Different ways to stop a horse from cribbing? (no muzzles)?

Question

i have a thoroughbred and he cribs. he is almost 150lbs underweight if not more. i cant get him to stop cribbing and he cribs right through a collar. we have him on fat and fiber and its suppose to put weight on horses fast. him cribbing isnt going to help him gain weight. he also has almost no top teeth left, which also adds to him weight problem. he is older but i should be able to get him only 50 lbs under weight. he is hardly ever in his stall, he gets turned out even at night almost 24/7. and we ride him too. he finds a peice of wood for example our fencing and cribs on it. i have even seen him crib on a tree

Answer 1

For a couple of our horses, we douse everything with vinegar: his stall, the paddock fence, and even their feed buckets if they're desperate. Those are the ones who didn't take to their Lik-its or Jolly Balls.

Answer 2

I've seen people try all different things, only for the horse to keep cribbing, but I've heard that it usually shows a mineral deficiency,  so if I were you I'd check that he's getting free-choice minerals that are right for your location (since everywhere is different so horses need different mineral balances) and then give him free choice hay to gain weight. If he is eating hay almost 24/7 to gain weight, he'll forget about cribbing and next thing you know, he's healthier and doesn't crib either.

Answer 3

i have a horse that cribs too! his name is Clyde. Clyde was really skinny when i got him because he cribbed all the time! he wouldn't even graze in his pasture! and he is a pasture kept horse!!! he would just stand their and crib all day long. he even cribbed on his bucket at a horse show!! so my mom went out and bought this thing called the miracle collar! and it is a miracle! clyde hasn't cribbed since!!!

Answer 4

If you stop this horse from cribbing he may just stress the weight off because he can't crib. Try turning him out in pasture with very long grass as if his top teeth are that worryingly short he won't be able to graze on shorter grass. Worm him and try different weight gaining feeds such as maybe barley rings which are very palatable and easy to digest. Try other recommended feed stuffs which your food supplier could recommend. A call to a dentist wouldn't go amiss. Again i would try these methods first before stopping his cribbing.

Answer 5

you should definately go see a vet

Answer 6

well..since he is on fiber allready then that rules that out. Horses usually chew on wood when there is a lack of fiber in their diet.

This means that he cribs out of habit and/or boredom. Try getting him a jolly ball to entertain him...there is also a product called chew stop that i have used and found helpful.

If he is that much underweight, you should probably limit your riding...and try getting him a senior feed, it is easier to digest and allready has a good source of fiber in it, so you wont need any supplements. I like Manno Pro's Manna Senior. If he has a hard time eating it, put some water in his feed to make it softer.

Is there enough grass out there for him to eat? Do you have him on a good quality feed? Horses graze for 18-22hours a day. Poor quality hay/grass and feed will cause him to look elsewhere for his nourishment.

by the way...the tree bark wont hurt him. Horses in the wild do this when forage is limited.

Answer 7

Sounds like some people have cribbing and wood chewing mixed up.  Horses eat wood because they have a deficiency, not crib.  Cribbing causes an endorphin release which the horse gets addicted to, that's why they keep doing it.

If your horse is really set on cribbing, sprays and bad tasting substances won't stop him.  Neither will more "entertainment."  Besides, a lot of horses aren't interested in toys/balls, and because they are looking for the endorphin release, not something to do.  My cribber has never touched her jolly ball because she's not cribbing out of boredom, she's cribbing from the addiction.

You can try electrifying everything but they will still find something to crib on if they are determined: water buckets, door latches, anything.

There is a surgery you can do too but it's expensive and I think the success rate is fairly low so I've never thought it was worth it.

It sounds like you are looking for a quick, "magical" answer and there just isn't one.  I wish there was because I'd be the first one signed up.  I have tried everything.  But the ONLY thing I've ever found to work are the collars.  I know they look kind of weird, and you feel like they'd be really uncomfortable, but you horse will get used to it very quickly and not even realize it's there.

Answer 8

I have heard that the Miracle Collar is above and beyond any other collar, but I don't really know firsthand.

You could try some anti-chew sprays, but if he is that into it, he might just ignore the taste and keep cribbing.

As far as the weight issue goes, try Fat Cat, it works amazingly well (I don't know how quickly it will work with him cribbing like that, though.

You could also try putting little fences around the trees to keep him from cribbing on them and get electric fencing over the top rail of his pasture (I'm not sure what kind of budget you have, but I think Electro Braid is the cheapest.)

For when he is in his stall, give him something like pony pops or a likit or the uncle Jimmy's treats, so he will be trying to get the treats instead of cribbing (depends on how food-driven he is).

--Good Luck!

Answer 9

there is stuff that you can "paint" onto the spots where he cribs to make it taste gross. does he have the minerals and salts he needs? if not, then get him a salt/ mineral block. is he bored? find him a buddy or buy him a ball to play with.

Answer 10

I know you can purchase some sprays that are non-toxic but have unpleasant tastes. Try spraying them on the top of fence rails and on the boards in your horse's stall.

Also try getting a toy for him, such as a hanging salt l**k or a rubber ball to move around. He may need something to keep his mind occupied so he doesn't resort to cribbing. Try spending more time with your horse to prevent boredom, provide a companion for him if possible (another horse, a goat etc.) and make sure he has access to fresh hay or grass at all times.

Here are some links to the Anti-Chew Spray:

http://www.stcroixsaddlery.com/McNasty_A...

http://www.horsestaples.com/cribbingsolv...

http://www.thevetshed.com.au/product_inf...

Good luck!