Mini Oaks
Active Member
My mini started cribbing about a month ago. I had her stalled up but now let her loose in the pasture 24-7. She is still doing it and has destroyed everything in sight. :new_shocked: Anybody has any solutions? HELP!!!
Cribbing - HELP
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First, make sure its not Ulcer/health related. My mare ( big) will crib , she is fanatical about it so I keep crib collars/straps on her 24/7. Will switch between the 2 types, the nutcracker looking one and a miracle collar, each week. She doesnt do it for pain relief ( releases endorphines) she started out of boredom and became addicted. Best of luck!
If it is chewing wood my mini does this sometimes and I give him free choice minerals now in his stall and he has stopped. If it is cribbing and another horse does it in your barn she could have picked it up from it.
Amanda
Amanda
L
Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis
Guest
If your horse is truly cribbing (wind sucking) you will find many different opinions I have not ever found it is contagious in that other horses will start. I have a cribber in my barn he is over 20 years old no collar he does better stress wise when he cribs- he is rather neurotic and really just does better when he can release those endorphines
no one else in my barn has EVER cribbed. He doesnt colic nor blow up most studies show that it just isnt the case and that they really dont get all that air anyway
However some feel it is a horrible thing and do anything and everything to prevent it.
Wood chewing is different though might want to make sure you have all your minerals and supplements and i learned here I think from Mona it was to rub bar soap like Irish spring all along the top of the wood this worked for most of them
However some feel it is a horrible thing and do anything and everything to prevent it.
Wood chewing is different though might want to make sure you have all your minerals and supplements and i learned here I think from Mona it was to rub bar soap like Irish spring all along the top of the wood this worked for most of them
I think you let your horse out too little too late.
Windsucking is when they latch on to say a top board and then pull back and swallow air.
This can be a learned behavior from another horse, monkey see, monkey do, or from the boredom of being overstalled. Did you lock the door and throw away the key?????
This is a very bad vice. It's probably one of the worst vices a horse could have. I would not have a windsucker on my place. I consider a windsucker as unsound, because it does affect their health later on. You will not break that vice either once it starts. I hope that is not what you have there. Good luck!
If he's just plain out eating or chewing wood, then that's different and that can be controlled.
Windsucking is when they latch on to say a top board and then pull back and swallow air.
This can be a learned behavior from another horse, monkey see, monkey do, or from the boredom of being overstalled. Did you lock the door and throw away the key?????
This is a very bad vice. It's probably one of the worst vices a horse could have. I would not have a windsucker on my place. I consider a windsucker as unsound, because it does affect their health later on. You will not break that vice either once it starts. I hope that is not what you have there. Good luck!
If he's just plain out eating or chewing wood, then that's different and that can be controlled.
nootka
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"This can be a learned behavior from another horse, monkey see, monkey do, or from the boredom of being overstalled. Did you lock the door and throw away the key?????"
Ok, I have a cribber, too (he sucks air) and I DID NOT lock the door and throw away the key. Even my show horses, weather permitting, spend MORE TIME OUTDOORS than they do indoors.
This horse picked this up while he was at a trainer's and I cannot say what happened there, but he did not crib when he was sent there, but he sure did when he came home, he also nipped at his hind legs, but he does not do that right now, though I saw him doing it last year while he was out in his pasture, he seems content to crib, now.
No other horse in my barn does this, not even his neighbors. I do all I can to keep Mouse happy with company and turnout time. I simply can't leave them out all night most times as we live abutting a wilderness full of mountain lions, black bears and coyote packs. He cribs when he's outside, anyway at this point, and my other horses beg to come in and get out of the rain.
I guess I take a bit of offense when someone starts assuming that person asking the question "caused" the problem they are asking about. It may or may not be true, but it could be said in a more neutral way such as "it is generally begun in absence of enough stimulation, exercise, or whatever" rather than "I think you let your horse out too little too late" and "Did you lock the door and throw away the key."
I know nothing mean was meant by it, but not everyone "knows better" either. We all make mistakes and yes, sometimes these little guys pay for it with their health. The fact that they are asking how to stop it is proof that they are concerned, even though it sounds like it may be wood chewing and that is a whole 'nother ball of wax most of the times as I've had horses chew wood just because they can (the soap trick is awesome), but most of the time, mine don't do this obsessively like a cribber does.
Let us know if we can answer anymore specific questions relating to your problems.
Liz M.
Ok, I have a cribber, too (he sucks air) and I DID NOT lock the door and throw away the key. Even my show horses, weather permitting, spend MORE TIME OUTDOORS than they do indoors.
This horse picked this up while he was at a trainer's and I cannot say what happened there, but he did not crib when he was sent there, but he sure did when he came home, he also nipped at his hind legs, but he does not do that right now, though I saw him doing it last year while he was out in his pasture, he seems content to crib, now.
No other horse in my barn does this, not even his neighbors. I do all I can to keep Mouse happy with company and turnout time. I simply can't leave them out all night most times as we live abutting a wilderness full of mountain lions, black bears and coyote packs. He cribs when he's outside, anyway at this point, and my other horses beg to come in and get out of the rain.
I guess I take a bit of offense when someone starts assuming that person asking the question "caused" the problem they are asking about. It may or may not be true, but it could be said in a more neutral way such as "it is generally begun in absence of enough stimulation, exercise, or whatever" rather than "I think you let your horse out too little too late" and "Did you lock the door and throw away the key."
I know nothing mean was meant by it, but not everyone "knows better" either. We all make mistakes and yes, sometimes these little guys pay for it with their health. The fact that they are asking how to stop it is proof that they are concerned, even though it sounds like it may be wood chewing and that is a whole 'nother ball of wax most of the times as I've had horses chew wood just because they can (the soap trick is awesome), but most of the time, mine don't do this obsessively like a cribber does.
Let us know if we can answer anymore specific questions relating to your problems.
Liz M.
chandab
Well-Known Member
I have a few wood chewers around here and it doesn't seem to matter how much feed or what type I put in front of them, some do it out of boredom. Case in point, my AQHA gelding was wood chewing the middle of summer while out in a 20 acre pasture with plenty of good forage, a salt block, fresh water and companionship (he was pastured with 3 other horses) - he'd come up to the common fence between the pasture and another horse's pen and chew on the common fence line. Although, I haven't tried the Irish Spring soap on the boards, I did buy a gallon of the brown Halt Crib and it does seem to be doing the job. They do make a clear product, but I bought the brown, so I could see if they decided to chew in the places where I put the product. I plan to use it to paint the inside of my barn from the ground up as high as the minis can reach to chew. I did notice today that there were a few new chew places, they were places that haven't been painted with the Halt Crib, so this spring I'll be busy painting fences again.
I agree with Liz(nootka). Although I do suspect that lack of mental stimulation may be a factor in true cribbing, I think it is a great oversimplification to suggest that it is due'merely' to being stalled. That said-- I definitely do NOT like, and never have liked, to keep horses 'up' in stalls unless absolutely necessary. My 'at-the-barn' horses, too, are VERY seldom confined to their(roomy-12' square)stalls; they do spend most of their time in roomy runs, as there is very scant and seldom-available grazing opportunity here. I have a miniature gelding, born and raised here, who is a confirmed cribber(sucks wind.) I have tried the Weaver collar, and it does prevent him from cribbing, if adjusted properly(meaning very snug), but also tends to rub him after awhile- I seldom if ever put it on him. He has never had any health issues-never. I HAVE spent some time setting his living area up to minimize his opportunities to crib successfully-closeweave wire lines the panel fencing of his run, his feeder is a shallow trough, which isn't heavy enough not to just 'move' if he tries to crib on it, etc. He still cribs, but not very efficiently. Other than having worn his upper incisors off a bit at an angle, before I managed to limit his access, he shows no ill effects, and enjoys very good health. In college, I got a little 'catty' QH gelding, who'd been trained for cutting, that I trained for and was very successful running barrels and poles on-he was a cribber, and it never affected him in any manner, healthwise.
It is my belief that cribbing usually bothers the owner more than the horse. I also do not think horses are likely to "learn" it from other horses; I do believe that there are horses whose personalities/dispositions predispose them to begin to crib--especially horses who are 'busy', that is, are always 'looking for' something to do. One thing I did in the years since the aforementioned miniature gelding, now 10 years old, was raised, was to provide LOTS of variety of 'toys' within the enclosure of young stock, especially those who seemed to have that 'busy' personality. I hung a length of thick cotton rope from the fence, I put in Jolly balls, flexible rubber tubs, plastic corn oil jugs with a few rocks inside, etc., etc.-fed as much hay as I could safely provide- and also made an effort to give even more arena turnout time. I do believe that this effort to provide more of these kinds of possibilities *MIGHT* help keep a horse with a susceptible personality from starting to crib-it is certainly true that one does not 'cure' a confirmed cribber.
Wood chewing(which is NOT cribbing, by definition) is largely a result of how most modern horses live, and, I believe, is mostly from boredom. Wood is more or less 'edible'; horses are 'made' to want to eat most of the hours in a day, and,especially under confinement, are likely to seek to satisfy the urge to 'graze'...I have one little gelding who is a food hound, yet does not bother two wooden posts within his enclosure, whereas all the others would happily gnaw down any unprotected wood(of which there is virtually none here, for that very reason!)--go figure! I presume that EVERY horse is apt to be a wood chewer, and have built accordingly. I wouldn't necessarily 'go looking' for a cribber, but am not at ALL concerned about 'having one on the place', as I think in most cases it just isn't that big an issue.There will always be the occasional horse so obcessive that it would rather crib than eat, and that would be a problem, but otherswise, I'm just not that concerned about it. I believe it *MIGHT* be helpful to set up a horse's living quarters to minimize its opportunity to crib 'effieciently', but wouldn't 'worry about it', otherwise.
It is my belief that cribbing usually bothers the owner more than the horse. I also do not think horses are likely to "learn" it from other horses; I do believe that there are horses whose personalities/dispositions predispose them to begin to crib--especially horses who are 'busy', that is, are always 'looking for' something to do. One thing I did in the years since the aforementioned miniature gelding, now 10 years old, was raised, was to provide LOTS of variety of 'toys' within the enclosure of young stock, especially those who seemed to have that 'busy' personality. I hung a length of thick cotton rope from the fence, I put in Jolly balls, flexible rubber tubs, plastic corn oil jugs with a few rocks inside, etc., etc.-fed as much hay as I could safely provide- and also made an effort to give even more arena turnout time. I do believe that this effort to provide more of these kinds of possibilities *MIGHT* help keep a horse with a susceptible personality from starting to crib-it is certainly true that one does not 'cure' a confirmed cribber.
Wood chewing(which is NOT cribbing, by definition) is largely a result of how most modern horses live, and, I believe, is mostly from boredom. Wood is more or less 'edible'; horses are 'made' to want to eat most of the hours in a day, and,especially under confinement, are likely to seek to satisfy the urge to 'graze'...I have one little gelding who is a food hound, yet does not bother two wooden posts within his enclosure, whereas all the others would happily gnaw down any unprotected wood(of which there is virtually none here, for that very reason!)--go figure! I presume that EVERY horse is apt to be a wood chewer, and have built accordingly. I wouldn't necessarily 'go looking' for a cribber, but am not at ALL concerned about 'having one on the place', as I think in most cases it just isn't that big an issue.There will always be the occasional horse so obcessive that it would rather crib than eat, and that would be a problem, but otherswise, I'm just not that concerned about it. I believe it *MIGHT* be helpful to set up a horse's living quarters to minimize its opportunity to crib 'effieciently', but wouldn't 'worry about it', otherwise.
Candleliteranch
Well-Known Member
I have to put my two cents in here on this one. We bought a full sized mare via the internet. After asking specifically if this horse had any vices, including cribbing, we were assured that she did not. The hauler brought her in and she wasn't in her stall for 2 minutes and away she went cribbing. I was furious at the seller for not telling us. When contacted and asked about it, they had "forgot" that she cribbed. Yeah, right. The only thing we have found to help control it is a cribbing collar and as mentioned the only way it does any good is if on very tight and it does cause sores. We weaned her foal as early as possible so she wouldn't pick up the habit from Mom. As for it not being contagious, I have to wonder about that. Out of the herd of 8 one other mare has now picked it up as well. The original cribber does it anywhere she can get her mouth on something. Even the round bale feeder. She'll take a bite, suck some wind, take a bite, suck some wind. She has been treated once for gas colic in the year and a half we've owned her. Vet says probably due to her cribbing.
Good luck to you. This is one vice I just hate. And btw, this mare is in long enough to eat her grain, then back out.
Good luck to you. This is one vice I just hate. And btw, this mare is in long enough to eat her grain, then back out.
The poster said: I had her stalled up but now let her loose in the pasture 24-7.
So that gave me the impression that this horse has not been turned out at all or very little. Thus, my comments.
Sorry Liz I surely did not mean to imply that you locked the horse up and threw away the key. Bad choice of words on my part I apoligize to you for that. Does very much lead me to wonder just what the heck went on at that trainers anyhow for your horse to come back acting like that. I wonder if the trainer had any ideas what could have caused this to happen to your horse. I know that horses will pick up habits from other horses.
One of my horses was stall walking. I know she didn't do that before I bought her because she was never in a stall before until she came here. she has been raised in a pasture with no barn at all. That stall walking went on for nearly a year. Did I cause that? You'd think that I locked her up and never let her out! But that was not the case either. I don't know where she came up with that. However, for some reason when she moved into the new barn, she has never stall walked again. Process of elimnation told me that it was the enviorment of the old barn. Although it had window where she could see side by side and outside, the walls were high and maybe she was feeling claustrphobic unlike in the new barn where the walls are low and they can get their heads to hang over in the isleway. I got this idea from Lisa (ruffntuff) while watching how "airy" her barn was constructed and her horses could see eachother from anywhere they were.
Right now I have one mare that paws at eating. Now the one next to her does it and she didn't do that before. I changed her stall to another one and she quit pawing. I think a whole lot of this is monkey see monkey do. Learned behaviors but not strickly only that. I think they can get a lot of these things from boredom or stress too and lack of having a job.
I have had one quarter horse that wasn't mine crib in the past and within a very short time have the horses on either side of that one pick it up too. They weren't mine either. Then, I separated them and they continued and another one picked it up from the one I moved! I ended up with a whole bunch of cribbers that time and one of that bunch was mine. I went through collars, miracle collar, hot wire, cans on fence posts, you name it. There wasn't much left to her teeth by the time she was 10. This is why I do say that these horses can be unsound. Because eventually it can very well affect their general health in one way or the other.
Come to think of it, the poster has not come back and identified if the horse in question is eating wood or sucking wind. I wonder which one she has there.
So that gave me the impression that this horse has not been turned out at all or very little. Thus, my comments.
Sorry Liz I surely did not mean to imply that you locked the horse up and threw away the key. Bad choice of words on my part I apoligize to you for that. Does very much lead me to wonder just what the heck went on at that trainers anyhow for your horse to come back acting like that. I wonder if the trainer had any ideas what could have caused this to happen to your horse. I know that horses will pick up habits from other horses.
One of my horses was stall walking. I know she didn't do that before I bought her because she was never in a stall before until she came here. she has been raised in a pasture with no barn at all. That stall walking went on for nearly a year. Did I cause that? You'd think that I locked her up and never let her out! But that was not the case either. I don't know where she came up with that. However, for some reason when she moved into the new barn, she has never stall walked again. Process of elimnation told me that it was the enviorment of the old barn. Although it had window where she could see side by side and outside, the walls were high and maybe she was feeling claustrphobic unlike in the new barn where the walls are low and they can get their heads to hang over in the isleway. I got this idea from Lisa (ruffntuff) while watching how "airy" her barn was constructed and her horses could see eachother from anywhere they were.
Right now I have one mare that paws at eating. Now the one next to her does it and she didn't do that before. I changed her stall to another one and she quit pawing. I think a whole lot of this is monkey see monkey do. Learned behaviors but not strickly only that. I think they can get a lot of these things from boredom or stress too and lack of having a job.
I have had one quarter horse that wasn't mine crib in the past and within a very short time have the horses on either side of that one pick it up too. They weren't mine either. Then, I separated them and they continued and another one picked it up from the one I moved! I ended up with a whole bunch of cribbers that time and one of that bunch was mine. I went through collars, miracle collar, hot wire, cans on fence posts, you name it. There wasn't much left to her teeth by the time she was 10. This is why I do say that these horses can be unsound. Because eventually it can very well affect their general health in one way or the other.
Come to think of it, the poster has not come back and identified if the horse in question is eating wood or sucking wind. I wonder which one she has there.
nootka
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"Come to think of it, the poster has not come back and identified if the horse in question is eating wood or sucking wind. I wonder which one she has there."
-I wonder, too. However, I didn't mean to "pick" on YOU, Marty, just the wording, maybe, as it makes me a bit hostile (told you this in that PM) that this happened to my horse. I DO know there were things that should not have happened there from other observers, and I do pretty much believe he was left inside too long and perhaps even without food, but I can't say 100%, so I can't make accusations other than to deal with what I have, now, which is a beautiful show horse, multiple Champion and with a lot of potential for a performance gelding, but many people would not ever consider having him (if I were selling, but I'm not) because of his stupid habit.
I don't see where anyone else has picked it up, yet...but I do wonder how he learned to do this. Does anyone know of a horse that just learned it in absence of any other horse around?
So I have to deal with it as I don't want to put a strap on him. It's annoying to me, but also I think he's a great show horse, he loves to attend shows (he rarely cribs at shows, believe it or not) and will be a great driver. You'd think an already halter-champion gelding in the 32" range would be pretty priceless, however if I were to try and sell him, I'd basically have to GIVE him away b/c of his vice, which I would NEVER lie about. Just asking for someone to mistreat a horse, neglect them or sell them again right away when one does this.
Thanks, Marty, for clarifying and again, you did not need to apologize, it was not personal and I didn't mean for it to be. As you all probably are tired of hearing, I am a little bit on edge due to the family drama involved in losing a young man very suddenly and somewhat unexpectedly, and a few other situations compounding that.
So I am sorry as well for sounding "crunchy" towards you.
Liz M.
-I wonder, too. However, I didn't mean to "pick" on YOU, Marty, just the wording, maybe, as it makes me a bit hostile (told you this in that PM) that this happened to my horse. I DO know there were things that should not have happened there from other observers, and I do pretty much believe he was left inside too long and perhaps even without food, but I can't say 100%, so I can't make accusations other than to deal with what I have, now, which is a beautiful show horse, multiple Champion and with a lot of potential for a performance gelding, but many people would not ever consider having him (if I were selling, but I'm not) because of his stupid habit.
I don't see where anyone else has picked it up, yet...but I do wonder how he learned to do this. Does anyone know of a horse that just learned it in absence of any other horse around?
So I have to deal with it as I don't want to put a strap on him. It's annoying to me, but also I think he's a great show horse, he loves to attend shows (he rarely cribs at shows, believe it or not) and will be a great driver. You'd think an already halter-champion gelding in the 32" range would be pretty priceless, however if I were to try and sell him, I'd basically have to GIVE him away b/c of his vice, which I would NEVER lie about. Just asking for someone to mistreat a horse, neglect them or sell them again right away when one does this.
Thanks, Marty, for clarifying and again, you did not need to apologize, it was not personal and I didn't mean for it to be. As you all probably are tired of hearing, I am a little bit on edge due to the family drama involved in losing a young man very suddenly and somewhat unexpectedly, and a few other situations compounding that.
So I am sorry as well for sounding "crunchy" towards you.
Liz M.
Well I have to add my own experience, we had a paint mare that we got as a yearling and she began cribbing a couple of months later, we do not stall. Miracle collar, chains, straps nothing worked for us. We had some sucess with a grazing muzzle. We did end up selling her after she pulled two teeth out cribbing!! We had enough. Try a muzzle there is also a surgery you can have done that is expensive but it does have alot of sucess. Good Luck!!
Coming back to this subject to add that the miniature gelding I mentioned in my earlier post is one who began cribbing without being around any other horse who did it...it is certainly possible that there are horses that will 'copy' another horse's behavior, but I surely don't think that's a 'given'.
Liz, were I in your place, I would certainly suspect how my horse was housed/treated/cared for while away...unfortunately, I do believe you are correct in your assessment of what might be the case should you try to sell such a horse. This is why, although I am no longer showing and don't really have a job anymore(I have 5 other driving horses, 4 of which will also go in a pair; I simply don't have time to do justice to driving them all, esp. as singles-and this horse is not a candidate for a pair, IMO) for this extraordinary mover of a gelding, I am not trying to sell him. Those who don't know him as I do would devalue him due to the cribbing(which, as I said, has come to bother me NOT AT ALL)-and even if he could be sold for anything near his worth, I would fear how he might be treated. So--this may inflame some of you, but--if I ever get to the point where I can't keep him, I would have him put down rather than risk mistreatment in the name of a 'cure'.
Liz, were I in your place, I would certainly suspect how my horse was housed/treated/cared for while away...unfortunately, I do believe you are correct in your assessment of what might be the case should you try to sell such a horse. This is why, although I am no longer showing and don't really have a job anymore(I have 5 other driving horses, 4 of which will also go in a pair; I simply don't have time to do justice to driving them all, esp. as singles-and this horse is not a candidate for a pair, IMO) for this extraordinary mover of a gelding, I am not trying to sell him. Those who don't know him as I do would devalue him due to the cribbing(which, as I said, has come to bother me NOT AT ALL)-and even if he could be sold for anything near his worth, I would fear how he might be treated. So--this may inflame some of you, but--if I ever get to the point where I can't keep him, I would have him put down rather than risk mistreatment in the name of a 'cure'.
I remember vividly when Dan was riding my Kate in a show. She was my windsucker. They were at a stop on the rail and I watched Katie actually sidepass herself a few feet over to the rail just to be able to grab it right in the ring to get a suck. I knew Dan didn't ask her for that. His little legs couldn't barely reach below the saddle pad! Poor Dan had to grab those rains and plow rein her away. Then she'd suck on the metal of the trailer when she would be tied up to it inbetween classes.
Ok so let's talk about a possible cure.
There must be something that no one has touched on yet expect of the surgery that was mentioned. I've heard of it but don't know anything about it.
Let's say it's a mental thing, a habitual mental thing. How do you un-do it?
Other vices have gotten un-done.
Here's a bad example but the only one I have:
Take people like me that smoke for instance. I have been able to cut down a lot simply by changing my "smoking routine"......instead of smoking the minute I wake up, I run right to the barn and begin chores without the coffee and cigarette first, and leave the smokes in the house. When I get in my truck, I leave them home now so that also elimates it. In other words, I take myself away from that situation that would cause me to smoke.
So, let's explore:
I already mentioned about my dealings with Holly last year with her stall walking. I put her on camera and I was able to narrow down at exactly what times she was doing the stall walking. That right there gave me a clue that when she ran out of hay and became bored and got hungry in the middle of the night, that was creating part of the problem.
The solution was to increase the hay and put hay out at midnight. Not a fun solution but it slowed her up. Then moving her into the new barn cured the whole dang mess. No more having to feed her at midnite!
So how about a change in enviorment somehow?
Like the possibility of moving these horses to another area of the property where they are not used to being in a different stall or shed?
Changing routine?
Changing stable buddies around?
Working them?
Vitamins? Has anyone ever heard of Vitamin E for this? I have, but don't see the connection.
Something else in the feed?
Just throwing some stuff out there.
Are there any success stories out there?
Ok so let's talk about a possible cure.
There must be something that no one has touched on yet expect of the surgery that was mentioned. I've heard of it but don't know anything about it.
Let's say it's a mental thing, a habitual mental thing. How do you un-do it?
Other vices have gotten un-done.
Here's a bad example but the only one I have:
Take people like me that smoke for instance. I have been able to cut down a lot simply by changing my "smoking routine"......instead of smoking the minute I wake up, I run right to the barn and begin chores without the coffee and cigarette first, and leave the smokes in the house. When I get in my truck, I leave them home now so that also elimates it. In other words, I take myself away from that situation that would cause me to smoke.
So, let's explore:
I already mentioned about my dealings with Holly last year with her stall walking. I put her on camera and I was able to narrow down at exactly what times she was doing the stall walking. That right there gave me a clue that when she ran out of hay and became bored and got hungry in the middle of the night, that was creating part of the problem.
The solution was to increase the hay and put hay out at midnight. Not a fun solution but it slowed her up. Then moving her into the new barn cured the whole dang mess. No more having to feed her at midnite!
So how about a change in enviorment somehow?
Like the possibility of moving these horses to another area of the property where they are not used to being in a different stall or shed?
Changing routine?
Changing stable buddies around?
Working them?
Vitamins? Has anyone ever heard of Vitamin E for this? I have, but don't see the connection.
Something else in the feed?
Just throwing some stuff out there.
Are there any success stories out there?
rabbitsfizz
Well-Known Member
Vitamin E is supposed to heighten the general well being of the horse- muscle tone etc- as well as it's more advertised properties. So that is probably why you have seen it suggested for this problem Marty.
I have had Rabbit on every supplement in the book over the years. You know what?? They don't work, not when you have a real problem. You want to see stall walking?? Try stall GALLOPING!!!
:
Footprints on the ceiling and tracks worn, overnight, in the straw. In the end I used Valium.
I zonked him out, then started cutting back until I reached the "take the edge off" level.
Prozac might be better as I believe it is actually mood altering, and there has been success with dogs using it.
Of course this is all with a Vet involved.
Why did Rabbit do it??
He is VERY territorial and in the "season", when the hormones rage, he just becomes beside himself. It is not possible to put him out with mares- he is NOT that sort of stallion
: - so now he is kept out as much as possible and stalled only when he really has to be- I am worried he will have a heart attack at his age if he runs the fence as he sometimes does.
So May and June he is stalled and tranquilised. After that the hormones start to drop again and he can go back out.
It is a question, as Marty has explained very well, of engineering the situation to suit the horse, eventually you will find a pattern that stops or lessens the activity.
Oh and Liz- I too have seen this taught- a mare to her daughter. It is also very hereditary- so I would be inclined to believe that the filly was predisposed to the problem.
I have had Rabbit on every supplement in the book over the years. You know what?? They don't work, not when you have a real problem. You want to see stall walking?? Try stall GALLOPING!!!
Footprints on the ceiling and tracks worn, overnight, in the straw. In the end I used Valium.
I zonked him out, then started cutting back until I reached the "take the edge off" level.
Prozac might be better as I believe it is actually mood altering, and there has been success with dogs using it.
Of course this is all with a Vet involved.
Why did Rabbit do it??
He is VERY territorial and in the "season", when the hormones rage, he just becomes beside himself. It is not possible to put him out with mares- he is NOT that sort of stallion
So May and June he is stalled and tranquilised. After that the hormones start to drop again and he can go back out.
It is a question, as Marty has explained very well, of engineering the situation to suit the horse, eventually you will find a pattern that stops or lessens the activity.
Oh and Liz- I too have seen this taught- a mare to her daughter. It is also very hereditary- so I would be inclined to believe that the filly was predisposed to the problem.
MyBarakah
Well-Known Member
Hi!
I don't know if anyone realizes it or is educated on equine dentistry... I make equine dental tools and have luckily been fortunated enough to be very educated on equine dental health...
But a main reason (not all the time... some is habit forming).. but majority of the time if a horse or mini start cribbing is because it is thier teeth/mouth is hurting them and have something going on in thier mouth. And the result is that they are cribbing to releave that pressure. I wish eveeryone that owned a mini would require to have a pamplet sent with the mini on explaining about how important it is to have routine dental care on them! With mini's.... you will "for sure" need to have thier teeth checked yearly or more! Because they have the same amount of teeth as a LARGE horse....... and do not have the space for all those teeth!
Minis will have problems with thier teeth (the way they wear) as young (yearlings) that a regular 3 or 4 or older horse will have! So it's extremly important to have thier teeth done by someone (not just a local vet)... someone who "specializes" in equine dentistry! If the local vet does not routinely do teeth and is not "up to date" with equine dentistry........ It would be like you going to your loacal family doctor for a tooth problem! I can't say enough of the importance of having your mini's teeth checked (first) to see if that is the actual problem or if something else is going on! Most people... unless you are aware about equine dentistry...... will not know the importance of it... nor will the local vet!
:
I don't know if anyone realizes it or is educated on equine dentistry... I make equine dental tools and have luckily been fortunated enough to be very educated on equine dental health...
But a main reason (not all the time... some is habit forming).. but majority of the time if a horse or mini start cribbing is because it is thier teeth/mouth is hurting them and have something going on in thier mouth. And the result is that they are cribbing to releave that pressure. I wish eveeryone that owned a mini would require to have a pamplet sent with the mini on explaining about how important it is to have routine dental care on them! With mini's.... you will "for sure" need to have thier teeth checked yearly or more! Because they have the same amount of teeth as a LARGE horse....... and do not have the space for all those teeth!
Minis will have problems with thier teeth (the way they wear) as young (yearlings) that a regular 3 or 4 or older horse will have! So it's extremly important to have thier teeth done by someone (not just a local vet)... someone who "specializes" in equine dentistry! If the local vet does not routinely do teeth and is not "up to date" with equine dentistry........ It would be like you going to your loacal family doctor for a tooth problem! I can't say enough of the importance of having your mini's teeth checked (first) to see if that is the actual problem or if something else is going on! Most people... unless you are aware about equine dentistry...... will not know the importance of it... nor will the local vet!
L
Lisa-Ruff N Tuff Minis
Guest
Well let me say if anyone has a nice horse that is a cribber they want to let go or give away or sell for very cheap due to this vice.. LET ME KNOW
Mini Oaks
Active Member
OK! I stalled my horses only at night. During the day they are in pastures. This mare was with three other mares. I have since moved her to another pasture, to see that wouldn't help. I guess she is eating the wood and not cribbing but I thought it was all the same. I have called the Vet also, he is not in this weekend. I will call Monday.
Last edited by a moderator:
sassy1
Well-Known Member
My daughter Kerry's Part Arab Pinto gelding "taught" himself to windsuck
But at the moment he isn't doing it as she is putting Yakult in his feed, and it seems to be helping - we were told to by a number of the local race horse trainers.
Jack is an active horse and can often be seen galloping around the paddock - just because he can!
He started windsucking out of boredom when Kerry had a badly broken leg (out of action for 9 months)
He was turned out in 5 acres but was fed. Started by banging his feeder on the gate - obviously liked the noise! When she took it off the fence and fed him at ground level he started picking it up and dropping it. She then got the feeder taken away after he had eaten his feed - so he went looking for posts etc to latch on to. Had a miracle collar on him for a while, but as soon as you took it off he would start again.
He is currently not wearing any collar and is not windsucking - so I guess he is 'reformed' atm :aktion033:
This is Jack
Jack is an active horse and can often be seen galloping around the paddock - just because he can!
He started windsucking out of boredom when Kerry had a badly broken leg (out of action for 9 months)
He was turned out in 5 acres but was fed. Started by banging his feeder on the gate - obviously liked the noise! When she took it off the fence and fed him at ground level he started picking it up and dropping it. She then got the feeder taken away after he had eaten his feed - so he went looking for posts etc to latch on to. Had a miracle collar on him for a while, but as soon as you took it off he would start again.
He is currently not wearing any collar and is not windsucking - so I guess he is 'reformed' atm :aktion033:
This is Jack
