Real ethology with Lucy Rees: The cause, prevention and resolution of stereotypic behaviours

Cribbing, weaving and other so-called vices
Ethologist Lucy Rees talks about how stereotypic behaviours develop out of stress, how addiction can be prevented by timely intervention and explains why it takes so long to rehabilitate a horse once it has been cribbing for a while. Why are horse people so reticent to accept that "stable vices" are a symptom of poor husbandry, when even factory pig farmers know this? Why do cribbers want to crib so badly and how do you stop them cribbing without using a collar?

[@Missismoo22]

Thank you, Lucy. We owe it to our horses to allow them to live a more natural lifestyle. Considered, intelligent observation will allow us to see what the horse is trying to tell us.

[@JaiSequoia]

if the horses is still cribbing after you have removed the stress, they have a buddy I would treat for ulcers. Pain is another reason they crib. If they can't graze (cushings etc) make sure they have slow feeder hay bags here and there for movement and simulating grazing.

[@halfmoonssky]

Is this part 5?

[@mitina2191]

Don't listen to this lady. I have this as a human, it's because there's nothing to do. It's because you're bored

[@JustASleepySloth]

I think all of the things mentioned are coping mechanisms they're just not good ones, alcohol, drugs etc they're all a way to cope to give a high but they're not healthy same with the cribbing it's a desperate move

[@CarolRobertsonPsychosensory]

TheAssholeProphet The difference that makes the difference is that in the case of horses, humans are responsible for their welfare. Therefore it’s a symptom of bad management.