Cribbing

Cribbing

Cribbing is the gnawing or chewing of wood. The horse often arches his neck and sucks in air as he cribs. This chewing of wood can wear down the teeth and destroy property.

Does your horse crib? There are many different ways to try to stop a horse from cribbing. There are cribbing collars, cribbing products and even supplements that can stop cribbing.

Some people think cribbing is related to stress. Try to minimize your horses stress by letting him/her out to graze and forage. Horses kept in stalls for much of the day may crib more than those that are let out.

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Horses with ulcers may crib more than those without ulcers.
Once the ulcers are treated, the behavior often stops or is reduced.

Your vet may be able to tell you if your horse has ulcers.

There is the thought that some minerals may be missing from the cribbers diet. Make sure your horse has a well-balanced food and supplement it if needed. Access to a salt/mineral block could also help. Check with your vet before you change your horses diet.

Your horse just may be bored and cribbing is something to do. If your horse has to be confined for long periods of time, try giving him/her some toys to keep them occupied. Access to hay can also help.

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If you need to protect your fences and stalls from cribbers, there are several products that you can paint or spray on the wood to stop the behavior.

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If you can watch your horse during the day,  knowing when a horse chews wood is a useful indicator of the possible cause and potential treatments.  You may be able to tell if your horse is just bored, or of certain situations/stresses cause him to crib.  This may be useful in getting him/her to stop.