What is cribbing and wind-sucking and why does my horse do it?
A horse is said to be cribbing when it grasps a solid object like a stable door or fence rail, arches its neck and gulps or sucks in volumes of air into its throat. Wind-sucking is when it does the same gulping of air without biting down on anything. Both are destructive habits caused by boredom, stress or possibly stomach acidity. If left alone, it is extemely destructive, not to mention, detrimental to your horse’s health. Because these horses spend the majority of their time during the day preoccupied with this behavior rather than grazing or eating, they quite often have dental wear problems and have difficulty keeping weight on. It may also predispose the horse to colic. The most effective remedy will be to allow your horse to live in the most natural environment possible. Free access to pasture grass or plentiful hay will fulfill the horse’s normal instinct to graze. Wide open spaces will also help a horse, stressed by stabling, feel more at ease. In addition you could try any co
