Blatant aggression towards humans and other horses/animals. As in, put you in a corner to put the boots to you, charging you in the pasture and biting.
On reflection, I would add weaving to the list. I have known two (not mine), both off the track and both the nicest possible characters. But the weaving was enough to drive you to drink or worse. They could sustain it at a mild level or up it to truly manic levels, whacking their nose on the wall until it bled. Both put lots of extra wear on their shoes and feet and eventually did physical damage to themselves. Their stress level was hard to watch and infiltrated the whole barn when they were on “weave cycle”. One was moved outside and did much better but the other would weave no matter where he was. Definitely a deal breaker for me.
[QUOTE=Frostbitten;8898228]
On reflection, I would add weaving to the list. I have known two (not mine), both off the track and both the nicest possible characters. But the weaving was enough to drive you to drink or worse. They could sustain it at a mild level or up it to truly manic levels, whacking their nose on the wall until it bled. Both put lots of extra wear on their shoes and feet and eventually did physical damage to themselves. Their stress level was hard to watch and infiltrated the whole barn when they were on “weave cycle”. One was moved outside and did much better but the other would weave no matter where he was. Definitely a deal breaker for me.[/QUOTE]
I think that some that are cavalier about horses with OCD problems just have not met those, thankfully few, where that is a real, quality of life problem question for the horse.
There truly, if they believe it or not, are some horses you can’t help.
Have seen some that are such bad stall walkers they had to be kept in a tie stall, because loose, they just would not quit finding a place to pace, relentlessly, without barely eating or drinking.
I know of two that had to be euthanized because of the damage they did to their knees over years of uncontrollable fence walking.
Cribbers so bad they would, with collars, start windsucking to compensate and colic.
One that with a collar would throw himself into stall walls, fences, had some shoulder scars to prove how much damage he was doing to himself.
Yes, some of that may be reaction to intractable pain, maybe ulcers, some other and that can be addressed.
When you keep trying and nothing helps, some times, it is what it is, a behavioral problem that it can be a deal breaker to buy such horse.
There is a new theory that says let a cribber crib, the collar may keep it from cribbing, but some horses will be miserable if they can’t crib and that may trump the damage they do to themselves.
Some day, we may have more we can do to help those horses, maybe thru medication.
Today, while with management much can be done, we need to understand the limits such OCD compulsions bring, why to some they can be deal breakers.
Bolting, rearing, aggression. I used to say cribbing, but my OTTB learned from his new best friend who was an uncontrolled cribber because his mommy would never tighten the collar enough to do any good because she never wanted to cause any discomfort to Pokey. Pokey now has nubs for front teeth and is a dental nightmare.
It is no surprise that cribbing seemed like a fun idea to my guy because he is extremely oral, anything and everything is fair game to be picked up and chewed and played with. He has not yet tasted the barn kitty when she sits on my saddle, but every other inappropriate thing in the tack box is fair game. If I had held the line about cribbing I would have missed a talented, smart, sweet and amusing horse. I will do my best to prevent him from entirely swallowing the planet and or the universe.
[QUOTE=Jersey Fresh;8896278]
I can only speak from my experience with my horse. He normally only cribs after he eats. He has pulled two fence boards down, but it was after a night where I didn’t tighten his collar.
I do take his collar off when he comes in to eat and let him crib away on the stall guard for a few minutes. Some behaviorist suggest this is better for them and that its more detrimental to stop them 100% from doing it.
He maybe has a bit of muscle under his neck, but hes also right off the track and not in work right now, so I imagine when I put him back to work it will go away.[/QUOTE]
Just thought I’d throw in my two cents. My youngster is a cribber. He randomly stated it at age 3 with no other cribbers around. I of course feaked out. Treated him for ulcers etc. I instantly got him a dare collar because I didn’t want him to learn the habit in earnest. He’s now 6 coming 7 and no issues. Neck is lovely, teeth are good. You could be around him sans collar and never know he’s a cribber. He does still live in the collar though so he isn’t tempted but it isn’t super tight. At shows I don’t even put it on him and he doesn’t crib. If at home the only time he tries to crib is after eating and only on his automatic waterer, but even that’s rare. He’s really a very laid back sort of guy so not the OCD type.
I read an article (because I read EVERY article the first time he did it because I’m crazy that way) that speculated (based on some studies) that cribbing is genetically wired. Meaning that if they have the wiring they will often learn it even without ever seeing it but if they are not wired that way they could be in a herd of Cribbers and not pick it up. The thought is that it’s actually a miswiring of the mutual grooming habit. Horses like that get something out of the cribbing that other non genetically predisposed horses don’t. Not sure how true this is but I tend to belive it. No one else in our barn cribs (though they can’t really see my guy do it either since he has a collar). Additionally my sister’s 12 year old reiner randomly started cribbing while out in pasture but had never been near a cribber before.
In any event, my cribber is truly fabulous in every other way for me so I’ve gotten over the fact he technically cribs. 
