[Jim Knopf]

That's the question...would you knowingly stall your horse next to a cribber?

More to the story: horses go out all day, neighbor has cribbing collar on in stall, at night. Would you stall your non-cribbing horse next to that horse or ask to be moved?

[cloudyandcallie]

ASk to be moved. It is not worth the risk. Altho I'm more afraid of paddocking next to a cribber. When Cloudy was young, we boarded intown on dry individual paddocks, and the appendix boarder in next paddock cribbed the tree on fence line over the hot wire. Cloudy started chewing the tree, I asked that he be moved, and all was Ok after the move.

Same cribber was in next stall, but no way to see between stalls, the wall was solid with no gaps so no problem, Cloudy probably thought it was the rats.

At another barn, a yearling colt was placed next to Cloudy and the colt ate the wood on the tiny paddocks attached to the stalls, and Cloudy picked chewing up again. This time Quitt worked, and the colt had to be moved as he chewed thru both sides of his little paddock.

So some horses are impressionable (ok he's a warmblood) and I worried that Cloudy would pick up cribbing, altho all the literature says it is hereditary. We are now at a barn with no cribbers.

Callie, Ottb mare, 3 yrs on the track, never cribbed, altho her stall was on the side of Cloudy away from the appendix cribber. But years later, when she was ill, she was stalled right by a young paint who was left inside 24/7 and who was afraid of everything, and in a dark stall with his window shut, and the paint chewed the wire and the wood and paced. Callie got fed up and kicked out the side of her stall one day. I had to pay. Paint was moved to the other side of the aisle.

So while I understand all the problems with cribbers, I do not want mine stabled where cribbers can be seen and mimicked.

Cribbing doesn't stop. So ask to be moved. Even if horses don't pick it up, it can drive them crazy.

[thatmoody]

I just moved my young horse who is highly suggestible from next to the cribber, but I had to put my old guy there. He hasn't picked it up (he's not in as often anyway and he is much less nervous/curious) but I hate it, and they won't put a collar on him. I just give the old guy plenty of hay and pray. If he shows a single nibble, though, I'll have to figure something else out. The young horse was starting to crib, but I moved him and he hasn't shown any signs of it since.

Keep your fingers crossed for us :P.

[cloudyandcallie]

I just moved my young horse who is highly suggestible from next to the cribber, but I had to put my old guy there. He hasn't picked it up (he's not in as often anyway and he is much less nervous/curious) but I hate it, and they won't put a collar on him. I just give the old guy plenty of hay and pray. If he shows a single nibble, though, I'll have to figure something else out. The young horse was starting to crib, but I moved him and he hasn't shown any signs of it since.

Keep your fingers crossed for us :P.

Move your old guy too! He might react like my old mare and kick out the side of the stall. She didn't hurt herself but she could have. Listen to the cribbing, even with a collar some cannot be controlled, and image listening to that all night.

[Dance_To_Oblivion]

Nope. Simply because I can not stand cribbing...it is like nails on the chalkboard to me. Yes some horses can be controlled with a collar but then somebody forgets to put it back on, or it needs to be tightened, etc. and then that awful noise starts back up! It makes me twitchy!!

[Paragon]

I have never seen a horse "pick up" cribbing, and we have several cribbers in the barn where I ride. They are not only next door to and across from non-cribbers, but share windows.

As related to me by a German friend who was well acquainted with Georg Theodorescu, even he believed that horses couldn't learn it from one another, and went so far as to say that it was only the very intelligent - and easily bored - ones who did it in the first place.

'Course, I just plain don't have a problem with cribbers.

[tbracefan]

I have had several horses that were and one now that have been cribbers. I have never seen any of my other horses pick up this habit. In my experience this habit has been developed from frustration and or too much stall time. I had one horse that was stalled next to a cribber for 8 years and he never even attempted. I keep a collar on them and provide plenty of turn out and while in their stalls plenty of hay. It has always been a none issue for me. In fact I just bought a mare that cribs. But......... that has been my experience and I am sure there are others that have not had the same.

[Highflyer]

Sure. But then, my current horse weaves I've never seen one learn, and it doesn't particularly bother me. In fact, of my last three horses, one stallwalked, one cribbed, and this one weaves. Lucky thing they're always out 24/7, I guess

[county]

I have a brood mare that cribs shes been here for 16 years with from 5 to 15 other mares year round so far no other mare has started to crib.

[Lieslot]

I had my two stalled next to cribbers and they never picked up on it.
So it wouldn't bother me a bit.
My horses were also turned out in a large group with several cribbers that would down the fenceline in weeks, and again neither one of mine picked up on it.

I personally always thought that you stand more chance ending up with a cribber, when a horse is stalled for long periods of time and becomes bored, rather then a happy entertained horse stalled next to a cribber.
I can see the point where people say the noise of a cribber day and night would drive them nuts. But surely horses go numb to that, just like I have gone numb to the sound of the neighboring bird-shy cannon that goes off twice a minute from early am till pm.

Personally, I wouldn't worry about it for a minute, but if you are concerned, why stick it out. Just move if you have a choice, so you have peace of mind over it. There's enough things we as horse owners constantly have to worry or fret over, so if you can, I'd say just move.

Good luck.

[whaat]

I said I would never own a cribber but have owned two. One was such a bad cribber that he would suck the air if he did not have something to grab ahold to. We have a small barn so all of the horses are pretty much able to see and hear each other. Also each group of turnout buddies has a cribber in it. That being said we have many horses over the years and none of them have ever picked it up from the others. This has included one extremly mouthy horse and a three year old.

[mhtokay]

I think that's a myth that horses teach others to crib. I'm pretty sure that's been proven otherwise. I'm betting more often the case, the same barn may see many cribbers because the horses all have the same aggravating conditions that encourage cribbing.


I have one I call a closet cribber and her sire was. IF I see her crib, it's generally right after grain and if the handy edge presents itself. One of her 4 older foals has cribbed (a little), I'm told, but he was cooped up alot and in heavy training at the time.

[bludejavu]

I have three cribbers in the barn now - have had at least 12 to 14 cribbers in the past - stalled plenty of non-cribbers on either side of them and have never had a single horse pick up the habit that didn't arrive here already cribbing. I also have had several stall walkers, currently have one weaver who weaves both inside and out, and no horses have picked up those habits either. They will, however, teach each other to chew wood - have seen that firsthand.

[FindersKeepers]

I have never known a horse that picked up cribbing from another. Cribbing is a habit that develops out of boredom. If you put a horse that never gets attention next to a cribber, I guess it's possible they could come to the conclussion that it would be a good idea...but

Really, isolating a bored, cribbing horse makes the cribbing worse. I have successfully seen one horse be relieved of the nagging habit by being stabled with a bunch of horses and put into work.

[Crooked Horse]

Some horses may pick up cribbing from another, but it is not the rule by any means.
My mare had a best horsey friend that was a cribber. She was stalled next to her and turned out with her daily from the time she was 20 months old until I moved her to a new facility when she was five years old. She has never cribbed for a moment in her life.

[sid]

Replies not read.

Yes, I would. Wood CHEWING is contagious (learned), cribbing is not. Cribbing in a stressor sign of boredom, typically developing at a young age from too much stall confinement and/or no pasture to graze.

I've had many horses, mostly homebred and babies next to boarded cribbers...not one picked up the habit. Difference was that my youngsters were turned out 18 hrs a day on pasture vs. the boarders horses which may have been OTTB's and/or kept in for the majority of the day when young.

[Chief2]

Ours have been stalled next to or across from cribbers, weavers, kickers and a stall walker. Never picked up the vices.

[Nezzy]

I DID keep my horses next to a cribber for 2 years. a die hard cribber with no collar on and she cribbed while she ate. None of the other horses learned it from her. IMO, they only learn it if they were going to do it anyway.

[Buffyblue]

I owned one cribber and three non-cribbers. They were turned out together every day and stalled next to each other every night for years. He remained the only cribber in the herd. So, yes, I would and I did. No problem!

[pines4equines]

Thirty years ago when we used to board, we would not take cribbers...Now, no boarders and both my horses crib.

Sometimes, the two, who are stalled across from each other, will crib and belch (I call windsucking belching) in unison. I call it Olympic Synchronized Cribbing...The new olympic sport.