Article borrowed from: thehorse Ways to Reduce a Cribbers Colic Risk: Severe and recurring cases of colic are frequently caused by a horse’s environment, diet, and genetics. Study results have also proven a link between cribbing and an increased risk of colic. Researchers are working to better understand the link between the two. “We do not know exactly how the behavior relates to colic except that is it is not as simple as horses just sucking in a lot of air; it is much more complex than that,” explained Ebony Escalona, BSc (Hons), BVSc, MRCVS, a researcher at the Imperial College London Faculty of Medicine, in England. Escalona and colleagues recently completed a study in which they evaluated the prevalence of and risk factors for colic in cribbers. Ultimately, the team found that a horse that only cribs or sucks wind occasionally is less likely to have a history of colic than a horse performing this behavior many hours a day. “The more severe/frequent the signs of this behavior, the more likely they were to have a history of colic in this study,” Escalona said. Still, Escalona said the team wouldnt necessarily recommend trying to eliminate cribbing, even if a horse cribs frequently. “We would not advocate methods to physically prevent horses performing this behavior (e.g., collars, electrifying stables, surgical procedures),” Escalona noted. “There is scientific evidence that this actually increases stress in these horses, and there are some major welfare issues with some of the methods used.” Instead, the researchers suggest maximizing a horse’s turnout time and making sure forage is available at most times. “Horses are designed to trickle feed on grass for 18 hours per day, and there is evidence that (cribbing) compensates for any lack of forage,” she said. Based on the teams study results, increased stabling in the fall and haylage consumption also place horses at an increased risk for colic. Escalona said horse owners can reduce chances of colic in cribbers and noncribbers alike by: • Maximizing turnout in the fall, when stabling time in the U.K. traditionally increases due to bad weather; • Feeding hay rather than haylage, which is commonly fed in the U.K., as horses fed haylage are twice as likely to have a history of colic; • Providing constant access to clean, fresh water; • Implementing feed or turnout changes over a period of two to three weeks rather than a few days; • Minimizing intestinal parasite buildup by maintaining a proper deworming program; and • Scheduling regular dental care performed by an appropriately trained professional. And finally, Escalona said its important to nip cribbing in the bud while the horse is young: “If a youngster does start to show cribbing behavior, it is important to assess their diet and turnout to make sure the factors mentioned have been changed,” she advised. The study, Prevalence of and risk factors for colic in horses that display crib-biting behavior, was published in BMC Veterinary Research.
Posted on: Mon, 08 Dec 2014 13:31:37 +0000
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