Horses and cribbing...

[Bec]

I have had my horse for 18 years and he is a cribber. I have 2 wood chewers AND a cribber...2 totally different things!!

The cribber, Tj, has the Miracle Collar that seems to work when you first get it, then after the leather stretches, it gets looser. So just putting a collar on him won't stop him/her from cribbing at all. It may deter them for a while, but it isn't something that goes away. Since I have had him, I have always bought the Miracle Collar. He cribs in his stall and at the fence. He cribs on his window sill, his food bucket...just about anything he can get his teeth on. He is on full turn out and has the choice to go in if he wants...most days he stands at the fence and cribs for a while, then go eat, then come back and crib. Cribbing can ruin your fence or your stall like wood chewing, but in a different way. My horse has little dipped out sections of the fence just the size of his teeth and and has began to pull the fence inward. He broke 2 buckets and has dips in his stall too. He wears his collar everyday, but like I said, as it stretches, the effect it has on them goes away. At 50$ a pop, it is not cheap to keep up with. Putting chemicals on the fence won't stop them either. It is a bad habit and I agree with Pat, I will never get another cribber unless the horse is perfect in every other way.

I hope this helped you even though it may not have been what you wanted to hear

I have been living it for 18 years and it is not fun..lol. Edited to ad that I am so glad you are doing all this research first! Smart move! And just because she is a cribber, doesn't mean she can;t be a great riding horse! My horse was awesome for the years I showed and jumped him. I just wish he didn't crib

But he does and i love him anyway...

 

[Akane]

If the collar works before it stretches just tighten it down another set of holes. Take a hole punch and add more if you need to. A stretched miracle collar works just as well as a new one. We used ours for years off and on before giving it up because of the potential injury to the horse. There's absolutely no reason to buy a new one if it hasn't broken.

 

[CountryMom]

Quote:
No offense to your DH and not that he cares what I say

but that is SUCH a CROCK

Riding a well-trained horse is incredibly useful and educational, because you can work on improving what you are doing (refine your aids, improve your seat, get 'with' the horse, learn more coordination and subtlety) rather than always being thrown off balance or fighting with the horse.

Why do you think the Spanish Riding School (you know, with the Lipizzaners, in Vienna) keeps their trainees on well-trained school horses for YEARS before they are allowed to sit less-finished horses? That is how they turn out some of the best riders in the world.

Pat

MAJOR DITTO! After spending the weekend on a 4 year old and dealing with all his lack of "finishednessdome".....go for the been there done that. And believe me this 4 year old is by far WAY past what most people believe is a finished horse, but he still isn't what I would enjoy and expect to have consistant. Most people who really don't know what they are talking about think that you need to get an unfinished or train one up to compete on to actually learn anything. That is by far the wrong approach. So no offense to you DH (like Pat said), his thoughts are a CROCK.

 

[Cara]

That and just the simple fact of feeling safer and just relaxing, having fun and feeling like I can accomplish something. I don't even know what to do anymore. The 2-3yr old isn't going anywhere, she's easier than the 5yr old and is going to be a good horse. I still don't trust the 5yr old, he doesn't want me to buy another and thinks I need to make do. He wants to use the 5yr old for a ranch horse competition in June so I can't sell her, I don't think I could go through with it anyway and he doesn't want to see her go. Not sure why but if we buy another we'll have too many horses, although we recently sold one and he's fine with breeding one of our mares. In my mind buying another is a better idea than breeding one as we will know what we're getting (rather than possibly having yet another unsuitable horse) and won't need to start it or send it away to be started. The difference in cost after taking into account stud fees, training and 'growing up time' isn't that great. It seems to be marital tranquility vs. equine tranquility.

 

[patandchickens]

Tell him since you don't enjoy the horses he's decided you should ride, you're going to take up flying instead.

Price out flying lessons and share-purchase of a plane.

A finished horse may start looking like a better option to him

LOL

Best of luck,

Pat

 

[Chickerdoodle13]

LOL! I like Pat's idea!

I do think you need to have a nice long sit down with your husband and tell him what you think and why you feel you need to have a horse that can build your confidence. He should be willing to make a compromise for you, because that is what marriage is all about.

Is there any way that you can save up your own money for a horse? Or perhaps look into leasing one at the very least. I know exactly how you feel and it took a few years for me to finally get a horse I feel comfortable with! She's still green, but I trust her more than most of the other horses I have ridden in my day.

 

[CountryMom]

Go horse shopping and take husband with you. Once he rides a finished horse and sees how much fun and EASY they can be, you maybe buying 2 new horses. Seriously you usually can buy one for less than it would take you to have one trained and shown to actually get them finished and seasoned.

Pat, flying lessons!

My husband had a bright idea recently to take some. After checking out prices he about choked! Needless to say that was as far as that idea got.

 

[Cara]

Quote:
We've had quite a few long talks on the topic LOL or 'discussions'. It would be my own money, I inherited some money and plan on saving most of it but the one thing I want to treat myself to is a good horse. It seems like either way someone isn't going to be happy, and if I buy a horse he doesn't want/like I won't get much help. I think we don't agree because he rides for work, I ride for pleasure. I don't know that he'd choose to own some of the horses he is paid to ride. He has always had a string of ranch horses and is used to making do with what he has, and I get the impression he thinks i'm being a spoilt brat. We don't have a feed bill to speak of since we pasture our horses and just feed grain in the winter. The ranch 'rule' is two personal horses, FIL has 14 and I doubt he would have a problem with another since we had four until recently. If it's a big deal I can cover the grain bill for the extra. I'd planned on buying us some cattle, which he is fine with, not so sure I want to now. He wants me to borrow someone else's if I want to ride a quiet horse. I have tried involving him in horse shopping but he doesn't like anything that I show him.

 

[pardenx3]

Quote:
Once it is an established habit, they will continue to do it. On fences, trees, pretty much any stable object. It is also a factor in causing colic. A cribbing collar will stop it as long as the horse wears it, but once off usually will continue inside or outside. Just a terrible habit.

 

[Akane]

If he doesn't mind you borrowing a horse why don't you look in to leasing. Possibly with option to buy later. You can get your experienced horse for awhile and see if that's what you really want, if the horse is right, and he might give in after he sees the results.