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 Veteran
Posts: 136
 
Location: Hicktown Idaho | Hey, I have a mare that sucks wind awful! Does anyone have experience with this? We've tried many things to get her to stop. From putting on a cribbing collar (this was when I thought she was cribbing, not sucking wind), tried a collar that when she sucks wind-zaps her, and now I have a muzzle on her like the one in the picture. We've left the rubber mat inside of it, cutting the hole bigger so she can still eat. Well, she's figured out how to suck wind through the muzzle  I'm at my wits end to try to get her to stop. It's not good for them, can cause stomach ulcers, wears their teeth horrible bad, enlarges neck muscles, etc. I've called a few vets to get their opinion on what to do, and they are clueless. Said I've tried everything they would recommend. So, if anyone has ideas of what to do/use to get her to stop, I'm open to ideas! She even does it on the metal round-pen, so painting all the fence posts (although I'm not sure this would even work cause she only uses her teeth on the post to get leverage, so she wouldn't get a nasty taste I'm assuming. Thanks in advance!
 (muzzle.jpg)
 (muzzle.jpg)
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 muzzle.jpg (49KB - 357 downloads)
muzzle.jpg (49KB - 179 downloads)
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 Expert
Posts: 1898
 
| If she is that intent about doing it there probably isn't much you can do to stop it. They get a release of endorphins and become addicted. It's like trying to get a crack head to stop smoking crack. After hot wiring all the rails of his pen, we had one that figured out how to crib on his salt block.
Does your horse get plenty of turn out time with other horses? Does she have access to graze 24/7? Is she in intense training with little relief? Have you talked to a vet about the possibility of ulcers? Does she get a lot of grain? None of these things will fix the issue 100% but they might help lessen it. We have acquired a few cribbers and it seems like the more stress their life has the more often they do it. Giving them more days off than I would any other horse seems to help, as well as feeding more hay and less grain. High grain diets can cause ulcers if a horse is not getting enough exercise. We tend to over grain thinking they "need it", when in all actuality, if they do not have a super crazy workout routine they really don't need those extra calories, starches and sugars. The horse was designed to eat all day and not load up once or twice a day on "candy bars". Pre and probiotics seemed to be helpful as well. |
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Veteran
Posts: 136
Location: Hicktown Idaho | That's what I'm afraid of 
She is out in a 6 acre pasture 24/7 with a gelding. Sometimes they get brought in at night when the pasture really starts growing, but it's into an acre pasture so she's never stalled. Her training is not intense. I have talked to the vet, and they don't seem to concerned about ulcers 
She doesn't get much grain either..
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Miss Southern Sunshine
Posts: 7427
 
Location: South Central Florida | Whats the difference in Sucking Wind, and Cribbing? I thought it was the same thing...they basically get high on the action and get addicted to the feeling? |
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 Peat and Repeat
Posts: 2773
Location: IN MY OWN LITTLE WORLD AT LEAST THEY KNOW ME HERE | It's all the same thing.
I had a gelding that slung his head out to the side n up.
Sucking wind.
stump sucker is another term used by the old horse folks. |
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 I hate cooking and cleaning
Posts: 3314
Location: Jersey Girl | I had a horse years ago that would wind suck (but not crib). He would swing his head up and down. Nothing I put on him stopped him from doing it. |
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 Elite Veteran
Posts: 927
Location: Iowa | Have you tried the DARE collar? It's the only to stop mine. Mine will crib/suck the moment it comes off. |
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 A Barrel Of Monkeys
Posts: 12972
Location: Texas | Swannranch - 2016-04-11 1:05 PM Whats the difference in Sucking Wind, and Cribbing? I thought it was the same thing...they basically get high on the action and get addicted to the feeling?
It is the same thing - the definition of cribbing is swallowing air.
To the OP, I would treat this horse for ulcers and keep her turned out as much as possible.
As for a cribbing collar, get one from All American Tack. It's about $30, and the best collar on the market, IMO. |
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Veteran
Posts: 136
Location: Hicktown Idaho | I have, and she still does it with collar on  Seems like no matter what I've tried, she's bound and determined to suck wind. |
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