Cribbing In Horses
Possibly the most well known stable vice, cribbing not only damages the
horses surroundings, but could threaten his life. Horses that crib will
take hold of practically anything (stall door, side of the stall, etc.),
and with an arch of the neck, gulp in air - and grunt it out. There are
several theories on why a horse enjoys the gulping in of air and grunting
that are synonymous with cribbing. Most experts agree that boredom
increases the likelihood of cribbing behavior. However, all horses are
bored at one time or another, so boredom seems only a catalyst.
Some experts espouse that cribbing horses have Obsessive-Compulsive
Disorder (OCD.) Humans with OCD are often seen washing their hands over
and over, or establishing other strict rituals for themselves (as Jack
Nicholson's portrayal of Melvin Udall in "As Good As it Gets"
depicts). OCD is not fully understood, however it appears to be a
phenomenon of the modern man . . . and his horse. Both over and
under-stimulation can be stressful. Stress appears to play a major role
in the development of Obsessive-Compulsive type behaviors such as
cribbing. Through cribbing, the horse's body releases endorphins (pleasure
producing chemicals), thereby both relaxing the horse, and motivating him
to crib even more. The extreme pleasure, and aleviation of stress that a
horse experiences while cribbing is often at the risk of your valuable
property, and his good health.
The health risks of cribbing are not limited to unpleasantries such as
flatulence, but also more serious risks such as digestional difficulties
(including colic) caused by swallowing air, and aggravated by excessively
and unevenly worn teeth that make chewing less effective.
Many procedures and devices have tried to cure colic, but most fail
miserably. Several surgical methods are available, however most are
disfiguring, expensive, and, at best, moderately successful.
Pharmacological methods are still being attempted. The most recent attempt
at a drug-based treatment relies on endorphin-blocking drugs. These drugs
show encouraging results, but are still being tested.
Non-medical treatments include the popular cribbing collar (a.k.a.
cribbing strap.) There are a wide variety of cribbing collars on the
market, some are more humane than others. Cribbing collars work by causing
some difficulty, and/or discomfort around the horse's neck when the horse
attempts to crib.
Although there is no known cure for this obnoxious, and harmful behavior, you can take preventative measures. To help prevent your horse from developing this unwanted behavior, make sure he has as "natural" of a life as possible. It would be an extremely rare sight to see a wild horse crib. A wild horse is free to roam and graze almost as much as he wants. Try to emulate nature by feeding your horse less grain concentrate, more grasses and hays, and allowing him enough time in the pasture to relax.
The horse doesn't even need wood to chew on - I know of a horse that routinely cribs on a metal gate, even in sub-zero temperatures! (See photo) The chewing and subsequent belching seems to produce endorphins - powerful chemicals that affect the brain's pleasure centers. In effect, cribbing is a sort of drug addiction for horses.