Cribbing collars

[raggydoll]

What are they, where do you get them, how much do they cost and how do they work?????

Thanks :)

[Herbie's mummy]

Cribbing collars:http://cgi.ebay.co.uk/Leather-ANTI-CRIBBING-Crib-Collar-Strap-like-a-Miracle_W0QQitemZ280035285129QQihZ018QQcategoryZ47296QQssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem

:)

A horse i knew had one but it still cribbed with it on LOL

[capalldubh]

I was discussing some research on this at the weekend.

how do they work?????
They don't - at least not very well. They make it uncomfortable or painful for the horse to put its head in the position to crib. I would think they very likely make it uncomfortable for the horse to do all sorts of things that involve flexing their head and neck, including eating and drinking. Some work by being very tight around the neck (imagine tucking your chin in while wearing a too tight shirt), some work by poking the oesophagus (try poking yourself in the neck as you swallow).

Apparently, the reseach suggests that as soon as you take them off, the intensity/frequency of cribbing increases, so they make, at least temporarily, make it worse.

It seems to be something the horse does to cope with stresses in its environment - horses kept out 24/7 never crib. Long periods of time with nothing to eat, lots of calories in one small meal and long periods of confinement are the things that seem to be present when you get cribbing.

All the research we looked at suggested that there is no evidence at all that horses learn to crib from watching another horse.

After about age 3, you can't do much to reverse it, but it's much less likely to happen if the horse isn't stabled, and if it does happen in a horse that's turned out, it's usually associated with the horse feeling stressed.

Much more than you wanted to know there, I expect. ;)

[Tangle]

Have a look here as well:
http://www.horse-tack-world.com/toys-cribbing.html

From what I've read, they physically stop the horse cribbing but do nothing to stop the horse wanting to crib.

If I remember right, KarinUS's DJ used to crib when he was boarded. When she moved him home she was able to change his management such that most of this cribbing "triggers" have been removed. He rarely cribs, because he no longer wants to.

The only time I've seen a cribbing collar used and thought there might be merit was when the horse was so focused on cribbing it wouldn't eat enough to maintain weight. Getting it to put some condition on was the first priority and the collar made that possible. I don't know what the long term result was, however.

[Herbie's mummy]

You know is they STOP them from doing it but not wanting to do it will that then cause stress? so when it is taken off they will just crib even more making up on lost time, and de-stressing?

[capalldubh]

so when it is taken off they will just crib even more making up on lost time, and de-stressing?
That's the way it seems to be OK. Same with windsucking, apparently.

It's a bit like humans biting their nails - I always stop completely when I go on holidays - come back with lovely long nails, go back to work for a week and by Friday they're most gone again :rolleyes: I have a bit of control, but not much... and if I deliberately try to stop myself, I do it worse as soon as I forget and start again.

Cigarettes are the same - try to stop, fail, start again by smoking even more :rolleyes:

[raggydoll]

So if a horse wears a collar would you advise taking it off even if the cribbing gets worse in the short time - or keep it on as the damage is done and taking it off will just make it worse??

[capalldubh]

What seems to happen is that since it's a way of coping, if you prevent the horse from doing it, they will start to do something else to help them cope. So box walking, weaving etc.

Better in the long run to allow them to cope as best they can - it should decrease in frequency eventually without collar. If they have to be stabled there are things you can do to help a bit - horses are social feeders, so helps if they can see another horse while they are eating - feed on ground and use gates instead of solid doors. Also give them plenty of stimulation in stable - apple bobbing, hunting for treats hidden in bedding, swede on a string, a few tree branches to nibble, that sort of thing. Just to make sure horse is not standing for long periods of time with nothing to do with its mouth ;)

[raggydoll]

She would be living out with me but apparently does it out also - there are some wooden fence posts and a wooden shelter in the field.

[capalldubh]

She would be living out with me but apparently does it out also - there are some wooden fence posts and a wooden shelter in the field.

Why not go for a wait and see approach? She will probably be a bit worse when she arrives because new home etc., but as she settles in and gets to know your horses, it should get less. Also, you never know, your living arrangements may suit her better than where she is right now. Anything you can do that will make her feel less stressed, will mean she needs to do it less... You can do things to make the field more interesting and stimulating too, mixing hay and haylage in winter for example, adding twigs etc to nibble on.

[raggydoll]

Thanks thats been really helpful, just want to be really clear about what i could potentially be taking on before i go and see her and knowing me fall in love -again!!

[capalldubh]

Sounds really nice from your other posts...

Check what feeds she gets - apparently lots of forage and few or no grains can help. It just wasn't clear from what we were reading whether it was the hard feed upset the horses' digestions and caused stress, or whether the stress upset the horses's digestions causing them to find hard feed difficult to manage...

[Pink's lady]

Pretty much what capalldubh said - cribbing is filling a very strong need in the horse to calm themselves. Stopping them from doing it usually makes the need worse.

Cribbers often have stomach ulcers although whether it's cause or effect of cribbing isn't known. So feeding lots of fibre and no hard feed should help a little. It might be worth asking you're vet about looking into something like Gastroguard which puts a liquid 'bandage' onto of ulcers and allows them to heal. Something like a prebiotic balancer might also help.

But the best thing you could do is ignore it. Tell the horse off for doing it makes them more stressed and re-inforced the need. Best thing to do is distract them. Clicker training often works well - when they crib call their name and as they stop cribbing to look at you, click and reward. You need to get the timing right so they don't think that it's the cribbing that gets them the treat - t's the stopping and looking at you that you want to reward.

[catscradle]

My veteran Part bred Dartmoor pony cribs as a result of spending years as a show pony and then a riding school pony, he was stabled a lot until I got him.
I always feed him in middle of the field, away from fences and posts, otherwise he would be distracted from his feeds, he has probiotics and mint to aid his digestion.
No equine that he has shared a field with has ever copied the behaviour.
I couldn't use a device as I think that the stress of being unable to crib would make him very frustrated.
He now has 24 hour turnout,well rugged, just in at night if weather REALLY bad.
I am sure that his cribbing has lessened.

[jenren!!]

Could you not put electric fencing in front of the wooden fencing and put metal strips on the edges of the shelter? Or you could put that anti-crib stuff on.

[claire louise u]

hi as some of you know ive just bought a new horse thats windsucks, but only does it when cribbing she had a collar on very tight i will put a picture up you can see the mark it has left. now i only at the moment have a field which i have electric fenced all the way round to stop her cribbing on the post, at moment it has worked, now the lady who sold her said she wind sucked all the time but i have not seen any evidence of this. she has not warn the collar at all but once in the last 2 weeks of ownership, she is relaxed settled in extremely well, and that was when she was tied up to the gate to be saddled.
the lady who i bought her of had it on very tight i presume 24 hours a day. i know it is early days for us but hopefully we are doing the right thing by not wearing that horrible thing.

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a43/lenoyer/sunny017.jpg


http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a43/lenoyer/sunny030.jpg

you can clearly see the mark on her. we are taking each day as it comes. sorry i havent read all your posts but thought i would just share with you our experince so far which at the moment is going ok:D

[lizzy]

OMG that's awful :eek:

Hope you continue to get on well with her and that she doesn't have to go back to that collar. I think that they should be made illegal.

[jenren!!]

Did she use one of those with the metal bits? Like this? http://www.nagmartsaddlery.com.au/Uploads/Images/WindsuckingCollar6848LU.jpg
There is a horse at our yard that wears one of them and it looks awful.

[claire louise u]

please note this was the first day we had her, the mark has slightly dissappeared now, i still have the thing just in case she ever did get bad, but will try our hardest to avoid it.

[claire louise u]

Did she use one of those with the metal bits? Like this? http://www.nagmartsaddlery.com.au/Up...llar6848LU.jpg
There is a horse at our yard that wears one of them and it looks awful.


yes it is not nice is it.

[Wally]

We had a dreadful cribber here once at livery, it came complete with collar, ....which didn't work one iota!

He even cribbed in the field, rather than eat. Once screwed up horse.

[hackedoff]

My Welsh D is a confirmed cribber/windsucker and at 14 he aint going to change! He was kept stabled 24/7 for 4 years fed a lot of hard feed once a day and only a couple of slices of hay morning and lunchtime. His stomach rumbles and churns constantly, I'm pretty sure he has ulcers.
I've not cured him, I never will, but I have changed his regime drastically- he is out in field night and day, he comes in for food and to be ridden then straight back out again, I feed him only chaff and supplements and as much hay as he wants. He will now pretty much only windsuck after a feed or when he first goes out into paddock he has a good crib on his favourite fencepost :)
I wouldnt use a collar, to my mind they are a bit like putting a packet of cigarettes in front of a smoker and then glueing their hands to the table.

[colettybetty]

Did she use one of those with the metal bits? Like this? http://www.nagmartsaddlery.com.au/Uploads/Images/WindsuckingCollar6848LU.jpg
There is a horse at our yard that wears one of them and it looks awful.

I dislike them, worn in the field the metal is going to be too hot in summer and freezing in rain and snow.

[redcedar]

I have a cribber and he has got better over the 3 years i have had him. I have had to tailor his daily routien to keep his happy but its easy to manage. He came from a hunting home where he was boxed pretty much 24/7 and now he is with me its out 24/7 little hard feed ( and then only certain brands, with low sugar) loads of hay and grass, the same time every day to be fed, groomed( and don't be to late, as this sets him off as well).

It can be hard and when i 1st got him it did my head in, every tree, fence post, stable door he sould get hold of he would crib on. Now he hardly ever cribs at all and i have not fenced off any posts or trees.

My advice would be just watch her when she moves in with you and see what sets her off, you prob wont stop her but you can reduce the situations that set her off and when she is doing your head inwith the cribbing just count to 5 and ignor her :) lol