Are there alternatives to cribbing collars?
Q My horse has been a longtime cribber and I can’t get him to stop. I feel that a cribbing collar would make him uncomfortable. Are there other ways to stop cribbing besides the use of a collar? Is it OK to let him crib?
KATHERINE HOUPT, VMD, PhD, DACVB
A You’re right, cribbing collars are usually uncomfortable for horses, particularly ones that use a headstall. To decide if you should use one on your horse, evaluate the risk associated with cribbing and weigh it against his comfort. Fifteen years ago I might have said, “Let him crib,” but now we know cribbing is a risk factor for colic, particularly epiploic foramen entrapment, a type of colic that requires surgery and has low recovery rates.
When a horse cribs, he sucks, or aspirates, air into his esophagus. If he does not eat anything for a few minutes after that, the air will diffuse out of his mouth. But if he eats, the
