Thursday, August 19, 2010

There is this horse for sale that we are interested in, but he cribs. I know the basics but is it really bad?

Also, if my other horse sees him doing it, will he start???There is this horse for sale that we are interested in, but he cribs. I know the basics but is it really bad?
If it was me I would not buy a horse that cribs. It is VERY bad for their health. They WILL cost you $$$$$$$ in vet bills. Cribbing causes a release of endorphins which stimulates the pleasure center of your horse's brain. This is why it is such an addictive habit...%26amp; so hard to break. If cribbing is left alone, it can become more than just an annoyance. If left unchecked, the horse will wear down its front teeth prematurely. The teeth become so worn that they do not meet when the mouth is closed, which can lead to the second problem, weight loss. Weight loss associated with cribbing can occur because the horse wears its teeth down so far that grazing becomes a problem, or the horse fills its stomach with air rather than grass, hay, or grain %26amp; causes a loss in body condition. As if these problems weren't enough, colic is also known to be a complication of cribbing. Colic from cribbing is caused by the ingestion of air, which causes gas distention in the intestinal tract. Therefore, if the annoyance of the horse destroying property alone is not enough to prompt action, think of the physiological complications brought on by cribbing. You can find good, healthy horses.





You can use-


Electric Fencing: Stringing electric horse fence along the top of any paddock and/or pasture fence is a way to stop your horse from cribbing on these surfaces.There is this horse for sale that we are interested in, but he cribs. I know the basics but is it really bad?
Horses usually crib out of boredom, so this horse might just crib because of where he lives now. But it is bad for horses to do it because they suck in air through their mouth while they do it, and this gives them stomach problems. You can buy a thing to go on your horse's neck that will keep him from doing it. But I would probably buy him, and then buy the anti-crib thing if he keeps on doing it. And remember, they do it out of boredom, so try to not let him get bored. If possible, put him in a corral that has pipe corral instead of wood fencing. It is unlikely that your other horse will do it too if he sees that horse doing it. Hope this helps!
I personally would not knowingly purchase a horse that cribs. it is virtually incurable, and does lead to a variety of medical issues. In some cases horses do appear to learn to crib from other horses. Another thing to consider is that some boarding facilities don't allow cribbers, so you may want to also check into that if you would be boarding the horse.
I have a horse that cribs BAD! If the horse is a really good horse it would not stop me from buying another cribber. But there are somethings you should know. YES another horse can start after watching a cribber, my horse has chipped his front tooth as well. We use a miracle collar we put on him tight that seems to stop it. However he already broke a feeder at his new barn ($110.00 I will have to pay) Also he gets gas colic if I let him go days or weeks without putting his crib collar on.


Also you may want a vet to do a scope on him, some horses crib when they have ulcers, or it could just be of being bored and once they do it, it is impossible to stop its a drug to them.





Mine will crib when tied,in his stall,turnout if there is no pasture,trailer,car doors if they are open,arena if i am talking to friends when riding he will suck on the bars,basically anything he can get his mouth on. The only nice thing is that he will not crib if he has hay or out on pasture. Just make sure you buy a cribbing collar and that should help. Also when I have my horse tied and he has his collar on and can't crib he learned a new habit to keep him happy is pawing.





Sorry so long just some basic info, but since my horse cribs I def not love him any less whatsoever. He is actually my favorite horse out of the two and would never ever sell him.








EDIT: To the person who said that horses can't catch another horse doing it thats not true!





I know many horses that have done that, at my old barn my horse did not have to wear the collar because of an shocking fence, but we did not know that he was cribbing on the water bucket the horse in the next turn out started cribbing after and the horse across from mine started to do it to after watching. Also a horse cribbed next to another horses stall and after a week three other horses started to crib next to the cribbers stall, at my new barn there were two horses that cribbed and was a horse across from the two and that horses started cribbing. My vet said horses can learn it from other horses same with my farrier and trainer.
Hello! Well, cribbing is when a horse latches onto a surface and sucks in air through his windpipe. It isn't like a fatal disease, but is very annoying and ruins the wood in your barn. If that is the horses worst fault though, he is still a great horse! You can stop it, but it is hard since cribbing collars don't work as well as they say. You could put tabasco sauce on the wood in his stall, so it tastes bad but that normally doesn't stop them. Your other horses probably won't start cribbing if they see it, but you run a small, small risk. As I said, if that is the horses worst fault though, go for him! The habit can be broken with hard work. I bet you can do it if you get him!
Does the horse have a cribbing collar? If he has one and it effectively keeps him from cribbing then I wouldn't worry. If the horse cribs in spite of the collar to the extent that he would rather crib than eat and he can't keep weight on you should keep looking.





I have heard that a cribber will teach other horse's to crib, but the facility where I board has two cribbers that are always turned out with other horses and none of the other horses started cribbing.
YES. Cribbing is very bad. It can and does lead to internal problems.





Basically, it's caused by a horse that is kept in a stall for hours and that horse just gets so bored, he's got pent up energy and nothing to do with it, so he starts to try to get ';high'; to relieve some of that tention, boredom, anxiety....by cribbing (grabbing onto things and sucking air).





It is very bad for his insides. He eventually can get ulcers and other medical problems.





It is NOT curable once it's a full blown habit. It's permanent. The ONLY way to stop a horse from cribbing is to remove him from a stall forever and let him live in a pasture that has nothing for him to grab (can be hard since these horses will grab onto tree limbs and fences)....





It's a very sad thing for a horse to get.


It's purely because of stalls/confinement. Horses were not made to be stuck in boxes for hours.





It can also be something that this horse teaches your other horses. Some people say that's not true, but there have been enough cases to prove that yes, it can happen.





Some horses can and do watch cribbers and they do take up cribbing. And cribbing can not be cured ever.





I strongly suggest that you don't buy this horse unless you can provide an environment where he can't grab anything with his mouth to crib....that means keeping him in a Pasture all the time with other horses. If you can't do that, forget it.





Collars are a joke. Some horses can't crib with them on, but lots of them can. It's a 50/50 chance that the collar will or won't work.





I had a client who got a lesson horse that cribbed very badly. She kept him in a pasture with a round bale of hay to keep busy when she wasn't riding him and the fences were all wire (he couldn't grab this thin tall wire) and the lower limbs on the trees were all cut so he couldn't grab those. He did just fine there.
No, horses don't learn this behavior from others. If your other horse is happy and not bored, he won't start.





A collar should help him control his cribbing, and if that doesn't work, use a muzzle. Be warned though, people who don't know horses think crib collars are ';mean'; so they might give you a hard time, lol!





Cribbing is very dangerous and it can do a lot of property damage if a collar doesn't stop the horse. They take too much air in and it can cause colic as well as dental issues. Cribbing is a sign of a bored horse, which often means the horse has other behavior issues. Of course it can ruin stalls and fences making you need a lot of costly repairs.





Most cribbers can be deterred by a collar, I prefer the miracle collar. Works pretty well to stop cribbing.





If the horse will still crib while wearing a collar, I'd pass on buying him.





If you board, it is often harder to find a stable who will let you keep a cribber there- they don't want to risk property damage!





EDIT-- oh, forgot to mention! Cribbing releases endorphins which is why they do it, it feels good to them. Endorphins are the body's natural ';feel good'; hormones, the same ones a human gets when in love. So it is literally a drug to them!
I have a horse that cribs all the time. He is always hanging his teeth over his stall or the fence and sucking air. How bad is this for him, and is there any way to stop him permanently?








Cribbing is when a horse places its front teeth on a horizontal surface, arches its neck, and pulls backwards. This behavior is usually associated with a grunting noise as the horse gulps air, and is often referred to as wind sucking or aerophagia. This is a vice that many stalled horses pick up because of boredom. The habit is one that horse owners need to catch early if they are to be effective in breaking it.





If cribbing is left alone, and it worsens, it can become more than just an annoyance. If left unchecked, the horse will wear down its front teeth prematurely. In extreme cases, the teeth become so worn that they do not meet when the mouth is closed, which can lead to the second problem, weight loss. Weight loss associated with cribbing can occur because the horse wears its teeth down so far that grazing becomes a problem, or the horse fills its stomach with air rather than grass, hay, or grain and therefore causes a loss in body condition.





As if these problems weren't enough, colic is also known to be a complication of cribbing. Colic from cribbing is caused by the ingestion of air, which causes gas distention in the intestinal tract. Therefore, if the annoyance of the horse destroying property alone is not enough to prompt action, think of the physiological complications brought on by cribbing.





The key to managing cribbing is to catch it early. If caught early enough, within a couple of months, there is a good chance the habit can be broken. The first line of defense should be a cribbing collar, which is generally a several-inch-wide leather and metal strap that fastens snugly around the throatlatch. The collar is designed to create discomfort if the horse begins to crib. There are a variety of collars available, and some are more aggressive than others. The more aggressive ones have abrasive or sharp objects incorporated into the collar that create even more discomfort for the horse as it begins to crib. There is also a collar that fits over the forehead in front of the ears that has shown to be more effective than the traditional cribbing collars--which have limited success





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Some horses will start cribbing and some won't copy. If you buy him get him a cribbing collar, horse muzzle and put hot pepper on the stall wood so it will taste bad.





Cribbing: A horse grabs an object with his teeth and sucks in air, making a weird burping noise. They suck in air, filling their stomach. Then they don't eat which can cause colic. ( I am pretty sure this is cribbing basics but only very severe cases)





Every time the horse cribs say ';No!'; loudly. Try getting the horse some toys and keep him fit/well exercised so he doesn't have to get bored. That's usually why they crib!
I don't care what anyone says, I would NOT KNOWINGLY buy a cribber, yes, it is serious and it will always be a part of this horse. It is not only aggravating, but it is detrimental to your horse's health...no, a cribbing strap will not make him just like any other horse. There are plenty of good horses for sale that do not have this problem, pass him up.
One of my best trail/show horses was a cribber and he cribbed through every collar or contraption ever invented. I learned to deal with it and it didn't hinder him at all. No other horses we owned ever ';learned'; to crib from it. But I do believe it was symptomatic of him being a bit obsessive-compulsive if that's possible. But he was a wonderful horse!
cribbing is a huge deal. it is a pyschological problem. it is very harmful for the horses health and (for his stall). consider the cost for equine dentistry you will no doubt encounter, and sometimes with cribbers it is hard to keep weight on them. if you are in love with this horse i would not count him out however i think you should keep looking there are many horses who dont have this problem
Cribbing is hard on their teeth, and hard on the objects they crib on. You would want to have a cribbing strap or cage on him at all times. Cribbing is an annoying habit (He's basically getting himself high) but really it is just that- annoying. It's your duty to control it though.





And yes, it can be learned by other horses. Some will claim it can't, but I know it can- At the stable we board at, there is an extreme cribber on one side of the barn (Seriously he cribs on his haynet if he can) And about half of the horses within sight of him are now (Were not before) cribbers as well. The other side? Crib-free. However, if you control it, and he can't crib, then he can't teach the others.
i wouldent worry about it all you have to do is get a cribbing collar and it will break him of the habbet. you can find them almost anywhere
No its no big deal at all. I especially wouldn't eliminate that horse as an option in a purchase just because he cribs. Just throw on a cribbing collar, and he will be like any other horse.

1 comment:

looppy said...

I have three horses and 1 cribs badley but none of the others have picked it up. she cost £300. she was sold at orction and reterned because of her vice so we got her. peppermints stop her and we also get cribing spray for the gates and posts. cribbing collers dont stop her it just gives her sores and makes her suck more. they just need attention

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