pushing on teeth

[amysue]

I agree that it may be something like an ulcer causing the anxiety. He could also be anxious settling into his new environment. A buddy or companion (not in with him) but next to his pen for company may help. An old shoer friend of mine suggested a salt block or even adding a teaspoon of salt to the feed to deter the habit. You could try doing a week regimen of ulcerguard to see if it helps and buy him stall toys to deter boredom.

 

[alexb.]

just some thoughts, so bear with me.

we home school and i work in my shop at home, so he is never alone and we go by his pen {which is 50 feet from back door} all day. my daughter goes out every couple hours and talk and brushes him, etc/ and he has 2 hogs next to him, and 3 goats 20 feet away in another pen, and our smaller dogs walk into his pen all day too....

point being he is not alone.

also, its been stated that if he could teach others to do this, could that mean he learned it from another horse, so he may not have any other reason to do this except its what he knows and likes it because of endorphin release.

the reason i say this is this is day 2 with soap on rail he smells it and hasnt done the cribbing all day. there is a higher rail he could grab, and a lower one, but doesn't, so the convenience is gone. we will keep watch.

my understanding of the windsucking is to ingest air to get a high like hyperventilating, and thus getting some type relief from pain some were, but he does not wind suck, so this gives me the thought he learned it from another horse that might have been doing it for pain relief..

he really seems very comfortable and at ease here, puts his nose in our faces, lets us walk up to him and do what every. today was our first day for an hour cart pull and he did great.

my wife took him in the cart and some how the bridle fell off{daughter must not had it tight enough] and he just stopped and waited to fix it.....this is a great horse and we love him already.

we dont plan on studding him or having babys, so we will guild him by next spring, and get another mini or 2 so we all have a cart to drive down road together,,,,,if it works out that way, we will see.

any way, to much info probably, but coffee is good.

be blessed

alex

 

[BSharpRanch]

We just lost our old pony this summer. He was a butt rubber. I had more people tell me my pony had worms. No, he just liked rubbing his butt. He was wormed regularly, in the summer (his last 10 summers) he was wormed monthly to help with habertinosis (sp). It was his "thing". His sheath was cleaned at least three times a year, sometimes monthly in the summer. He taught all the foals we've had how to rubb their butts! Had several vet checks through the years, never any issues Just his thing.

 

[rabbitsfizz]

Alex if he does not have equine company he is alone. Horses are herd animals. That is just a simple fact. The crib biting has not just happened over night he has been doing it for some time- you said his previous owner noticed him doing it. The accepted reason behind cribbing nowadays is that the horse has some sort of stoamch problem- ulcers being the most obvious. It really would not be a huge hardship to try a stoamch liner- simple bi carb will give you a pretty good idea- but it is not going to stop him. I suggest he does not use the other rails because they are not the right height to allow him to get his "fix" He will find somewhere else to crib, it is a true neurosis and it is not stoppable- if you google it you will come up with a lot of useful info I am sure.