Hey everyone!
I have an 11 year old mare. She is a very addictive cribber and I have tried almost everything. She will crib on almost anything, wood, plastic, the gator, anything. She does have ulcers, and has been treated for them in the past and is currently being treated for them again.
I have used cribox from smartpak in her stall, and that works until she rubs it off leaving it all over herself. I have tried all the sprays, she licks them off. She has used a grazing muzzle, but cribs on the plastic bottom of it. She has worn a muzzle with a metal bar bottom and she cribbed the bars and broke them off. She is currently wearing a muzzle that has openings and is made of metal and it works when she can’t maneuver it around to crib on it. The problem with the one she has on now is that it gives her terrible rubs and the strings holding it to her halter break and than it hangs and she gets halter rubs. I have added padding to help but her nose has still been rubbed raw.
Does anyone have any suggestions for addictive cribbers and if there is anything else I could try?? Please let me know, thank you so much! 
You don’t mention using a cribbing strap. Grazing muzzles are designed to limit food intake, possibly counterproductive when treating ulcers. However if she does need the muzzle it can be used with a cribbing strap.
For the rubs! There is a product found in sports shops, and on the web, called Body Glide. Designed for and used by humans, it also works wonderfully well on pressers. Apply where the muzzle, girth, whatever, will rub, and rubbing stops.
Or, honestly, you could let her crib.
Sorry to hear about your cribbing mare! It can be very frustrating, that’s for sure. I hope I’m not out of line here, but I highly recommend a product called ProBiostatin… it’s fairly new to the market and has helped several horses I know that were cribbers and windsuckers. There’s nothing else like it and might be worth a shot! I’d be happy to get you some info on it and can get you a discount if you’re interested. You can email me at cuttingedgeperformance@gmail.com. I wish you the best! 
Forgot to mention she has worn a cribbing strap for years. It causes her joules to swell and she still cribs thru it. I will have to purchase the body glide! Thank you! I will send you an email
Turnout?
Disclaimer: I have a cribbing mare that I leave naked. She’s on 24/7 turnout on grass and cribs in her field only when she’s fed grain or treats, and then briefly.
That said, she also cribs sometimes when I bring her up to the barn, and it drives me nuts. I had a cribber as a kid who wore the Miracle Collar and I hated it–did not want to go that route again. So, at the recommendation of one of the trainers at the track, I picked up one of these: Barclay Collar.
It doesn’t have to be tight to work. They flex to crib, and they get a little zap. If I have my mare in the barn and she begins to crib, I put this on her and she STOPS. There are no batteries to wear out or replace. It’s really a pretty nifty gizmo. I think it’s far more humane than a really tight strap.
If you’d like to try one, send an email to the people who run the website and ask for the contact info for their US distributor. Or buy on eBay (which is where their US distributor often sells.) Ordering through the website is a nightmare for US customers, as they’ll ship from Australia and then not insure or track their packages.
The ONLY cribbing strap that stopped my die-hard cribber was the Dare Cribbing Collar. It has a leather block that nestles in the throat latch & does not need to be as tight as a nutcracker, french strap, or Miracle collar. (We had tried all 3 of those & my guy cribbed right through them, no matter how tight they were.)
Here’s a link - Valley Vet has free shipping: http://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=d1289516-bc6f-4134-8134-ce5ca8ea9df8&item=40092&utm_content=40092&ccd=IBSE0001&utm_source=BingAds&utm_medium=shopping&mr:referralID=54497852-e084-11e3-91da-001b2166c62d
Good luck! I know how frustrating it is!
My guy has cribbed for the entire time I’ve owned him (12 years)… He wears a strap that I don’t think does anything at all except keep the other boarders and employees happy. I have tried to “crib-proof” his stall… So basically he eats his grain from a rubber bucket on the ground, drinks his water out of a small round muck tub (too low to crib on) and eats his hay from a bucket on the ground. There aren’t tons of places that he can crib in between the bars because they are mostly too small spaced for him to fit his nose through but the areas he can I try to keep that wrap-blast spray on the metal. I’ve heard people say that they put chicken wire about 2" up on anything they crib on (like fence or stall between bars). It’s not dangerous and it stops them because they physically can’t crib on it. I’m not sure that supplements can make a big difference but if you have the funds and your horse doesn’t have a iffy stomach then why not? Good luck!
She is on 24/7 turnout.
I will have to look into a Barclay collar, that seems like it could work.
I will also look into the dare collar, thank you!
Thank you everyone!
I don’t think cribbing is that huge of a deal. My gelding windsucks, so I put up some ropes for him to use. His “cribbing station” directs his energy into a safe place, so doesn’t damage other places. The rope is soft, so doesn’t hurt his teeth.
I did the straps, etc, but it just seemed to REALLY stress him out and rub the hair off of his face.
Mayb instead of working so hard to attempt to stop her from cribbing, make her a space where she can crib safely. Like our habits, some horses will NEVER stop that habit.
What about diversions: 24/7 hay? Paddock size Likit? Toys?
Run a strand of electric on top of the turnout fence? Then there will be nothing left to crib on.
Treat with Gastroguard and Sucralfate for stomach and hindgut ulcers. Scope to confirm 100% cleared. Then taper dosages over at least a month. Stick with a maintenance dose (Ulcerguard) for a while. You can try Succeed or SmartGut Ultra, but no guarantees.
Another cribbing thread and I am again going to post an assignment I did for my Behavior and Welfare class. It was a scientific poster on stereotypies (what most term vices) and I did fence walking, but cribbing is caused by almost the same things. I’m starting to wish I’d done the thing on cribbing, as I’m certainly sharing this info a lot. As usual I’m working on a paper that’s eating up my life so this is the fastest way to get the info out.
Abstract
Stereotypies are triggered by the modern stable environment. Caused by denying the horse its behavioral needs, factors such as genetics, weaning style, and riding style create a horse primed to be more bothered by the restrictive situation. Fence and stall walkers tend to be less tolerant of restrictive housing. Through neurologic changes, stereotypies can be a lifetime affliction.
Introduction
Fence walking, also known as stall or box walking when in a more enclosed space, is a locomotor stereotypy. It has not been studied as in depth as that of other stereotypies, such as crib biting. However, the basic causes of all stereotypies are from the same source: restrictions of the horse from engaging in its behavioral needs.
Epidemiology
The walking stereotypies (fence, stall, box) involve frequent movement of the horse along the perimeter of the confinement, whether in a circle in a stall, or back and forth along a fence. The horse can prefer this activity over eating or resting, resulting in loss of body condition, excessive hoof wear and orthopedic problems. It also causes untidiness of the stall, as urine and feces are mixed into the bedding, or a worn area next to a fence.
In nature horses move and forage constantly with conspecifics. When humans moved horses into the stable environment these activities were then forbidden the horse by confinement and management styles and stereotypies appeared. A box for every single horse, and meals two times a day, appeals to the owner, but not to the horse. Equine stereotypies don’t seem to have a function from the human’s perspective, but research suggests it is a form of coping with the stress of the unnatural captive environment they have been placed in and are not suited to (McBride and Hemmings, 2005).
Causality
Primary factors
Restrictive housing - Normando et al. (2001) found horses in restrictive stabling were more likely to show locomotor stereotypies, like fence walking, than those in freer conditions. Horses stalled more and pastured less are at a higher risk for stall walking (Luescher et al., 1998, Bachman et al., 2003).
Restrictive companionship - horses allowed minimal physical and visible contact with other horses have a greater amount of abnormal behavior. (Bachmann et al, 2003, McGreevy et al, 1995).
Restrictive diet - In a stable environment the horse is fed meals. The restriction of foraging behavior (Winskill, 1995) and the addition of concentrates into the equine diet that reduced eating time (Luescher et al., 1998) conflicts with the horses’ natural eating practices. McGreevy et al. (1995) found that feeding forage three times per day increased stereotypies, while feeding four or more times reduced it.
Secondary factors
Weaning style - Foals that are separated and put into barns are more likely to develop stereotypies than those placed in pasture groups. Waters et al. (2002) found box walking was initiated in 2.3% of their study group at the median age of 64 weeks.
Reactivity - Bachmann et al. (2003) found horses assessed to be reactive by their owners to be twice as likely towards stereotypy.
Genetics - Vecchiotti and Galanti (1985) found that incidences of stereotypy were much higher in families with a history of the behavior. The incidence of stall walking in the greater group was 2.5%, but it was 13% in families with a history of it. However, it could be that the genetic component made a more nervous horse, more likely to engage in stereotypy than that the stereotypy itself is genetically based. They found a case of a stallion who was known to be nervous and a stall walker. In his progeny of 76 horses, 47 (62%) were also nervous and 11 (15%) also stall walked.
Breed - Luescher et al. (1998) found Arabians were more likely to stall walk at 7.32%, as opposed to Thoroughbreds at 3.03%, and Standardbreds at .59%. Bachmann et al. (2003) found increased odds in Warmbloods (1.8) and Thoroughbreds (3.1) compared with other breeds.
Style of riding - Horses ridden English are more inclined towards stereotypy (Normando et al., 2011), however they were also more likely to have restrictive stabling. McGreevy et al. (1995) found the rate of box walking higher in endurance horses, but many of those horses were Arabians.
Age - Prevalence of stall walking increases with age (Luescher et al., 1998). Bachmann et al (2005) found horses under four years of age had almost four times lower odds of performing stereotypies in comparison to mature horses.
Neurologic aspects
In the beginning, a fence walker walks, trying to achieve the goal of getting to forage or companionship on the other side of the fence. This is the appetitive phase of goal seeking. Alas, the fence itself prevents the horse from ever reaching its goal, known as the consummatory phase. While in the appetive phase dopamine transmission between the VTA and neuro accumbens increases along the mesoaccumbens pathway. For some horses lack of goal attainment does not weaken the horse’s desire, but increases it, turning the behavior into a repetitive loop and in the case of stall walking an actual, literal loop. More activity in the mesoaccumbens pathway makes for a more motivated horse and prolonged stereotypy from stress can alter the dopamine pathway physiology (McBride and Hemmings 2005).
Attenuation approaches
Laymen will suggest tying the horse to prevent fence or stall walking, but this does not eliminate the behavior and could result in the horse instead turning their locomotor needs to weaving. McBride and Cuddeford (2001) found that stereotypy may have a coping function and denying the horse the behavior could have welfare implications.
The owner must decrease the stress in the horse’s life to decrease the stereotypy.
Reduce the restrictions on behavioral needs - allow the horse constant forage, large spaces to move in, and companionship.
Adapt the indoor environment - McGreevy et al. (2005) found the giving sufficient amounts of forage and hay alternatives, visual contact with conspecifics (such as with bars between stalls), and an active stable yard reduced stereotypies. McAfee et al. (2002) found that the reflection of the horse in a mirror could minimize separation stress. Adding a forage device like the modified “Edinburgh Foodball” used by Winskill et al. (1995) increased foraging time and decreased standing time.
Even with optimal living arrangements, the horse may not discontinue the activity. A fence walker turned out in a large grass pasture with companionship may still pace the fence. Once stereotypies are developed they can be difficult, if not impossible, to remove, possibly due to altered dopamine physiology in the brain (McBride and Hemmings, 2005). The best tactic is to ensure the horse is not in an environment with stereotypy producing factors present from the very beginning.
Conclusion
What many label as an activity of boredom, equine stereotypies are in actuality the horse’s response to a stressful environment. Care should be taken to keep horses out of living situations in which behavioral necessities are denied, preventing the neurologic changes that come from a chronic source of stress. For fence and stall walkers removal from the restrictive housing environment may be the most important, but all of the primary factors should be considered.
So, in answer to your question: you probably can’t stop your horse from cribbing. The dopamine pathway in her brain has almost certainly altered. At some time in her life her behavioral needs weren’t met and she started doing it, brain chemistry keeps her doing it. Make sure she has constant forage, constant space, constant companionship and if that doesn’t work provide her a place to crib because denying her it is stressing her out more.
What about giving her a sturdy post with a piece of thick carpet on top? Encourage her to use a nondestructive outlet that will preserve both teeth and the fence line.
my cribber is out 24 /7, i hotwire everything i can and use a solar charger for that. it has worked. his feed dish is ground level. my guy does not have ulcers, but cribs when he is bored.
What about cribbing rings? The Chronicle has an old article about it somewhere in the archives; supposedly there’s been some success with them as a permanent cure.
I stopped using a cribbing strap on my guy after he managed to turn it 90 degrees. He lived to a very old age and eventually stopped cribbing…when his front teeth fell out.
Her cribbing wouldn’t be such a problem if it wasn’t for the fact that she cribs instead of eating, which is a problem. She would rather crib all day than eat anything no matter what. She lives in a huge pasture, 15+ acres, with many friends. It is electric fence so she doesn’t crib on that. Likits, and salt blocks, and jolly balls, don’t entertain her in the slightest. I have never heard of a cribbing ring, but I looked them up and I don’t think I am a fan of that. Her teeth are already getting messed up from cribbing. She is on a ulcer treatment right now.
There is a surgery that can be done to diminish cribbing. It sounds like your mare is a serious enough case that she may be a candidate.
http://www.thehorse.com/articles/33261/how-effective-is-cribbing-surgery
Maybe a paddock with just electric and nothing to crib on? I had to do that with one of my geldings about 20yrs ago. We just ran electric to the inside of the fence so he couldn’t reach anything and had nothing in the paddock he could crip on. However some of the die hards will even learn to crib on their own foot or nothing at all so it would depend on how bad she is.
