Picture this: It’s a quiet morning at the barn. You’re sweeping the aisle, enjoying the rhythmic sound of horses munching on hay. Suddenly, you hear a strange noise—a weird grunt or a burp-like sound. You look over and see a horse grabbing the top of the stall door with his teeth, arching his neck, and pulling back.

If you’re new to the equestrian world, this can look alarming. Is he choking? is he stuck?

What you are witnessing is horse cribbing.

To put it simply, horse cribbing is a stereotypic behavior—a repetitive habit—where a horse grabs onto a solid object (like a fence post, stall door, or feed bucket) with their incisor teeth, arches their neck, and pulls back to suck in air. Cribbing is considered an abnormal behavior, a compulsive behavior, and an undesirable behavior often labeled as a stable vice. These abnormal behaviors, such as cribbing, are typically associated with stress, environmental factors, and management practices, and are problematic for both horse welfare and property.

Here is the most important thing you need to know right off the bat: Cribbing is a behavior, not a disease. It’s not an infection, and your horse isn’t trying to be naughty. (It is often a coping mechanism, similar to how a human might bite their fingernails when they are stressed or bored.)

The prevalence of cribbing in horses is estimated to be between 2.4% and 15%, depending on factors like breed and management. Importantly, cribbing is not typically learned from observing other horses, as there is no scientific evidence supporting this idea.

In this guide, we’re going to walk through everything you need to know about this quirky, often misunderstood behavior. We’ll cover why it happens, if it’s dangerous, and how we, as aspiring horsemen and horsewomen, can manage it.

As you start spending more time at the barn, you’ll learn that horses have all sorts of unique body languages. Recognizing cribbing is actually quite easy once you know what to look for. It isn’t subtle!

Here are the classic signs of a cribber in action:

If you see a horse doing this, don’t panic. Take a breath. It’s a common issue, and you are definitely not the first rider to encounter it.

You might hear the old-timers at the barn use the terms “cribbing” and “windsucking” interchangeably, but there is actually a slight technical difference between the two. Both are considered stereotypic behaviors in horses.

Cribbing requires a prop. The horse must grab onto something with their teeth to perform the action. They need that leverage to arch their neck and make the noise.

Windsucking, on the other hand, is the air-guitar version of cribbing. A windsucker achieves the same result—arching the neck and sucking in air—without grabbing onto anything. They can do it standing in the middle of a paddock with no fences nearby.

Why does this distinction matter? It changes how you manage it.

You can stop a cribber by removing surfaces they can bite (or covering them), but you can’t easily stop a windsucker because they don’t need a tool to do the job. However, for the sake of this article, we will focus primarily on cribbing, as the root causes are generally the same.

This is the million-dollar question. Why on earth would a 1,200-pound animal decide to chew on a fence and suck wind?

Cribbing is considered one of several abnormal behaviors in horses, often triggered by environmental factors and management practices. Stressful situations and certain risk factors, such as confinement, social isolation, or abrupt changes in routine, can contribute to the onset of cribbing.

For decades, people thought cribbing was just a “bad habit” learned from other horses. We now know that the reality is much more complex. It usually stems from a mix of physical and mental factors.

Horses are designed by nature to do two things: move and eat. In the wild, horses walk up to 20 miles a day and graze for about 16 to 18 hours. Cribbing is associated with increased stress levels and higher cortisol levels in horses, indicating a physiological response to their environment.

In our modern world, we often put horses in 12x12 box stalls, feed them concentrated grain meals that they finish in ten minutes, and isolate them from other horses. This confinement can lead to immense boredom and stress.

Cortisol is a stress hormone found in horses (and humans alike). Studies have shown that the presence of this hormone may be higher in horses that have a tendency to crib than the "non-cribbers". Cribbing releases endorphins (feel-good chemicals) in the horse’s brain.

In a way, the horse is self-soothing to cope with anxiety or boredom. Providing more turnout time and increased social interaction can help prevent cribbing by allowing horses to express natural behaviors and reduce stress.

There is a very strong link between gut health and cribbing. Research suggests that many horses crib to relieve gastric discomfort, specifically from gastric ulcers and stomach ulcers, which are common digestive issues in horses.

When a horse sucks in air and creates saliva, that saliva is alkaline. It acts as a natural buffer for stomach acid. If a horse is on a high-grain, low-forage diet, their stomach acid levels might be high. Cribbing might be their way of trying to take a Tums! This is why you often see horses cribbing right after they eat a grain meal.

The health of the gastrointestinal tract, including the gut microbiome, plays a significant role in cribbing behavior. Changes in the gut microbiome and overall gastrointestinal discomfort are key factors that can contribute to this condition.

It is recommended to consult a veterinarian to rule out medical issues such as gastric ulcers or other gastrointestinal problems and to discuss a tailored management plan for cribbing.

Can a horse be born a cribber? Well, sort of.

Studies have shown that certain breeds, particularly Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods, are more predisposed to the behavior than others. Most horses do not start cribbing by observing other horses; there is no scientific evidence supporting the idea that cribbing is socially learned. Instead, cribbing starts due to a combination of genetic predisposition and management factors, such as stress or restricted forage.

There is also a learning window. Young horses that are weaned abruptly or kept in stalls early in life are more susceptible to cribbing than those raised in pastures. While it’s rare for an adult horse to “learn” cribbing just by watching a neighbor, the onset of cribbing in young horses is more closely related to their environment and genetics than to imitation.

So, your favorite lesson horse is a cribber. Should you be worried? Is he hurting himself?

The answer is yes and no. While cribbing isn’t immediately life-threatening, it does have long-term consequences that we need to watch out for.

Cribbing can occupy a significant amount of a horse's daily time budget, sometimes up to 65%. Additionally, cribbing can lead to changes in the horse's brain, particularly affecting dopamine function, which is involved in habit formation.

If you are looking for a magic button to turn off the cribbing, I have some tough news: it doesn’t exist. However, the amount of time cribbing can often be reduced through thoughtful management and environmental changes.

Once a horse starts cribbing and the behavior becomes established, it is incredibly difficult to eliminate this compulsive behavior completely. The neural pathways in their brain are set. Even if you fix the ulcers or turn them out in a 100-acre field, a chronic cribber might still crib simply out of habit. Prevention of cribbing is based on management conditions that allow daily free movement and feeding practices that provide higher amounts of roughage.

However, as horsemen, our goal shouldn’t necessarily be to “stop” the behavior by force, but to manage it and address the root cause. If we can lower the horse’s stress and make their tummy feel better, the frequency of the cribbing often drops significantly. A combination of approaches tailored to individual horses may be the most successful for addressing this behavior.

Since we can’t always cure it, we have to manage it.

Management practices, including adjustments to housing, diet, and stress reduction, play a critical role in addressing horse cribbing. Environmental enrichment is also important, as it can help prevent or reduce cribbing behavior.

Pharmacological treatments have reportedly been successful in treating stereotypic behaviors like cribbing, but additional research is needed to fully understand potential side effects.

Here are the most common tools and tactics used in barns today.

How they work: A cribbing collar (also known as a cribbing strap) fits tightly around the horse’s throatlatch. It usually has a metal or hard leather piece at the throat. It doesn’t stop them from breathing or eating, but when they try to arch their neck to crib, the collar applies uncomfortable pressure, discouraging the action. The use of cribbing straps can also affect the horse's stress levels, as they physically restrict the behavior.

Pros: They are often effective at physically stopping the act. Cons: They must be fitted very tight to work, which can cause sores. Some argue this creates more stress for the horse because you are physically preventing their coping mechanism without fixing the anxiety.

This is the most “horsemanship” based approach.

Increasing turnout time and social interaction not only helps reduce cribbing but also improves overall animal welfare.

Remember the acid buffer theory?

One study found that a feeder delivering small amounts of concentrate feed when activated by the horse increased feeding time and temporarily decreased cribbing behavior.

If you suspect ulcers or other health issues are the culprit, get the vet involved.

Stomach ulcers are a common underlying cause of cribbing, and a veterinarian can perform a scope to look into the stomach. Treating ulcers with medication like Omeprazole can sometimes reduce cribbing dramatically, especially in horses where the behavior is new.

Recent studies have also explored medications such as CBD and fluoxetine to decrease cribbing behavior intensity. Veterinary consultation is recommended to rule out medical issues and to discuss a tailored management plan for your horse.

In the horse world, there is plenty of bad advice floating around. Here is what you should avoid when dealing with a cribber.

You’re shopping for your first horse (exciting!), and you find one that fits your budget perfectly. He’s gentle, safe, and has a great trot. But… the seller tells you he’s a cribber. Do you walk away?

This is a personal choice, but here is the balanced view:

The Cons:

The Pros:

If you have your own land or a supportive boarding barn, and you are willing to manage the diet and lifestyle, a cribber can be a fantastic partner. Horse owners play a key role in managing cribbing and reducing its impact, so don’t rule them out instantly, but go in with your eyes open.

If you end up owning a cribber, or falling in love with a lesson horse who cribs, remember this: Management is better than perfection.

You might not stop every single grunt. That is okay. Focus on their quality of life and overall animal welfare. Are they a good weight? Is their coat shiny? Are their eyes bright? Do they seem happy when you ride them?

Good management practices—such as providing 24/7 hay (if necessary), minimizing stress, ensuring proper housing, and offering companionship—are essential for supporting both their well-being and reducing cribbing behavior.

No, true cribbing requires a solid surface to grab onto for leverage. If a horse is making the motion and noise without touching an object, that is called "windsucking."

Not necessarily, but there is a strong link. Many horses start cribbing due to gastric pain. However, even if you cure the ulcers, the horse may continue cribbing because it has become a habit.

They can if they are not fitted correctly. To work, they must be tight, which can cause rubbing, hair loss, and sores. They should only be used if necessary and checked daily.

This is a huge myth! While young foals might mimic a mother, adult horses generally do not copy cribbing from their neighbors. If multiple horses in a barn are cribbing, it is usually because they are all under the same stressful management (like 23 hours of stall confinement).

Yes. Even horses living the dream life outside can crib on fence posts, especially if they have a genetic predisposition or old habits from previous stall life.

At the end of the day, dealing with cribbing is a test of our horsemanship. It challenges us to look past the annoying noise and the chewed-up wood and ask, "What is my horse trying to tell me?"

Maybe they are telling us they need more hay. Maybe they are telling us they are lonely. Or maybe they are just telling us they have an old habit that helps them get through the day.

As you continue your journey into the equestrian world, try to view behaviors like cribbing not as acts of defiance, but as communication. With patience, observation, and a few lifestyle tweaks, you and your cribber can have a long, happy, and successful partnership.