# Would you buy a horse that cribs?



## cooper101 (Sep 13, 2010)

We're looking at a horse for my daughter that seems like just what we're looking for, but she cribs. The horse is 7 and the current owner has owned her for 4 years. She says it's a very mild case of cribbing, but she does "occasionally" do it. I have a pretty good feeling about the owner and how she cares for and trains her horses, so i tend to believe her.

So, if there are no other vices and the horse seems in good health and well-trained, would you buy a horse that cribs or is that just too much of a red flag?

Thanks for your input!


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

If, as you describe, the current owner is just trying to be very up-front and mention every possible thing, then yes, I would.

Disclosure of "vices" is important, and I'd rather be "warned" about every tiny little thing than have something kept from me.

It sounds like this is a horse that will need a "job", and does well when getting consistant attention; sounds like she only cribs once in awhile [my thought is boredom: days spent in because of weather, or during "idle time"].


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## wr (Aug 10, 2003)

cooper101, what do the current owner's facilities look like? Did you see wood with the odd chew marks, does it look like a pack of beaver have been loose in the barn or maybe a lot of replaced wood? If you've seen minimal damage with no signs of major replacement, I would think the owner is honest. If you see substanial damage or a lot of replaced wood, I'd suggest the owner is minimizing a substantial problem.


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## mountainwmn (Sep 11, 2009)

Nope, never. Many boarding stables won't take them, many people won't buy them, and it is slightly "contagious". There is lots of argument about that, but I had a 4yo gelding that never cribbed, until I moved and moved him to a closer barn. The horse across the aisle cribbed, and he started within a week. None of her other horses did it, but young horses, and stressed horses are more likely to pick it up.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

Will you be stalling the horse? Or have him on pasture?


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## Horseyrider (Aug 8, 2010)

Probably not. If things don't work out, resale of a cribber is tough. You practically have to give them away.


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## jill.costello (Aug 18, 2004)

Depends on how much of a packer he is. I saw a Children's Hunter go for $40,000. who was a horrendous cribber; I was his groom for about 5 months and this was a horse who would rather crib than eat his GRAIN. He would crib on anything, anywhere. He was an absolute drug addict. BUT, he would tote kids around an A-circuit hunter ring, jerk his knees, swap his leads and win in the hack.


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## southerngurl (May 11, 2003)

jill.costello said:


> Depends on how much of a packer he is. I saw a Children's Hunter go for $40,000. who was a horrendous cribber; I was his groom for about 5 months and this was a horse who would rather crib than eat his GRAIN. He would crib on anything, anywhere. He was an absolute drug addict. BUT, he would tote kids around an A-circuit hunter ring, jerk his knees, swap his leads and win in the hack.


WOW. I seriously wonder how much of these obsessive behaviors are nutritional problems? I have a goat that was a horrible self nurser. She had all kinds of rigging to try and keep my darn milk and would still get to it and suck it all down in a flash. After a couple copper boluses she just up and quit! I mean quit, never did it again, this has been since last Febuary or March. Another goat owner had one do the same thing! Apparently low copper causes emotional issues, and the nursing was a comfort thing. Weird.


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## CNCfamily (Sep 13, 2010)

Depends on where you're keeping the horse. If it was *just* the right horse, i'd probably buy it because we dont typically keep our horses in the round corral or stalls (made out of wood) for long periods of time. Just a staging or training area. The rest of the time they're in barb wire pasture. 

However, if it's a horse you plan on using for rodeo or something, you never know what kind of stall you may be using. I wouldn't want to put a horse in someone else's wood stall if he's going to chew it apart, ya know?


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## fetch33 (Jan 15, 2010)

Check the teeth in the front. If they are worn and wavy looking then the horse is more than an 'occasional' cribber. The last horse I bought was an occasional cribber, but we didn't know it. In fact, I have NEVER seen him crib, but the barn owner says he will occasionally do it.


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## bluebird2o2 (Feb 14, 2007)

MY neighbor bought a cribber.he was a fine appaloosa show gelding.insured for 30,000 dollars.a nice big appy, very easy too ride.she said she paid less because he was a cribber.


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

Short answer. NOPE.


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## olivehill (Aug 17, 2009)

I always said no, but I have one in my barn now. I was looking for a very safe, very calm, very reliable mount and I knew the horse and knew he fit that bill well. I didn't want to have the problems of the buying/selling game and have to go all over heck and back trying to find what I wanted so I compromised on my strict rule about cribbers. The cribbing was supposedly "occasional" with him too and "only when he's stalled". Well that was a bunch of baloney. The horse isn't an all the time, every second of the day cribber, but it's more than occasional, imo. I bought him a collar within a week of bringing him home and he's been wearing it since. It works like a charm and we're all happy. 

He doesn't have to wear it when we go out. He doesn't crib while riding, trailering, etc. So it's not an eye sore in his case. Only close friends who come to my barn/know me and mine well even know he cribs.


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## Shoupie (Mar 21, 2009)

I would arrange a 2 week trail period to see how bad his cribbing really is. I have a horse who will chomp on H posts occasionally when he's stalled and bored but its nothing like an obsessive beaver. And there are options for controlling cribbing. I would rather take on a horse whose problems are identified at the sale rather than bring him home and find them all out for myself after I've shelled out a premium. Plus if he's going to be stabled on your property there are lots of cheap things you can do to crib proof your barn and fencing.


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## Rogo (Jan 1, 2006)

I have nothing around here that's wood, but I've seen cribbers wrap their chompers around a pipe corral rail and suck hard.

True cribbing, not just wood chewing, can lead to health problems. And surgery doesn't always stop it.


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## krische1012 (May 3, 2009)

No, I can not tolerate the noise... Like nails on a chalkboard to me. I also agree with the points above about harder to resell, harder to find places to board, etc.


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## PNWest (Mar 15, 2010)

No! No! No!


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## DamnearaFarm (Sep 27, 2007)

Yep and i'd do it again. He's a supreme babysitter and loves kids. A true deadhead, but he can pull out a show walk when asked. Passed from kid to kid when it's time to learn to ride.


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## harvestgirl (Apr 29, 2005)

i have a cribber. it is annoying & the barn owner where i board isn't happy w/ that face that he does it. BUT ~ he had a rough beginning in life, was recently gelded and is being turned out now so we are hoping in time he will stop ~ he also is be wearing a grazing muzzle as soon as it arrives.


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## farmergirl (Aug 2, 2005)

krische1012 said:


> No, I can not tolerate the noise... Like nails on a chalkboard to me. I also agree with the points above about harder to resell, harder to find places to board, etc.


I agree that the sound is like nails on the chalkboard :flame:

I wouldn't go looking for a cribbing horse, but I am now the proud owner of one, lol.

He came to me in need, when a friend had nowhere else to put him. I'm a sucker for a sad face and a down-on-your-luck story, so now he lives with us.

I have spent alot of time and money crib-proofing his stall with utility panels almost all the way to the barn ceiling and hotwire all over his paddock fencing. He still looks around for things to crib on, but everything else is a real chore for him to grab hold of and suck on so he usually just gives up.

I do put his Miracle collar on during the day when he is restricted to his stall and paddock, but I take it off at night when he has freedom to roam from his paddock and all over the large arena.


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## sunshinytraci (Oct 20, 2007)

Nope. There are many good horses around without this problem. Horses can be enough trouble without a cribbing problem. Other horses can learn it and it can cost alot of money in destroyed materials and health issues. My goal when buying a horse is to get one as problem and vice free as possible.


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## DamnearaFarm (Sep 27, 2007)

Editing to add- i've never had a horse 'learn' cribbing. I do not keep my horses stalled, so there isn't much time for them to be bored enough to pick up a bad habit.


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## cooper101 (Sep 13, 2010)

Thanks to everyone for your advice. We passed on the horse that cribs. Yesterday, we looked at another one we will probably buy and as we were walking through the barn to the arena, we happened to pass a horse in its stall that was cribbing. Oh, that would drive me crazy. Seeing it first-hand confirms that that's something I just wouldn't want to deal with. Through the grapevine, we found a beautiful quarterhorse gelding that will probably be my daughter's Christmas present. We're just a vet check, a local trainer evaluation, and a big check away!!! Who needs vacations?


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