Cross Breeds

my horse is windsucking, and has been for years, is it too late to help him?

my 9 year old retired race horse picked up windsucking when he was on the track, does any one know any thing that can help him? he is waring down his teeth and messing up our fences. hes had the surgery to remove the muscle in his throat and even that didnt stop him! right now hes wearing the leather "mirical collar" and he still cribbs but not as often, hes in a 7 acre pasture of costal hay, im worried that he might teach the other horses, can any one help?

Public Comments

1. Can't your vet offer any suggestions? Maybe the miracle collar isn't tight enough. Try wrapping it with genuine sheepskin. I doubt the other horses will imitate him.
2. Use one of those grazing muzzle. Like this one. They help, he can't windsuck with one one. Hope this helps!! http://www.horse.com/Farm-Ranch-Supplies/Cribbing-Chewing-Control/Aluminum-Frame-Cribbing-Grazing-Muzzle-BRK60.html
3. I used to have a girlfriend that did that. I broke up with her. I guess that doesnt really help you though. Have you tried putting tobasco sauce on the whole fence? Thats what my mom used to do when I bit my fingernails. I dont know why she put it on the fence though.
4. muzzling him is the only thing that'll work now. http://www.statelinetack.com/itemdy00.asp?T1=SLT720638%20COB use that type of muzzle as it won't decrease the amount of grass he eats... unless he's fat then use a grazing muzzle.
5. There is a collar that you put on a horses neck,right behing the head, with a metel part that keep the horse from expanding his neck to suck wind. I have one some where, it worked, and I can not think of the name of it. I can not believe that nobody has told you about this. I have heard of putting hot sauce on the wood in the stall, But I do not know if it works. Something in the back of my mind say,lack of mineral, and /or more riding
6. I would say going with the grazing muzzle. People often find muzzles cruel but this will pretty much solve the chewed up fence and ease your worries of the other horses picking it up, which they most likely would not. I say Grazing Muzzle all the way!
7. cribbing is actually what a horse does to burp since it can't by itself, it indicates stomach pain or something causing discomfort in his upper digestive system. talk to you vet about a way to fix something like that. Try anti-acids or a low acid feed, your horse might have a sensitive stomach
8. sell him and get you one that isn't a cribber
9. Horse do this because they relise a gas in their brain and it makes then happy and feel better. people and vets have found that using the cribbing collars hurt and injure the horses neck and back!!! Please listen and don't use the collars any more. Don't use the muzzle either if he is not fat. They can crib with it on anyway! I have seen it. A horse at our stable cribs and our trainer left him alone and he is fine. He has been doing this for years!!!!! I hope i helped!
10. Really, once a horse starts windsucking, nothing can be done to actually stop it, just to slow them down. The miracle colar really isnt that great, the grazing muzzle, more effective, but it causes rubs one their nose, and horses can learn how to windsuck w/o grabbing something. Basically, just try to make the horse really comfortabel, cuz stopping them from cribbing is like forcing someone to stop smoking, its gonna cause them stress. Just tighten the miracle colla, maybe a little bit and that might help.
11. Okay, right off the bat, I'm gonna clearify something. Cribbing is chewing wood, WINDSUCKING is a whole different issue. I've had horses that crib (You fed the crappy hay or not enough and they'd eat your barn down!). I HAVE a horse who windsucks and the ONLY reason I keep him is that he's one of the smartest horses I've ever owned and he does actually contribute to the "family". He maintains the peace among the rest, he actually helps me with the youngsters (wether it's ponying, keeping one quiet while I clip them, working as a lesson horse.). He does fine, no colic issues unless he's hauled and a 1/2 of a 3 LB coffee can of bran (Wet), and there's NO problem. As for other horses "learning" this habit, he's been around my old Azteca for 6 years and never once has he thought about windsucking. The same with my 2 AQHA mares, the baby's now 3 and her mom's now 9, neither has even thought about. I must admit that I wasn't too keen on him when I met him, he grew on me, because he's an exreining horse (Navicular stopped him.) and had been owned by 3 little girls which basically "spoiled" him. Took the two of us just about a year before we decided we liked each other and then heaven forbid, but guess I'll keep him until God calls him home. So learn to live with his bad habit and just enjoy your horse.
12. cribbing? well it's a learned behaviour and my friend's horse picked it up on the track too. he never did it until she went away for vacationa nd horse got bored, there's nothing you can do except put a cribbing collar on them, even if they stop for a while, you should have a collar handy to put back on, because if other horses pick it up, their owners WILL NOT be happy with you! the cribbing horse has to be flagged or somthing....? and showing, boarding and other things involving horses belonging to other people is a real pain.
13. I have one that just started this, we are trying a collar then it will be a muzzle if that doesn't work. Your horse is wearing down his teeth, i seen a horse were someone let this go and the horse has basically no teeth now. Its never to late to try something.
14. You could try using a muzzle. This one looks like it could work http://www.doversaddlery.com/cribbing-muzzle/p/X1-1743/cn/159/