CHAPTER XVI. 

 CRIBBING CAUSES, EFFECTS AND TREATMENT 



Cribbing is a condition which may be considered 

 as a vice or habit rather than a disease. It consists 

 in the horse laying hold of any stationary object 

 with the teeth, such as a manger, post, fence, gate, 

 etc., and violently extending his neck, and then after 

 a convulsive action of the throat a grunting sound is 

 heard, accompanied by a gulping in and swallowing 

 of air. 



CAUSES. 



Many theories have been advanced with regard 

 to the cause of this vice. Some maintain that it is 

 due to indigestion, others to the closeness of the 

 incisor teeth, while some attribute it to a combina- 

 tion of both conditions. Others to idleness. The 

 latter, with heredity, undoubtedly is the main cause 

 and most cases occurring could be traced directly 

 to them if pains were taken to investigate their 

 origin. I can call to mind a cribbing mare whose 

 progeny, three foals to the cover of as many stal- 

 lions, were cribbers before they were old enough to 

 be put to work. To me this is a clear case of 

 heredity and one which has not been dependent upon 



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