My horse is driving me nuts with CRIBBING!

[welsummerchicks]

I myself, would not treat for ulcers unless a veterinarian had performed a gastroscopy and seen ulcers. In other words, the animal is proven to have ulcers. In most situations, I'm uncomfortable giving medication unless I am sure of what's going on. Gastrogard will suppress stomach acid, so if there is not excess stomach acid, it could actually affect digestion.

Further, NSAID use, poor appetite, intermittent colic, loose stool, poor hair coat, poor body condition and poor sport performance, is commonly associated with ulcers, cribbing is not.

 

[Sassymygirl]

Quote:
Ah okay. He doesn't have any of those symptoms. He eats VERY well, loves to work. I guess he just has a really bad habit of cribbing.
Thanks for the info everyone!

 

[welsummerchicks]

We had a cribber for a while, weird thing was, when we took off the big tight collar and gave him something to brace on and go to town, he left other stuff alone. He also seemed much more content, than with the collar on, and not cribbing.

 

[Akane]

Cribbing can lead to health issues. Of course there are the teeth issues already mentioned. It also alters the muscles in the neck which can affect balance for demanding events or looks for showing in other classes. They can inhale wood bits if they are cribbing on wooden objects or injure themselves on things like metal fence posts if their teeth slide. It is best to try to stop a cribber and get them to entertain themselves another way and it's definitely not cruel so long as you are giving them things to do. Part of the reason cribbing becomes such a strong habit is that it's believed the act somehow releases endorphins so they horses are basically get a mild high from it.

 

[welsummerchicks]

Actually I don't think it's anatomically possible for horses to inhale while cribbing, as the esophagus closes off the trachea. Generally the objection is that of colicking, as most people assume large quantities of air are gulped into the belly. But hers IS the other side of the discussion - cribbing has been intensely disliked by horsemen and women for a very, very long time.

 

[patandchickens]

Although some cribbers do have colic issues (presumably from it) I have also known any number of cribbers that *haven't*.

So in my opinion, unless there is a medical reason (like colic or teeth) why it really MUST be stopped no matter what, it is certainly a good idea to improve/enrich the horse's management/environment, and take reasonable measures to try and discourage cribbing... but for the certain number of cribbers whose behavior is not touched by normal measures (they crib resolutely despite 24/7 turnout in an interesting paddock and a well-adjusted cribbing collar) then honestly I think it is FINE to just say "well, that's what he needs to be happy". Some horses are like that. You can make yourself and the horse miserable by putting on contraptions he hates and making his environment unpleasant in an effort to remove all cribbable surfaces, and quite possibly have him still find a way of doing it... or you can bow to the inevitable and just keep him as happy and healthy as you can, given his hobby.

Yeah, it muscles their necks kind of unconstructively, but hey, we live in an imperfect world. I have *never* seen nor heard of a horse "inhaling" something from cribbing. Injuries would be the reason you make extra sure their turnout and stall are safe.

JME, having known a buncha serious dyed-in-the-wool cribbers that never had any problems from it, some driven half-crazy by peoples' extreme attempts to prevent it.


Pat

 

[welsummerchicks]

I agree. It is usually not good if those big thick heavy neck collars get caught on something. And they do seem to.