My horse cribs pretty bad on whatever he can fit into his mouth. He also gains weight easily and currently has loose and runny stool (this just started.) I wonder about cribbing being a cause or a symptom of gastric upset or stomach ulcers, so I was wondering if you had any suggestions for altering his diet to help this. He currently gets free choice T&A hay, and 2/3 of a metal coffee can of pelleted feed and 1/3 of a metal coffee can of sweet feed twice a day. His lunch is just a metal coffee can of pelleted feed. He eats out of a tub on the floor of his stall, and his hay is fed off of the floor of his stall. He has two buckets of water hanging in his stall that are both refilled regularly through out the day. He also gets about 2 hours of pasture time daily. He has a mineral/salt block on the floor of his stall, and gets joint and electrolyte supplements daily. He wears his crib collar when he isn't being ridden, and I currently feel as though he may be getting to much grain. We just moved to this barn and they measure their feed differently (with a coffee can rather than a feed scoop.) He shows every month in upper level jumping, and I ride and train him every day. What do you think about his cribbing and loose stool? Should I alter his diet or add a probiotic supplement or something of that nature? Thanks for your help!

Where are you from? Orlando, FL

How did you locate this forum? Online

He also gets bran and mineral oil every Sunday, I forgot about that part. Trying my best to give you a complete background so you can help me out. Thanks!

Where are you from? Orlando, FL

How did you locate this forum? Online

Hi Ellen,

You have a large number of factors that need some attention and because of that, I would highly recommend a personal phone visit, so I can go over the big picture and get your horse back on track.

In the meantime, a few suggestions:

First, do not feed mineral oil -- it binds B vitamins so he does not get them into his system.

Second, do not feed a bran mash once a week, because the bacteria living in the hind gut do not have a chance to become accustomed to this new feed. He will likely colic from this, so be consistent -- every day, or not at all.

Third, if he has an ulcer, it can cause loose stools and sweet feeds that are made from cereal grains cause more acid production. This is very painful and can cause cribbing. I recommend AmiQuell to help soothe his digestive tract.

And, lastly, see if you can eliminate using the cribbing collar. This is very stressful, contributing to more acid production, and the potential for colic and even laminitis. Instead, allow him to be a horse as much as possible with adequate turnout and in a situation where he can be around his buddies. Boredom, pain, and stress can all contribute to cribbing and some horses have a genetic tendency toward cribbing, so special attention has to be paid toward removing anything that stimulates this behavior.

I hope this is helpful. Please consider getting together over the phone so I can learn more about him and offer you a customized feeding plan.

All the best,

Dr. Getty

Where are you from? Bayfield, CO