What You Can Do About Your Horse's Behavioral Problem
Dealing with a behavioral problem may be one of the more stressful aspects of owning a horse. There's always a reason for a change in behavior, although it may not be immediately obvious. Understanding the factors that can trigger behavior issues will help you develop a plan to improve your horse's behavior.
Stall Walking and Weaving
Is your horse walking in circles in its stall? Taking the horse out of the stall may seem like the obvious way to curb the behavior. Unfortunately, your horse may continue to walk in small circles even if you turn it out. Tying the horse will prevent it from walking in circles but won't stop the movement. Instead, it may weave, a behavior that involves constant moving.
Managing Stall Walking and Weaving. Merck Veterinary Manual notes that lack of socialization, claustrophobia, or too little exercise can cause these behaviors. Increasing the amount of time your horse spends with other horses and offering more turnout time can be helpful. Can your horse see other horses from its stall? If not, consider decreasing the height of the walls to encourage socializing.
Cribbing
More than 4% of all horses crib, according to a study published in the Equine Veterinary Journal. The study also noted that thoroughbreds have a much higher rate of cribbing than other horses. Potential cribbing causes include stress, boredom, socialization issues, or diet.
Horses that crib place their front teeth against a stationary object, like a wall or fence. They then tighten their neck muscles and rear back while grunting. Cribbing can strain the neck muscles, damage the teeth, and increase the risk of stomach ulcers and temporohyoid osteoarthropathy (middle ear disease). Horses that crib are more likely to have colic, although researchers aren't sure if cribbing causes colic or a horse begins to crib because it has colic.
Managing Cribbing. Your horse may be less likely to crib if it spends more time outdoors or has toys to play with in the stall. Adding more long-stemmed forage and decreasing grain in your horse's diet might help, as can feeding small meals frequently.
Coprophagia and Pica
Horses with coprophagia eat feces. Coprophagia is normal behavior for foals who receive nutrients from eating their mother's feces. The behavior usually stops when the foals are a few months old. Coprophagia in adults can happen if your horse isn't receiving the nutrients it needs or its diet doesn't contain enough roughage.
Pica involves eating non-food items. Your horse may swallow bark, dirt, hair, wood, or other objects. Pica can cause digestive issues and even death, depending on what your horse eats. A nutritional deficiency could also cause pica.
Managing Coprophagia and Pica. Coprophagia and pica warrant a call to your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will test the horse's blood to determine if a nutritional deficiency is responsible for the behavior. You'll need to make a few dietary changes if the blood test reveals your horse is deficient in certain nutrients.
Pawing
Pawing at the floor or ground can happen when horses are excited about something or could be related to boredom, frustration, pain, stress, hunger, or not enough exercise. Your horse might also paw to shift its weight and reduce pressure on sore limbs.
Managing Pawing. Pawing can be difficult to manage, as it can occur for many reasons. If pawing isn't frequent or isn't damaging the floor or your horse's feet, you may not need to address it. Increasing turnout and socializing with other horses could help if pawing is due to boredom or too little exercise.
When to Call the Veterinarian
It's not always easy to determine the reason for your horse's behavioral problem. If your efforts to curb the behavior haven't helped, it's time to call the equine veterinarian. He or she will examine your horse to rule out health problems that may trigger the behavior. Your veterinarian can also provide advice about nutrition and exercise and offer suggestions that will help you manage the behavioral issue.
Are you concerned about your horse's behavior? Contact our office to schedule an appointment with the veterinarian.
Sources:
Merck Veterinary Manual: Behavioral Problems in Horses, 3/2019
https://www.merckvetmanual.com/horse-owners/behavior-of-horses/behavior-problems-in-horses
Equine Veterinary Journal: Crib Biting in U.S. Horses: Breed Predispositions and Owner Perceptions of Aetiology, 5/2009
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19642405/
The Horse: Bad Behavior, or Is Something Else Going On With Your Horse?, 11/29/2023
https://thehorse.com/195510/bad-behavior-or-is-something-else-going-on-with-your-horse/
University of Minnesota Extension: Unwanted Behaviors and Vices in Horses, 2024
Equus: New Thinking About Cribbing, 7/8/2024