From: Martha
Hello Jessica, I'm new to this, but what I have gotten on e-mail I have really enjoyed. Thanks for all the work you are putting into this!
Here is my question: I have been horse shopping for about 6 weeks. I sold my 23 year old mare to a family not far from here to be a baby sitter to a younger horse. She was a stumbler and I am a mountain trail rider, not a good combination. I rode a delightful 7 year old Fjord gelding that has been trained through training level dressage, since I am a trail/western rider there was a little communication problem, but I feel that could all work out with time and patience on both our parts, something we both have. My question is this....He cribs. Should I look elsewhere? I've only ridden him once so there is not an attachment yet. Some people that I have talked to say stay away from cribbers. I would really appreciate your opinion. TIA Martha
I suppose the real questions are, first, how much cribbing does this horse do, and is it going to be a problem? If he's an occasional cribber, it may never become a major issue. Many horses that are kept locked in stalls develop habits such as weaving and cribbing, but lose those habits as soon as someone puts them outside into a field to live like real horses. Others continue, but don't do it as often or with the same intensity.
There are anti-cribbing collars that you can put on a horse, and some of them actually seem to work -- the Weaver Miracle Collar is the only one I've seen that's truly effective.
Another question is, does this horse actually crib -- in other words, does he clamp his teeth down on any available surface, rock back, pulling his neck muscles up and back, and then swallow air while making a grunting sound? That's cribbing -- and it can be bad for the horse's health, as it introduces a lot of air into his digestive system, and horses can't belch. It sounds trivial, but it isn't -- constant cribbing can lead to chronic gas colic.
Some people use the term "cribbing" to describe fence-chewing. These aren't the same thing, and fence-chewing, while a destructive habit, is also one that can sometimes be discouraged by providing a horse with an outdoor environment and plenty of roughage to eat. But if the habit is NOT discouraged, you can find a barn full of holes and a fenceline full of scalloped edges... and horses were not designed to chew and swallow wood. They can get splinters, and those can cause mouth injuries or colic.
Many horses have mild versions of either habit -- they'll crib when they're anxious and confined, for instance in a strange stall, or they'll chew the fence boards once in a while, if it's been a long cold night and they ran out of hay half an hour after dinner.
All things being equal, it's better to choose a horse that isn't a cribber. But if you spend some time looking at and riding other horses, and you find that this horse truly suits you better than any other horse you try, talk to his owners about his cribbing habit, and find out exactly how bad it is and what seems to trigger it. Then talk to your vet. When he performs the pre-purchase exam on this horse, he can look for telltale signs of chronic cribbing -- a bloated abdomen, an unthrifty coat, and worn incisors. If the horse's owners have been using a cribbing strap, the vet will be able to show you the worn areas in the horse's hair that show where that strap has been fastened. He'll be able to advise you about the wisdom of making the purchase.
Good luck!
Jessica
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