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Cribbing

From: Susan

Hi Jessica. This is my first question to your list. I have learned so much from other postings - thank you for providing this valuable service.

My problem relates to a horse I am considering purchasing. The horse is a 7 year old thoroughbred, trained in dressage (schooling second level), he has jumped over 3'6" and he is very sound. He has a good mind, good ground manners and has been raised on the farm where he was born. He sounds like the perfect horse, but he has one drawback - he is a cribber.

He does wear a strap, but I've seen him crib with it on. The vet said that he is a "significant cribber" but there have been no colic episodes related to it. He has cribbed for most of his life. The owners say that he was an orphan, bottle fed, and this may have caused him to crib. I have not heard of this before.

I really like the horse, but I am concerned about the cribbing. I have only owned one other horse in my life, and when I purchase a second horse I want it to be a long, satisfying relationship. I do compete, but it is more important to me that my horse be a likeable individual, fun to ride and to be around. I'm not sure I will want to deal with the cribbing in the long run. If I need to sell him, or board him, will I have trouble finding someone who will take him? He is also expensive (for me) at $10,000 - could I ever hope to recoup any of that price with the cribbing?

I'm not expecting you to answer those questions - no one can predict the future! But the questions do show my confusion. My instructor thinks I am being silly and overly cautious - that the horse is special enough to ignore the cribbing.

Do you have any thoughts on cribbing? Is it something to be concerned about, or are concerns blown out of proportion? Any advice on this would be greatly appreciated!

Susan


Hi Susan -- thank you, I'm glad that you're enjoying horse-sense.

This horse sounds lovely in every way except for the cribbing -- and although this IS a problem, it sounds as though it may be the only one this horse has. And there are worse problems -- if this horse was perfect in every way, except for a small lameness or truly bad x-rays or a history of chronic colic, you wouldn't even be THINKING about buying him.

If the vet who does your pre-purchase exam (your vet, not the seller's vet) is satisfied that the horse is sound and solid and able to do what you want him to do, and that the cribbing hasn't damaged his incisors OR shaped his neck muscles in a way that will interfere with his progress through the levels, then I'd have to advise that you go with your own feelings and your vet's advice.

Does the horse crib AND suck wind, or just crib? (Some horses crib without sucking wind, and others suck wind without cribbing.) This is just something to consider for your own information.

Cribbing is annoying to humans, but unless the horse eats wood splinters and/or sucks so much air that he colics (which this horse apparently does NOT), it's just that: an annoyance. Extreme wear of the incisors can make it difficult or impossible for the horse to graze, and a hugely thickened throatlatch can make it difficult or impossible for the horse to carry his head well.

If you want to discourage the behaviour -- which is usually NOT successful, but you can try -- there are a few things you can do. Full- time turnout on pasture generally keeps the horse busy grazing: less time to crib (it generally begins as a vice of confinement). Since the horse can't crib while you're working it, living out can cut down significantly on the amount of time it spends cribbing.

Cribbing straps are notorious for failing to work! The new Weaver Miracle Collar is a cleverly-designed and humane anti-cribbing collar that has worked very well with a number of horses; since it has a money-back guarantee, you might try one.

As for the price -- so many factors contribute to a horse's price, I couldn't begin to advise you about a particular purchase. All I can tell you as an ABSOLUTE truth is that on any given day, a horse is worth what someone is willing to pay for him, in cash. ;-) There are many horses carrying unrealistic pricetags that put them right out of the market -- their owners would rather dream about big money than actually SELL a horse. But you can check around your area and find out whether this horse's asking price is in line with the prices of other geldings with similar training and performance records. If this one isn't significantly more expensive than other, similar horses, then perhaps the price isn't out of line for your area and riding specialty.

Since you're looking for a long-term relationship -- a horse to keep -- the issue of whether you would get your money back if you sold him isn't a real issue, is it? You can NEVER know that you'll get your money back; horses have delicate digestive systems and four slender legs, and they COST money. You can take a horse home and have it colic or go lame a week later, and lose your investment that way. Or you can take a horse home and have it last for years... there are no guarantees in this business. You might not get as much money for a horse that cribs as for the same horse without the habit, it's true. But think for a minute -- YOU are considering buying this horse, at a high price, even though he cribs -- so obviously it can happen, and a potential buyer can be so interested in the horse's qualities and performance that the cribbing makes no difference.

Cribbing can make it difficult for you to board a horse at SOME barns, although keeping such a horse outdoors can make it an acceptable boarder at a farm that wouldn't want it in a stall. And cribbing, though obnoxious, isn't as damaging to a barn as some other habits: wood- chewing, stall-walking/weaving, kicking...

I think that you need to sit down with your vet, then with your instructor, and talk about this. Then go home, take the telephone off the hook, and think about what YOU want. If this is the horse for you, don't let the cribbing stop you. If you're hesitating because you really don't like this horse enough to see him as a long-term companion and partner, then perhaps the cribbing isn't the real issue after all. And whatever anyone else says, YOU are the one who will be living with and working with this horse. Don't buy him, or any other horse, just to please someone else. No matter how much anyone else likes him, you should get him if YOU like him and want him and think that you'll enjoy working with him for a long time.

Jessica

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