If he is making the “gulping” sound without pulling on a fence or other solid structure, he has learned to “windsuck”, which is like cribbing, except not requiring the support of a fence or other solid object to pull against. Usually they give a bit of a head toss or a jerk to “flip” the air down, rather than pull on a cribbing spot. Some cribbers seem to learn this trick if they have no solid support supplied to crib on.
Metal caps do not stop a cribber. Your horse may simply have not yet located the “special place” that he likes as his cribbing spot. They can use any solid surface as support to crib on, metal surface is usually as acceptable as any other, especially if no other surface is available. Water and feed buckets can be used. Some horses can learn to use the toe of their own foot to brace their teeth on if all other possibilities are removed. He may not be a “cribber”, but a “windsucker” only (if that is what he is doing). Are you sure that you understand the difference between a wood chewer and a cribber? (some people don’t, and call chewing wood “cribbing”.) Cribbing usually does very little damage to the structure used, a small indentation can be worn in wood, or a feed bucket may be pulled into an elliptical shape. I prefer that my favourate cribber use her heavy cut tire hay feeder for cribbing, it’s great for this purpose! Little wear on her teeth, and no damage to the heavy rubber hay feeder. She cribs at will, and is an intense addict (and has never had any known stresses in her life!!!)
If he is a cribber or windsucker, it is true that it is “unlikely” that he will volunteer to stop, as he is an addict, but not impossible. It has happened that cribbers have stopped cribbing. It’s OK if he doesn’t, this type of addict can be very healthy, it’s not nearly as harmful an addiction as lots of human addictions. So relax. But do know that it is perhaps an indication of a bit of a “sensitive” nature, intense, that he “notices” pressure, and is sensitive enough to stress that he feels he needs the crutch. He has likely been in some stressful situations in his short racing career, pain issues of equine flu and running a temperature, sore shins or other painful injuries associated with hard training. Stress causes “sensitive” individuals to seek a “crutch” to get them through the day, and the endorphines released provide that crutch. Same with people. The bonus to this is that “perhaps” the fact that he is this sort of individual may mean that he cares his work, may be an “over achiever” because he is “driven” to do his best at all times. He “cares”. A huge work ethic, a desire to win or succeed at whatever it is he has been given to do. When we selectively breed horses who are athletic stars, as a byproduct we produce sensitive personalities like this, the side effect is that they may be individuals who are more susceptible to stress. If they have a personality where they do not care so much, are more relaxed about life, they may not be “driven” like this. Known as a “type A” personality in humans. Intensity. High work ethic. A drive to succeed. Of course, this doesn’t necessarily mean that a cribber will be a superstar in any measurable way, just that he has tipped his hand that he is “sensitive” to stress. So one has to keep that in mind, because ulcers are also a side effect of stress, and these issues are often associated with cribbers. Also with non-cribbers who feel stress but do not have the “addictive personality”. So a happy cribber may not currently have an ulcer problem, but may be slightly more likely to suffer from ulcers if under stress. You have been warned.
The use of anti cribbing collars has finally come into disrepute. Removing the addiction from the addict does little to help them be happier and more relaxed horses. Unless there is a really good reason to restrict cribbing, most horses do fine without the use of a cribbing collar, and “self limit” their cribbing to what they “need”. The exception to this would be horses who do not learn to self limit, and give themselves gas colic repeatedly by cribbing too much. Not many of these, IME. I have not used a cribbing collar on a horse in nearly 30 years. 40 years ago I did, as a youngster I did not understand the nature of the addiction, and cribbing was considered “a bad habit” that had to be “STOPPED”.
Your other horses will not “learn” this habit from your cribber, unless they too are under stress, have an addictive personality, and are currently looking for a crutch to help them get through life. If they are stressed and looking for a crutch to get through life, they would have figured it out on their own anyway, in time, or would already be cribbers. So don’t worry about that. It is likely out of your control, presuming that you supply adequate living conditions, care and handling, riding and training to your horses.
Congratulations on your new OTTB! TBs are selectively bred by the toughest culling system available (racing) to be sound, tough, athletic horses, with good work ethic and generous nature, and are excellent prospects for retraining for a variety of other sport disciplines, or recreational riding.
