health problems - cribbing

Question
hello ma'am, what health problems do horses face when they develop a bad habit of cribbing? on what basis, it is considered as a vice in horses?

Answer
This is actually more correctly called windsucking. The horse puts his front teeth on a stall or object that he can grasp and proceeds to inhale air. This expands his throat muscles and generates  a distinctive sound. Again, horses allowed to live in a natural environment rarely develop this vice.

Some people say that horses can copy this from other horses. It is said to release endorphins into their brain, so they "feel good" when they do it. This relieves stress. Many high- energy horses such as Hackney ponies in the States may develop this. Also horses bored or in stress.

Because it  releases endorphins, it does NO GOOD AT ALL to yell at the horse or punish him. This just stresses him more and he will do it more when he has the opportunity. There are collars you can put on horses that do not allow the throat muscles to expand...thus preventing the windsucking. Much care has to be taken with these however....they should not be on a horse out to pasture; he may get caught with them or run and get winded and not be able to get enough oxygen.


Mitzi Summers
www.MitziSummers.com