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| Aerophagia or Oral 'Windsucking' in Horses |
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‘Windsucking’ or ‘crib biting’ is the term used to describe the technique developed by a horse where it anchors its top teeth on a rail or post, arches its neck and gulps in air, making a characteristic ‘grunting’ sound as the air is swallowed.
New evidence suggests that stretching the neck and gulping air is a pleasurable sensation due to endorphin release, and the expanded stomach makes the horse feel contented and satisfied.
Windsucking often leads to excessive teeth wear, and in bad cases, the top front incisors may be worn away, making it difficult for a horse to graze efficiently on shorter pasture. Swallowing air also leads to digestive upset and poor condition die to interrupted feeding and loss of appetite as a result of feeling ‘full’ with air in the stomach.
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Causes of windsucking
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- Confinement to stables, resulting in boredom and frustration may cause a horse to initially nibble or chew wood, and then develop the windsucking habit.
- Horses and foals will mimic and learn the technique from other horses.
- Occasionally, a horse will even windsuck by arching its neck and anchoring its teeth on its own knee joint or cannon bone.
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Remedies for winduscking
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- Unfortunately, there are no totally successful methods to prevent or curb windsucking.
- Initially, crib biting can be deterred by liberal smears of hot tasting greases, such as Stop Crib, applied to all horizontal surfaces or favourite cribbing ledges, tops of posts or rails in stables, yards and paddocks. However, as a windsucking horse only rests it stop teeth on rails or tops of posts, these preparations may not be tasted and in some horses will be less effective.
- Preparations with an offensive or irritating smell, such as creosote, may be helpful in keeping horses from chewing rails, but are messy to apply.
- Metal mirrors affixed to the back of the stall may reduce the frequency of windsucking in a young, nervous and lonely horse confined to a stable.
- Replacing half of the lucerne (green) chaff with cereal (white) chaff can slow down the rate at which a meal is eaten by 15 – 20 % and help prevent boredom
- A 75mm wide, thick leather calf neck strap fitted carefully and snugly around the throat latch area appears to be successful. A wide, flat pliable strap is less likely to cause pressure sores on the throat latch, as can occur with the traditional metal-hinged windsucking straps.
- In severe cases, a modified Forsells operation to prevent arching of the lower neck muscles to windsuck may be successful in the short term in young horses – however, surgical techniques are largely ineffective, often expensive and can result in a scar and loss of hair around the throat area.
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In the mid 1980’s the compound Nalmefene was heralded as a deterrent for crib biting and windsucking. It acts by blocking the release of endorphins, which are thought to produce a ‘high’ feeling during the windsucking habit. A low continuous dose released by pellets deposited under the skin was reported to suppress crib biting and windsucking for up to 4 weeks. However, the drug is expensive, may cause side effects resembling low grade colic and, once the blocking effects of the drug wears off, a chronic windsucker and crib biter is likely to return to its habit with renewed vigour.
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Article courtesy of Dr John Kohnke from ‘Health Care and problems of Horses, 9th edition’ published by Virbac-Vetsearch.
Dr John Kohnke has over 20 years of experience in the health care and management of horses. He is well known for his ability to give sound, practical and up-to-date advice, which is sought by trainers and horse owners worldwide. As Technical Director of Vetsearch for 20 years, John had an opportunity to pursue research in equine nutrition, parasite control, lameness and respiratory problems.
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