Wind sucking/ cribbing

[whymewhyme]

Hi, my galding has windsucked and cribbed since time began but he's having a bad patch and is not stop atm. Has anybody got any recommendations of herbs I can feed him? I've tryed all the pre made up ones like horse first, global herbs and protexin and non have made a difference in the past!

Does he have ulcers?

Herbs aren't going to make a blind bit of difference. He needs a diagnosis and proper treatment. Lots of horses windsuck due to ulcer pain.

The vets have seen him and they didn't think it was ulcers because he's done it from a yearling and doesn't any show other symptoms. He suggested it was a anxiety thing because a nervous wreck and always has been.

If he were mine I'd get him scoped and turnout 24/7 with unlimited hay.

I will contact the vet again.

ECalm is really good stuff.
Relatively cheap
It’s a proper thing that they have done proper studies on , published in Vet journal.
Made as a calmer but as a side effect they found it helped sweet itch and ulcer type issues.
I had my fell on it and her skin was great, ran out ( as the fecking rats ate it ) and 5 days later she has skin lesions on her chest and shoulders .
I’m very much a supplement sceptic but even paid for next day delivery to get her back on it !
My windsucking horse (. 21 always done it ) was much better on it too

Get in touch with your local veterinary physiotherapist. It's likely they can sort this out for you. You can search for your nearest on the IAAT website (www.iaat.org.uk/therapist-finder/)

If it's an ingrained habit you can't stop it with herbs or feed. A cribbing collar will work (it does with my chronic cribber) but he will start again the minute you take it off. Mine wears it at night so that he can eat, otherwise he loses too much weight. He's out 24/7 with unlimited hay but had been stabled for years before I got him.

There's some interesting new research about cribbing/wind sucking and the use of antacids.

www.princealbertstables.com/Cribbing.htm

ker.com/equinews/putting-kibosh-cribbing/

I'm pretty sure there is an antacid formulation available for horses.

I also second the 24/7 turnout with free choice grazing/hay.

I bought a very nice young horse for not very much money because he was a really determined wind sucker. I turned him out with friends, stopped feeding any concentrates other than straight oats and he stopped wind sucking about
95% of the time. He'll only do it now when he's very anxious - when I first brought him home a couple of years ago, he was constant.

Comfort gut gets good reviews though made no difference to mine.

Acid ease and aloe Vera powder helps mine.