The term cribbing refers to an act that many horses engage in. While it is most common in the stall, horses in the habit of cribbing may also engage in the act while out in the pasture. In order to crib, horses hook their top teeth onto a solid surface. They then stretch their neck to make their throat muscles swell. In the process, they end up sucking a great deal of air into their bodies. Studies have found that horses engage in the behavior because it makes them feel good, but in reality, they are putting themselves at risk for health problems.

As horses crib, they ingest more air than is good for them. This air fills their intestines, causing too much gas to exist within the body. This build up of air and gas can actually cause a horse to colic. In addition to the risk of colic, horses often harm their teeth in the cribbing process. And even if they are not harming themselves, they usually end up causing destruction to the barn or paddock fence.

Luckily, cribbing has not been shown to be a learned behavior, so if you have one cribbing horse in the barn, you do not really have to worry about others picking up the habit. However some horses might crib out of boredom. If one horse in a barn is bored, there is a chance that others are bored as well.

The best way to reduce cribbing is to provide your horse with more stimulation. Let him spend more time outdoors. Spend more time interacting with your horse, grooming and especially exercising him. If he is in a pasture for most of his day, consider getting a companion for him. A more content horse will be less likely to crib.

Unfortunately, there is not much else you can do to reduce the frequency of cribbing. However you can reduce the physical effects to your horse by outfitting him in a cribbing collar. Avoid any collars that might harm your horse, like those that are designed to poke, prick, or zap your horse to deter him from cribbing. These will only increase his risk for injury, and add stress to his life.