Whether it is called cribbing, crib biting, aerophagia, or (incorrectly) windsucking, this is a stereotypical behavior in horses that is likely caused by boredom or stress and there is possibly a genetic predisposition. Cribbing is a compulsive, repetitive behavioral disorder, and like any other harmful addiction, a cribber needs help controlling itself.
What Is Cribbing?
Cribbing is characterized by a horse grabbing a horizontal object with its upper incisors and pulling against the object with an arched neck. Then the horse sucks in a large amount of air and makes a characteristic grunting sound.
Stereotypic behaviours such as weaving, cribbing, and stall-walking occur commonly in high-performance horses as well as many companion horses. In addition to being unsightly, potentially damaging to the barn, and raising welfare concerns, stereotypic behaviours also result in important health issues such as dental disorders, temporohyoid joint damage, poor performance, weight loss, and colic.
“Cribbing is the most troublesome of these compulsive behaviours. It involves grasping a fixed object with the incisor teeth and aspirating air with an audible grunt,” explained Kathleen Crandell, Ph.D., a nutritionist for Kentucky Equine Research.
The exact reason horses crib remains unknown. Some suggest that cribbing horses have unmet dietary or management needs. Others believe that altered biological functions are the culprits, such as decreased antioxidant levels or increased oxidative stress.
Because trace elements such as selenium, zinc, manganese, and copper protect the body from oxidative stress, one research group* recently explored the hypothesis that oxidation status may contribute to cribbing. To test this theory, researchers collected blood samples from horses during or immediately after an episode of cribbing and when cribbers were resting. Control horses with no known history of cribbing were also tested. The scientists then analyzed the samples for various markers of oxidation.
“The most important finding in this study was that serum selenium concentration was significantly lower in cribbing horses than in controls, with the lowest levels measured while horses were actually cribbing,” Crandell said.
Based on these data, the researchers concluded “that alterations in serum selenium, an important component of the antioxidant system, may play a role in the pathophysiology of cribbing behaviour in horses, adding further evidence to the theory that cribbing may be related to increased oxidative stress and alterations in essential trace elements.”
Micronutrient imbalances can affect many physiological processes. They can help with feed analysis, recommend ration fortifiers containing vitamins and minerals, and antioxidants such as Nano-E, a water-soluble, natural-source of vitamin E.
“Management also plays an important part in minimizing stereotypic behaviours. Strategies such as providing environmental enrichment tools, offering free-choice hay or prolonged grazing, and allowing direct visual contact or prolonged turnout time in groups are thought to improve the welfare of affected horses,” Crandell mentioned.
Interestingly, cribbing is not a habit seen in wild horses. The thinking is that cribbing has a lot to do with how a horse is maintained. Boredom, temperament, stress, diet, and genetics may play a part in developing the vice.
Cribbing seems to start mostly in younger horses about several months old or so. To reduce the risk of cribbing, you can make sure the young horse spends as much time as possible on pasture and has a lot of social contact with other horses. There is some evidence to suggest that certain grain diets may increase the risk of this habit developing.
*Omidi, A., R. Jafari, N. Saeed, et al. 2018. Potential role for selenium in the pathophysiology of crib-biting behavior in horses. Journal of Veterinary Behavior 23:10-14.
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