crib-biting and windsucking
H GORDON
This is a recent report on crib-biting and windsucking that was on TV very
recently.
Helen (Aust)
Crib-biting
Dr Paul McGreevy, from the Faculty of Veterinary Science at Sydney
University, is a specialist in animal behaviour and welfare science.
Recently, he and his research colleagues have been looking at the incidence,
cause and effects of stereotypic behaviour, such as crib-biting and
wind-sucking, in stabled horses. Don spoke with Dr McGreevy about the
research and its management implications for horse owners.
What is crib-biting?
Crib-biting is when a horse repeatedly bites fixed objects with its incisor
teeth. It then pulls back making a characteristic grunting noise, called
'wind-sucking'. Stabled horses may do this around 8,000 times per day. This
behaviour has always been regarded as a 'vice' of the horse, and has been
linked to various forms of ill-health including worn teeth, colic, stomach
ulcers, hypertrophy of the muscles of the ventral neck, and a failure to
maintain body weight.
Crib-biting horses are often subjected to surgical or mechanical prevention
methods, which can cause pain and distress and do not address the cause of
the problem. Crib-biters are thought to be of very little value, and so many
are destroyed.
Why horses crib-bite
Dr McGreevy and his colleagues think that abnormal stable behaviours
indicate that there's a problem with the horse's environment. Also that
crib-biting, which affects about 1 in 10 stabled horses, occurs when horses
are denied the opportunity to graze. The horse has evolved to chew for up to
16 hours per day, but stabled horses consume their concentrated rations in a
few hours and this causes a build-up of acid in the stomach.
Radiographs of crib-biters showed that there is no movement of the tongue as
in true swallowing. Instead there is an explosive distension of the
oesophagus without evidence of air passing into the stomach. So it is
possible that horses crib-bite after a concentrated meal to improve gut
motility.
The researchers also proposed that crib-biting may be a way for horses to
produce saliva. Saliva buffers excess stomach acid, but saliva production in
the horse is a physical process that depends on pressure being exerted on
the parotid salivary gland. So these horses may actually have a biological
need to crib-bite.
Implications for owners
Horse owners need to reappraise their management practices and use
alternative and humane methods to prevent the development of crib-biting.
Specifically they could look at ways of increasing forage time, for example
providing hay ad-lib or using a hay net with smaller holes. Providing
antacid diets may alleviate gastric discomfort and reduce crib-biting.
Increasing grazing time and social interaction between horses is also
recommended.
(Note: antacid diets are not yet commercially available and not permitted by
horse racing codes.)
F
Laura (the Cerys and Indy one)
windsuckers. They sell an antacid supplement if anyones after one.
"H GORDON" <hele...@free2air.com.au> wrote in message
news:alva4m$e4b$1...@gnamma.connect.com.au...
Marie Seabrook
won;t be doing the feed/shaving delivery stuff anymore. It was so handy to
just call, order, sit back and wait!
Marie
"Laura (the Cerys and Indy one)" <la...@lauranewberry.co.uk> wrote in
message news:3d8338bb$0$8505$cc9e...@news.dial.pipex.com...