Horse Cribbing
Cribbing is a behavioral problem, which sometimes develops in horses with insufficient mental stimulation (i.e. bored horses) and most commonly occurs in horses which spend long periods of time in stalls. Cribbing horses bite objects (such as fencing rails), while pulling backwards on the object and sucking air. It is believed that the horse does this because it causes the release of pleasurable brain chemicals (endorphins). The terms ‘wind sucking’ and ‘crib biting’ are alternative names for cribbing.
Horse cribbing is sometimes mistaken for ‘wood chewing’, which is a different behavioral problem. In wood chewing the horse nibbles on wood to occupy itself whereas in cribbing the horse sucks in air to trigger the release of endorphin brain chemicals. Both damage wood, but the physical activity and the purpose are completely different. If you watch your horse or examine the damaged wood carefully, it should be clear which of these two problems your horse has.
