Learn About Horse Cribbers

Whether it is called cribbing, crib biting, aerophagia, or (incorrectly) windsucking, this is a stereotypical behavior in horses that is likely caused by boredom or stress and there is possibly a genetic predisposition, according to a study published in 2014.1 Cribbing is a compulsive, repetitive behavioral disorder, and like any other harmful addiction, a cribber needs help controlling itself.

Once the habit is established there is no sure remedy for breaking it despite what you may read on websites selling herbs and gear. If you have a cribber, it’s certainly worth trying different things to control the habit, but some cases are incurable. You probably won’t be able to stop a horse from cribbing in every situation. And, even if you do control it well, and then sell the horse, it many start cribbing gain in its new home. So, if you’re selling a cribber, you must tell the new owner that the horse has this vice.

While it used to be believed that horses learn cribbing from others, that doesn't seem to be the case. Before you buy a horse, foal, donkey, or mule that cribs, make sure you are willing to deal with the damage to fences, trees, and stables and cope with some health risks that may come with cribbing.

What Is Cribbing?

Cribbing is characterized by a horse grabbing a horizontal object with its upper incisors and pulling against the object with an arched neck. Then the horse sucks in a large amount of air and makes a characteristic grunting sound.

Interestingly, cribbing is not a habit seen in wild horses. The thinking is that cribbing has a lot to do with how a horse is maintained. Boredom, temperament, stress, diet, and genetics may play a part in developing 

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Cribbing seems to start mostly in younger horses about several months old or so. To reduce the risk of cribbing, you can make sure the young