Cribbing Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words

Cribbing - Essay Example Despite how little is known about cribbing, there are preventative methods, as well as treatments. Cribbing is not only harmful to property, but also to an equine’s overall health. When a horse cribs, it is thought that the action releases endorphins. Endorphins are a chemical that releases sensations of pleasure and relaxation from the brain into the body. These endorphins are why cribbing is such an addictive habit, and why it is so difficult to stop a horse from doing it once it has begun. One of the most accepted theories on why a horse will start cribbing is stress. Many equines are kept in stalls for much of their lives, but under natural conditions, the horse is moving almost 90% of the time, constantly grazing and focusing on food. In a stall, the horse is confined and not able to move around and graze. Not being able to roam the way it is naturally designed for, a horse will grow stressed, which then leads to bad habits like cribbing. Cribbing has several negative eff ects on both property and the health of the equine. Horse teeth are very strong, and are capable of damaging things like wood, leather, plastic, and a number of other things that make up fences and equipment. When a horse cribs, it uses its teeth to grab onto an object, such as a fence. It then arches its neck and forcefully sucks in a lungful of air. This process is repeated again and again. One of the biggest dangers for a horse that cribs are dental problems. Because they are continuously chewing and grabbing hard objects with their teeth, this can have a negative consequence, which may result in chipped, broken, or deformed teeth. Teeth, however, are not the only thing horse owners need to worry about with a horse that cribs. Poor digestion and colic are two of the other problems that are often reported with a cribbing horse. Wickens (2009) said that ‘Gastrointestinal irritation has been implicated in crib-biting (CB) in horses.’ Treating this nasty habit can be bot h difficult and time consuming. Because cribbing is widely known to be caused by stress, giving your horse ample time in the pasture is one solution that could eliminate the problem altogether. Boredom can also contribute to stress in your horse, and so giving it activities and working with it on a regular basis will curb that boredom. Cadlock (2000-2005) says to ‘provide your horse with a companion, preferably another horse, but goats also often make good companions for horses.’ Other studies state that different types of work (ie, dressage, jumping, cross country, etc.) can lead to cribbing. In one such study, Hausberger (2009) found that ‘Repetitive licking and/or biting of substrates was observed mostly in eventing horses, whereas cribbing and windsucking occurred only in dressage and high school horses.’ For a more ‘hands on’ approach, there are collars available that go around a cribbing horse’s neck. These collars, or straps, are designed to stop the horse from swallowing air. A metal plate that presses into the underside of the animal’s throat makes it difficult to swallow air. As a last resort, surgery can be used to cut the muscles in the horse’s neck to stop the animal from lifting its head up. Prevention is the only true way of being certain that this damaging habit does not take hold. Limiting stall time is the biggest and most helpful way to prevent a cribbing habit. When your horse is able to be a horse, this reduces the animals’