be in or out (taping of an area out the front of the stable) and ensuring she can touch/see one of her equine friends? I also find that horses need a little help to learn what the horse toys are all about - what sort of things have you give to her so far?


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Christine
Date : 10.06.02 10:43:00 PM

Unfortunatly the yard owner wont let me strip graze the field. I try to leave her out as long as I can , She is in a starvation paddock too. there are three horses in this paddock but they come in at three everyday. she will stay out on her own for a while longer I try to leave her till about seven. As there is a mare and foal in the next field , they come in at seven , she wont stay out much longer than that as she is then on her own.. cant blame her can you?..
I have a feed ball but seeing as she doesnt get any feed at all I am worried about her weight if I give this to her with feed in it. I tried peices of apple and carrots but they dry up and wont come out.

I am waiting for my friend to have her stables built next summer it will be now.they will have turn out all year round and will be much better for her then. so untill then I dont want to move her as she gets very upset by change.the other toys she has are a plastic bottle a cleaning brush .. an old rope hung up,
good idea about the apple tree branch , we have two apple trees in our garden and my husband is going to cut them back.. will have a word with the vet too. Thanks for your replies.



Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : rosemary_hannah
Date : 10.06.02 11:04:00 PM

Yes, nice things to chew a good idea - for the things she weally mustn't destroy, Bittrex - you can get it at vets or chemists, its horrible, but safe.


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Sara (Belgium)
Date : 11.06.02 8:39:00 AM

Perhaps a mirror would help her. There's an article posted on the 'Lesson with Kelly' section about how researchers at Liverpool university discovered it cut stable vices. I believe Martin Pipe the racehorse trainer has them with about 7 of his and it has stopped them weaving and crib biting.

You have to get special mirrors - I think they're perspex.

Is there no way you could persuade the other owners to keep their horses out all night? With stable vices the best cure is to try and remove the cause, which is usually (but not always) being stabled for too long for that horse. Some horses can happily live in others can't even stand being in for a few hours. Most are somewhere in the middle and can cope with a mix.

If it was an acid problem she would do it in the field too - I had a mare that cribbed constantly whether in a field with loads of others or in a stable so I suspect this could have been her problem. Have you checked the field fencing and has that been chewed too?


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : SK
Date : 11.06.02 12:53:00 AM

Try Tabasco!


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Christine
Date : 11.06.02 10:31:00 PM

yes thanks sara I have checked the field fencing today and there is no sign of any one been chewing at it.

The others can't leave there horses out they sufer from Laminitis . so she would be the only one in the field. and I can't put her in the bottom field as someone keeps opening the gate and shooing all the horses into the park. and no he wont let us put a lock on it, stupid man.

and sk tabasco sounds like it might work will give it a go.. also I have given her a bit more hay as there isnt much grass in that field now. so her weight wont go up dramatically. might try the feed ball too with high fibre nuts in..


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Alice
Date : 12.06.02 12:31:00 AM

Hi
I have a two year old that lives out 24hrs, and has so far chewed a garden gate, a cross country jump and finally post and rail fencing ( I don't think the yard owner is amused). He has loads of grass and three girl friends. Is this his age or his gut? I hadn't heard about this indicating an acid imbalance before, where can I learn more?

Thank you


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : sarahlou
Date : 12.06.02 1:42:00 PM

My horse started chewing his stable for the first time this winter due to him being in more often (as it was soooo wet!) and the fact that these stables are painted with a green fence paint and not creosote like the old ones. Anyway, apart from getting him out as much as possible (I know you can't do any more than what you are doing) we found that dolloping vasecline on the bits he has previously been biting stopped him. I guess he did it once, had a mouthful and decided better of it! I am sure it doesn't hurt, as we do put it on our lips, but tastes very wierd and sticky. He hasn't done it since....


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Sal
Date : 12.06.02 8:04:00 PM

I wouldn't describe my horse as a crib-biter, but he does chew wood - never when he is out in the field,orin the stable, but when he is tied up outside, or loose in the sand paddock, he will have a nibble. I put this down to the need to chew - I read somewhere that eating wood is a natural thing for horses and not to worry. After all, in the wild they would be nibbling on tree bark, etc. I suppose that's fine, until you end up with a half -chewed stable door and no field gate! I hate to see him doing it anyway because of the association with 'vices' and the colic issues, so I turn a blind eye when he's in the sand paddock - he's never out there for long anyway, and when he's tied up, I smear his favourite wooden chew areas with protocon (more expensive than vaseline, though - I think I'll get myself a pot!)I know someone whose horse was a chronic wood chewer and he solved it by smearing everywhere with creosote. It worked, but it really stinks.. and think he came a bit obsessional about it - you'd always see him with a tar-ridden paintbrush in his hand!


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Sal
Date : 12.06.02 9:01:00 PM

Just noticed this on Horse&Hound site...
Expert advice from HORSE magazine on curing a crib biting mare

Q: I have a 16-year-old 15hh Arab mare on loan. When she first came to me two years ago, she was a crib biter, but with plenty of turnout she seemed to stop.

Lately, however, she has started the habit again. She seems to be even worse than before and I am worried it may cause health problems. What can I try to get her out of this habit?

Liz Clemence replies: It is unclear why some horses are more prone to stable vices than others and, while it is possible to discourage crib biting, a total cure is rare and the horse will often start again when he feels stressed.

Many horses crib bite all their lives with few ill effects but it can cause digestive problems and, in some cases, weight loss or colic.

The incisor teeth sometimes wear unnaturally thin, and, in extreme cases, they may no longer meet correctly when the horse's mouth is closed, making grazing difficult.

However, by establishing a good daily routine for your mare and with clever use of some of the following deterrents, you should be able to discourage her from crib biting.

Top tips to reduce cribbing

Boredom or stress are often thought to be major factors in stable vices. If possible, turn your horse out by day to allow her the freedom to graze and play.


Running a line of electric fencing along the top of your post and rail fencing or sectioning off an area of field with portable electric fencing will prevent her from having anything to grasp hold of in order to be able to crib bite.


Avoid the possibility of vices being copied by keeping wind suckers and crib biters out of direct sight of other horses on the yard.


You could put up a metal grid to prevent the horse crib biting on the stable door. This does, however, have the negative effect of preventing the horse looking out over the stable door and increasing boredom.


Consider trying your mare in a wind suck or crib bite collar. The collar works by causing discomfort when the horse attempts to arch his neck in order to suck in and swallow air, which helps prevent the vice.


Remove any edges in the stable which your horse grabs when crib biting.


Paint any areas which cannot be removed with a specially-made preparation that discourages crib biting. They can be easily obtained from most equestrian outlets.


Relieve stable boredom by introducing toys to occupy your horse. Try smearing them with treacle or molasses, or attaching a favourite treats to add interest.


If possible, split your horse's daily hay ration into smaller but more frequent haynets, to keep her busy.


Make sure your horse is exercised regularly and sufficiently. Make her work interesting and varied.

[Admin]

Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Sal
Date : 12.06.02 9:03:00 PM

This one's better!

Q: My 15hh eight-year-old gelding has just started crib biting. This has started since I moved him to a new livery yard where there are lots of other horses. Previously, I kept him at home and he lived out all day and was brought in at night. However, because of work commitments I have had to put him on full livery.

At the new yard he only has four hours a day restricted grazing — could this have caused him to start crib biting? Does it indicate a medical condition and are there any alternative therapies I could try?

Tim Couzens replies: Stereotypic behaviour, such as crib biting, is usually a stress response to changes in management or environmental conditions. Typically, as in this case, the behaviour has been precipitated by a management change — moving the horse from a constant grazing situation with a companion, to a period of restricted grazing with long hours of stabling.

Stereotypic behaviour is monotonous and repetitive, with no apparent purpose and derives from an array of behaviour patterns within the horse's normal repertoire, though the behaviour may be copied from one horse to another.

Such behaviour is slow to develop and it is sometimes possible to spot behavioural changes early on, particularly in young horses. Once the behavioural pattern has been established it is often difficult to reverse even though the original stress situation may have been removed.

Managing stress

Stress situations including boredom, frustration and constant fear can lead to a situation similar to depression.

Serotonin, the neurotransmitter responsible for making us feel happy, can become depleted under such conditions, particularly when there is a lack of the amino acid tryptophan which affects the uptake of serotonin and acts as a precursor for production of serotonin itself.

Preventing crib biting in the past involved the use of various gadgets including a cribbing collar.

The problem was also controlled by reducing the number of surfaces that the horse had to chew on by using grilles and painting surfaces with creosote. Although these measures may appear to stop the problem, they do nothing to address the underlying cause.

A better approach would be, where practical, to deal with any management problems and to provide more social contact, grazing time and distractions within the stable, such as hanging rubber balls or other toys.

Another approach, best used in conjunction with environmental enrichment, is to use complementary medicine.

Flower remedies, herbal remedies and homoeopathy have all proved useful in dealing with behavioural problems such as crib biting.

If you are using two different types of remedies together, for example a flower remedy and a homoeopathic one, leave around fifteen minutes between treatments.

Flower remedies

Use no more than five remedies in combination and dose with five drops twice daily.

Try:


St John's wort, which will help relieve depression and stress — particularly environmental stress.
Garlic and echinacea, which strengthen the immune system, often weakened by stress.
Honeysuckle, which helps the horse let go of the past and relieves 'homesickness'.
Walnut, to help a horse adjust to new surroundings.
Agrimony, for anxiety.
Valerian, for stress.
Snapdragon, specifically for crib biting.
Herbal remedies
There are a number of proprietary herbal remedies available either as dried mixes or tinctures diluted in cider vinegar.

Try ones which include valerian, skullcap, hops, vervain, chamomile and red poppy. All these herbs have a calming effect and will help to relieve your horse's stress by reducing anxiety.

Homoeopathy

Homoeopathic treatments can be given either as tablets or powders twice daily. The ideal potency to use is 30c.

For crib biting, try:


Lycopodium, for nervy horses who show digestive troubles and where boredom is the suspected cause.
Argentum nitricum, where the horse seems agitated.
Sepia, particularly for mares where irritability is a feature.
Chamomile, to help calm a restless or irritable horse.



Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Sara (Belgium)
Date : 12.06.02 9:47:00 PM

Right I'm going to teach my horse to Piaffe and passage. How? Well I'm going to take it to see the Spanish Riding school and it will learn by watching them just as it would learn to crib bite if I put it in sight of a horse that did that.

Oooo that makes me so mad when people say that a horse can learn to crib bite from another.


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From :
Date : 12.06.02 11:01:00 PM

The research with links to increased levels of gastric acid and crib biting has been done by Christine Nicol very recently. She is a professor and chair in Animal welfare (also expert in Equine steriotypies). She suggests that yes crib biting and stress is very much linked but due to the stress digestion goes down therefore increases gastric acid. It is usual controlled by gut stimulation from saliva production, if they don't eat then they don't produce saliva. In the long term can lead to ulcers - just like us really. So if horses are stressed for what ever reason or are fed on a diet which doesn't continuously stimulate saliva and the digestive system the acid levels perpetuate. They crib bite to try and stimulate saliva production to decrease the acid, if we stop them crib biting we may be having a detrimental effect on their health. Toys, trickle feeding, high fibre and allowing them to act out natural behaviours like browsing and company (keep with another as much as possible and give and apple branch) helps lots.
Experiments done on foals which had experienced traumatic weaning and started cribbing were then fed an antacid diet/substitute and cribbing reduced. She also suggests that Mirrors have some effect but is was dependent on the horse.

I don't think I would go ahead and give my horse antacid tablets until I sope to my vet but I would try and overcome with trying to simulate a natural life style and try to decrease the stress. As for horse learning "vices" from other horse this is very unlikely, social learning is not very strong in horses although it does exist, its more likely to have a genetic following and more hot/warm blooded horses are more inclined to taking up the habbit (more prone to stress).

I'm not sure if Christine has anything on the Web but its worth searching - hope this helps


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Caz
Date : 13.06.02 10:52:00 AM

Well said Sara - I totally agree.Do you think that if I took my horse to watch Badminton he would learn to be a top 3-day eventer? LOL


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Sharon
Date : 13.06.02 12:42:00 AM

Personally I would not worry about a two year old chewing or mouthing anything (as long as its not poisnous, and not causing a nuisance to the handler) My youngster went through a phase of chewing all sorts at two years old, I even found a tooth stuck in the side of tree! Also I have kept my horses with a really bad windsucker and crib biter, I was worried about the youngster copying but none of them ever showed any signs of picking up on this.


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Christine
Date : 15.06.02 9:00:00 PM

She seems to have stopped the cribbing for now, I didnt do anything to the stable walls or doors , she just stopped.. I think she was in season when I first posted the message on here. she is not in season now. will keep my eye on the cycle thing and see if it happens again.

I think some of you arew right she does get very stresed at this time so stress is a factor here. thanks for all your helpful replies ..


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : KateC
Date : 16.06.02 3:08:00 PM

There is a cribber on my yard but none of the other 4 have ever attempted to copy him although they have all seen him do it.

I did hear of someone advocating the use of Rennies for cribbers as they can do so as a result of ulcers - don't know how true or effective this is though.


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : emma (ni)
Date : 05.07.03 9:51:00 PM

can someone please help me. i am a 14 year old girl and we have just bought a horse that crib-bites. he is 10 and used to be a cruelty case which is why the last owners thought he now cribs. i have had so many different opinions on cribbing that i am about to go mad. please can someone answer my questions with experience and/or knowledge.
i have been told that cribbing causes the muscles in the neck to get so big that the horse cannot eat or breathe? also that it causes the flaps at the top of the windpipe to become paralysed and cause a broken-winded effect? also, my horse is permanently turned out at the minute, he shares a field with a very inquisitive 2yo, a 3yo and numerous other older horses ages ranging from 7-30!, what is the likelihood of these horses copying the behaviour of my horse. i have thought about the behaviour being caused by stomach ulcers but he seems to only do it whenever he feels like it in the field. he is fed one scoop of conditioning cubes and one scoop of sugar beet per day, there is plently of grass in the field and when he does come into the stable he has a supply of hay, which he does not eat. when we bought him he cribbed constantly in the stable despite being fat, now the stable is plastered in "cri-box" which stops him. he is stabled in a barn-like area and cannot see very much, i was wondering if he would be more relaxed if stabled in a normal stable with more to see?? another thing is that another owner has threatened to send me a bill if his pony starts to crib for damage of horse, is he allowed to do this because his pony was turned out first?? i was using a miracle collar but he still got the air in and it rubbed his face and i had to put it incredably tight for it to work, maybe a nutcracker action collar would work better or is it better to let him do it??his teeth are slanted and i was wondering if in the long term he would have difficulty eating or grazing? he is an absolute dear to own and i have no regrets about buying him, i am just very worried about his health and about him causing other horses to crib- especially the 2yo. can comeone please help me!!!


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : emma (ni)
Date : 05.07.03 9:54:00 PM

can someone please help me. i am a 14 year old girl and we have just bought a horse that crib-bites. he is 10 and used to be a cruelty case which is why the last owners thought he now cribs. i have had so many different opinions on cribbing that i am about to go mad. please can someone answer my questions with experience and/or knowledge.
i have been told that cribbing causes the muscles in the neck to get so big that the horse cannot eat or breathe? also that it causes the flaps at the top of the windpipe to become paralysed and cause a broken-winded effect? also, my horse is permanently turned out at the minute, he shares a field with a very inquisitive 2yo, a 3yo and numerous other older horses ages ranging from 7-30!, what is the likelihood of these horses copying the behaviour of my horse. i have thought about the behaviour being caused by stomach ulcers but he seems to only do it whenever he feels like it in the field. he is fed one scoop of conditioning cubes and one scoop of sugar beet per day, there is plently of grass in the field and when he does come into the stable he has a supply of hay, which he does not eat. when we bought him he cribbed constantly in the stable despite being fat, now the stable is plastered in "cri-box" which stops him. he is stabled in a barn-like area and cannot see very much, i was wondering if he would be more relaxed if stabled in a normal stable with more to see?? another thing is that another owner has threatened to send me a bill if his pony starts to crib for damage of horse, is he allowed to do this because his pony was turned out first?? i was using a miracle collar but he still got the air in and it rubbed his face and i had to put it incredably tight for it to work, maybe a nutcracker action collar would work better or is it better to let him do it??his teeth are slanted and i was wondering if in the long term he would have difficulty eating or grazing? he is an absolute dear to own and i have no regrets about buying him, i am just very worried about his health and about him causing other horses to crib- especially the 2yo. can comeone please help me!!!


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : emma (ni)
Date : 05.07.03 9:57:00 PM

sorry for sending that twice, i am not very good at using these discussions!!! its my first time!!


Subject :
From :
Date : 05.07.03 9:59:00 PM




Subject :
From :
Date : 05.07.03 10:24:00 PM




Subject :
From :
Date : 05.07.03 10:43:00 PM




Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From :
Date : 05.07.03 10:48:00 PM

Up for Help for Emma anyone ??


Subject :
From :
Date : 05.07.03 10:55:00 PM




Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Lesley @ Trallwm Farm
Date : 05.07.03 11:10:00 PM

Although these DGs are brilliant for discussion they do tend to terrify the life out of those that already worried.
Whatever the cause it is universally agreed ,if your horse has enough to do and eat then the cribbing should decrease.
Not many horses will crib or windsuck 24/7 so although there may be times that are worse things will be better also.
Try soaking wood with washing up liquid.Its cheap, tastes vile and wont kill your horse.Unlike some stuff,when the horse stops latching on the taste decreases.Keep out as much as possible and run electric wire around fields.Feed smaller but more regular feeds.You can get feed bricks that take ages to chew in a bucket.These things are managable but its pointless worrying.You may just as well do the best you can and enjoy your horse.You may find if you are less stressed then your horse might be too.
The best tip is that Cures and distractors work better if your horse doesnt see you doing them.They seem to have more respect if they dont go thinking "its ok mum did it"


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Barbara
Date : 06.07.03 9:11:00 AM

I have a 18 yo tb. He only came to us 7 months ago and we knew he cribbed but thought our 24/7 turn out with a herd would reduce his need to crib. It didn't . His previous owner had tried the collar and other stuff with no improvement. She just used to cover the stable door with metal stips and protect fencing with electric tape. He has worn his teeth so badly that they don't form a decent bite when grazing. It is really hard to keep his condition. We know we can't stop this behaviour and by observing him have noticed that he does it more in a larger herd. With just a couple of field companions his cribbing reduces by about half. I know this probably doesn't help the original poster but just thought I'd highlight the fact that all horses are very individual and it is a matter of finding what works for yours. I really believed that 24/7 turnout would help him as everything you read tells you so. I think it's more stress related in terms of what makes your horse tick.


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : JackieJATaylor
Date : 06.07.03 9:48:00 AM

I would always, always investigate gastric acidity with any horse with any kind of vice like this. If something like 90% of horses in training have ulcers, and 50% of common or garden ridden horses, it has to be very common.

I just had a horse brought to my yard who unbeknown to me cribbed a bit since colic surgery a couple of years before. It was obvious he was cribbing to relieve pain, he was much worse after a hard feed, which he bolted. I tried antacids to confirm the theory, just limestone flour and magnesium oxide, and that gavce him great relief.

But large amounts of antacids are not a good idea and it has taken 2 months of drug treatment and 24/7 turnout to begin to turn him round - he was bad enough to start with, but the stress of moving and hacking out alone with his owner in a scary new environment got him in a serious mess, even with food 24/7, before the owner agreed to get the vet. Drug treatment is HUGELY expensive, like hundreds of pounds a week for the best drug - so it is not a good idea to ignore it.

Turning them out to grass for at least a month will cure a great many if they are not too bad. If anyone has a horse that is OK on at grass, but starts to crib when stabled at night I would investigate the possibility without question. Prevention is far cheaper than a cure!

Jackie


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From :
Date : 06.07.03 11:00:00 AM

is it true that cribbing passes like wildfire around a yard?


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Val (Toons&Jaz)
Date : 06.07.03 11:02:00 AM

My mare is a crib biter/windsucker. I knew it when I bought her but there was no way I was going to leave her to go to hell and back, which would have happened if she'd stayed where she was, so I bought her and she's such an angel.

Anyway, she can't crib bite at all for the mo as the field is surrounded by electric tape but as soon as they get back in at night during the winter, she'll be at it again. Had to bring them in for vet the other day and she looked so happy to be able to do it a little. Her teeth are a bit worn out but not so much she can't graze, thankfully. I'm against all the collars and stuff, everyone I know has told me they don't work anyway.

It does have something to do with acid balance/hard feed/stress as she did end up with an ulcer after the stress of foaling. She's been on antacids (and yes, they are awfully expensive) for two months with 24/7 turnout and ulcer does seem to have reduced since she no longer is in pain.

As for copying from others, opinion varies on that one. I've been told (but I'm not taking it for granted) that none of my mare's foals are crib biters, even tho they all have picked up her habit of scraping the ground when eating. However, most of her foals used to be weaned early and never knew mum much in a stable. I do hope Spirit will not copy this in winter.

Also, Toons has been for months next to a crib biter when being started (3 yo) and the yard owner had sworn to me there was no risk of him copying. IMHO if the other horses were not originally crib biters and are happy, unstressed and on grass/roughage they should have no reason to copy.


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Liz
Date : 06.07.03 12:42:00 AM

No -cribbing or windsucking does not spread like wildfire around a yard. Some 70% of racehorses in a yard crib but that is not because they copy each other but rather due to the strict training diet and regime which can upset their delicate gastric systems.

My friend'shome bred racehorses rarely exhibit this behaviour because it is a small yard and they have a more horse-friendly life but a lot of the bought-in horses are already cribbers etc and it is nearly impossible to remedy whilst still in training. When they have their summer holidays, nearly all improve but revert when back in training.

I had a horse who windsucked and I controlled it to a degree but it took a LOT of time and patience. I stood by his door and I just directed him to his haynet every time he tried to hook his chin over the door and always muttered the same words "Eat your Hay!" Now I am not pretending for a moment that he understood my words!!! but eventually I just had to say "eat your hay" and he went to his hay - once he did that, he didn't think about windsucking. I always left enough hay to laast through the night.

The only other time he would windsuck was if other horses were coming and going but as it was a small yard that wasn't too bad.


Subject :
From :
Date : 07.07.03 9:37:00 PM




Subject :
From :
Date : 09.07.03 10:12:00 PM




Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Anke
Date : 09.07.03 10:42:00 PM

horses don't copy crib biting, this so called stable vice is to do with the stable management not with the horse! once established it is a very difficult habit to break

my instructor has a stunning horse, very quirky, she competed him all the way to the top, competed internationally at dressage and he crib bites (even in the field), does not seem to have done his neck any damage!

none of his stable mates have copied him (he aquired this habit in a different yard)

lots of race horses and event horses crib bite or wind suck

Feedmark produce a supplement for crib biters, to reduce the acid in their stomachs, it helps in many cases but not in all

don't listen to all these old wife tales, let people just think what they think and get on with your horse and manage him/her the way you think best


Subject : re:- Help with crib biting!!
From : Thomas
Date : 10.07.03 2:12:00 PM

Found this on a website. Provides some constructive advice.

Does your horse crib?

The latest reseach results have revealed that some horses may crib because of the build up of acids in the stomach; the action of cribbing produces saliva which then neutralises the acids in the stomach.

Whilst there are those individuals who crib because of boredom, poor environment, etc. (and obviously these factors should be addressed as a matter of urgency) and there also may be those that inherit the trait as there is evidence of very young foals cribbing, the acid build-up notion is indeed a very valid one and one which we support.

We have a horse that has cribbed for as long as we have owned it (an racehorse rehab case); not happy to fit a collar but not happy either to let the horse crib because of the health implications, we lowered his stable door height and fitted a chain at standard door height (to keep him in!). The horse was not able to crib on the chain so we have successfully put an end to this behaviour when stabled (he will sometimes crib when out at grass which puts paid to the boredom theory in his case). Mindful that the horse could stress because he could not crib we watched him very closely for signs of negative behaviour etc. Having successfully stopped the horse from cribbing, the immediately noticeable result of this was that he began to drink more water. This supports the acid theory. The horse has not displayed any other adverse behavioural signs and at 21 years of age is as fit and happy as he has ever been.

There is now a new product on the market from FEEDMARK called SETTELEX which is an antacid; given as a feed supplement it neutralises stomach acidity. so if your horse cribs or windsucks we recommend that you try it as these "vices" are detrimental to health and well-being but yet there may be a valid reason for it .