If it's too much of a habit to eliminate through correct, careful horsekeeping, then resort to a cribbing collar.
Try to get a slow feeder, and make sure that your horse isn't getting hungry. The classic 'two feedings per day' just doesn't cut it, and because a horse's stomach never stops producing acid, they need to have something to nibble on all day. Horses are grazing animals, and their gastro-intestinal system is designed to consume small amounts of low quality forage over the course of a day. Make sure that there's no health problems occurring with your horse, and then examine his or her diet. All they're going to want to do is run away from the pain.Ĭribbing collars are one way to manage it, but their effectiveness varies based on each individual horse. While dogs tend to catch on and figure it out, you have to contrast them to horses in that they are predator animals, and horses are prey animals. I don't believe that it's a learned or 'contagious' behavior, rather, if there is an entire barn of horses who crib, it's because the environment has shaped that behavior.Īs for your question, I would NEVER use electrical shock on a horse, as they would not understand what was happening or why. They're most likely hungry, and have an oral affixation, such as a gate or fence. Horses usually crib because they are in an environment that encourages them to do so.
