Stable vices in horses are a variety of behaviors considered undesirable due to their potential to cause health problems for the animal. The development of these vices can be attributed to three key reasons: the animal’s natural temperament, boredom, or influence from neighboring horses. Although a small number of these vices may be genetically inherited, the vast majority can be traced back to environmental factors or circumstances.
Understanding Major Stable Vices
Key vices to be aware of include:
- Biting: Horses may exhibit biting behavior towards humans or other animals.
- Rug-Tearing: Can lead to ingestion of non-edible materials, posing health risks.
- Crib-Biting and Windsucking: These are orally fixated habits where horses bite down on a solid object and suck in air. They can lead to various dental and digestive issues.
- Consuming Bedding, Droppings, and Timber: These harmful habits can lead to internal blockages and other serious digestive problems.
- Pawing the Door: Habitual pawing can result in physical injury to the horse’s hooves or legs.
- Weaving: A swaying behavior that can lead to joint problems.
Most of these behaviors, if not addressed, can have a detrimental effect on the horse’s health. Consequently, prevention and treatment strategies should be a priority for all horse keepers.
Path to Prevention and Cure
By understanding the underlying causes and outcomes of these vices, horse owners and keepers can take proactive measures to prevent their occurrence or provide effective treatment. After all, ensuring the health and happiness of these majestic creatures should be our primary goal.
Muzzles
Muzzles are devices used to prevent various unwanted behaviors in horses, such as biting or damaging property. They can, however, also impact the horse’s ability to eat and drink normally.
Types of Muzzles and Their Functions
Leather Bucket Muzzles
One common type of muzzle is the leather bucket muzzle. Shaped like a bucket, it is designed with multiple ventilation holes for the horse’s comfort. However, this type of muzzle prevents the horse from eating or drinking while wearing it. This muzzle is held in place with a leather slip-head over the poll.
Mesh Muzzles
Mesh muzzles, made from either wire or glass fiber, allow the horse to drink while still inhibiting unwanted behaviors. These muzzles are better suited for horse owners who want to prevent destructive behaviors without completely restricting the horse’s access to water.
Bar Muzzles
Bar muzzles are composed of leather and feature an open end spanned by two metal bars. This design allows the horse to drink water and to eat small amounts of food. However, if the horse develops a taste for inappropriate items, such as droppings, it might still be able to consume them even when wearing a bar muzzle.
Wooden Neck Cradle
A wooden neck cradle is a strategic device used to prevent a horse from injuring itself further by biting or tearing at bandages, wounds, or blisters.
Features and Functionality of the Wooden Neck Cradle
Design and Placement
The cradle is a kind of necklace made up of wooden poles. It is attached to the horse’s neck using straps, and spans from the throat to the shoulders. The design and positioning help to restrict the horse’s movements in a protective manner.
Impact on the Horse’s Movements
Its main functionality lies in limiting the ability of the horse to bend its neck. This reduced mobility results in the horse being unable to bite or aggravate any existing injuries, ensuring a safer and more effective healing process.
Crib-Biting Straps
Crib-biting straps are an effective tool designed to prevent crib-biting and its related issues, such as colic, loss of condition, and the development of wind-sucking behaviors in horses.
Problems Caused by Crib-Biting
Crib-biters exhibit a behavior where they arch their necks, hook their top teeth onto a stable door or manger, and gulp in large mouthfuls of air. Wind-sucking is a similar action but without the use of a door or manger to anchor their teeth. These habits can not only lead to health problems like colic but are also considered unsoundness in horses.
How Crib-Biting Straps Work
Crib-biting straps, fastened tightly around the horse’s gullet, serve to reduce its ability to arch the neck and inhale excessive air volumes. By limiting this behavior, the strap is effective in curbing the development of crib-biting-related issues.
Meyer’s Anti-Cribbing Strap
A variant of the crib-biting strap is Meyer’s anti-cribbing strap. This design features a U-shaped loop at the bottom, fitting snugly around the horse’s windpipe. It offers additional support, further preventing the undesirable crib-biting behavior and promoting better overall health for the horse.
Door Bars
Door bars are protective installations used to deter harmful behavior in horses such as crib-biting and pawing, as well as to potentially reduce weaving.
Role of Door Bars in Preventing Harmful Habits
Deterring Crib-biters and Pawing
For horses that display crib-biting behavior, particularly those that hang onto the box door, the installation of narrow iron bars above the lower stable door can be effective. The bars prevent these horses from reaching the door with their teeth. Horses that have a tendency to paw at the door causing potential knee damage can also be deterred, as the bars keep them at a distance away from the door.
Potential Reduction of Weaving
Door bars may not only deter crib-biters and pawing but also impede weaving. Weavers are horses that continually shift their weight between forelegs, rhythmically swaying their head and neck. Weaving is considered an unsoundness in horses as it puts significant strain on the tendons and can cause mental fatigue and loss of condition. By blocking the space of movement, door bars could help reduce this behavior.
Wooden Side Bar
A wooden side bar is a useful tool designed to restrict a horse’s movements, similar to a neck cradle, ultimately providing protection and promoting the healing process for injuries.
Functionality and Use of the Wooden Side Bar
The wooden side bar consists of a rounded pole that is stretched between the headcollar and roller of a horse. Its purpose is to provide a level of discomfort that will discourage unwanted movements, such as those that could aggravate injuries or damage bandages. By doing so, the wooden side bar helps ensure a safe and efficient healing environment for the horse.
Clothing Protectors
Clothing protectors are specialized horse accessories that aim to prevent bandage or rug chewing, while allowing horses to feed comfortably.
Design and Functionality of Clothing Protectors
General Design
Clothing protectors are typically designed similar to the rear part of a muzzle, extending slightly below the chin. This prevents the horse from chewing on their rugs or bandages, while still enabling them to feed effectively.
Material Types
While many clothing protectors are made of leather due to its durability, alternative materials like chain are also used. A chain pattern clothing protector offers the same functions with an added benefit of greater flexibility.
Flute Bit
A flute bit, also known as a wind-sucking bit, is a specific type of horse bit designed to discourage harmful habits such as wind-sucking in horses.
Design and Use of Flute Bit
The design of a flute bit primarily focuses on its mouthpiece, which features a series of holes.
Impact on Wind-Sucking Behavior
The uniquely designed mouthpiece plays a vital role in preventing wind-sucking behavior. When a horse attempts to gulp in air—a classic sign of wind-sucking—the flute bit’s mouthpiece blocks the airflow. As a result, the horse receives no satisfaction from the habit, thus deterring them from repetitively trying.
Leg Sprays
Leg sprays are a convenient and effective tool designed to cool down and clean a horse’s leg while eliminating the need for constant attention from a groom.
Structure and Function of Leg Sprays
Composition and Design
Made from thin, circular plastic hose, leg sprays contain fine holes all around. They are designed to be easily attached to a standard garden hose.
Application and Benefits
When fit around a horse’s leg, the leg spray delivers a fine, cooling mist of water that effectively hoses down a filled or swollen leg. This not only helps address any discomfort the horse may be experiencing, but also significantly reduces the hands-on effort required by grooms, saving time and energy.
Sausage Boots
A sausage boot is a preventative tool used in horse care, specifically designed to prevent a horse from injuring its elbow while lying down.
Purpose and Design of Sausage Boots
Proactive Tool
As opposed to being a cure, sausage boots primarily serve as a method of prevention. They help guard against a common horse issue known as ‘capping,’ where a horse continually hits its elbow with its shoe when lying down. This can lead to bruising or more severe injuries over time.
Structure
Constructed as a well-stuffed circle of leather, sausage boots feature an adjustable strap for easy fit and comfort. They are placed around the horse’s pastern, and their significant bulk acts as an effective barrier that prevents the horse’s shoe from making contact with the elbow.
Twitch
A twitch is a simple yet effective tool used for mitigating resistance during various horse treatments, such as teeth rasping or clipping.
Understanding the Twitch and Its Use
Structure of a Twitch
The twitch consists of a wooden pole with a loop at the end. This loop, which can be made of either chain or string, is an essential part of the twitch design.
Application
The loop of the twitch is secured around the upper lip of the horse and twisted until it fits securely. The process, although might sound uncomfortable, tends to have a calming effect on horses, making them less likely to resist treatment.
Comparative Effectiveness: Chain vs String Loop
Both chain and string loops can be used in a twitch, with each having its distinctive features. The chain loop is generally less severe than the string version, as it does not need to be tightened to the same degree, thereby better preserving the horse’s circulation.
Poultice Boot
A poultice boot is a specialized tool designed to aid in the healing process of injuries or ailments affecting the horse’s foot and heel region, offering protection against dirt and infection.
Advantages and Structure of Poultice Boots
Addressing the Challenges in Hoof Healing
Healing foot and heel injuries in horses can be particularly challenging. These areas are prone to dirt accumulation and potential infection, slowing down recovery. Furthermore, bandages or sacks that are often used to secure dressings and poultices are easily damaged and often lack waterproof qualities, rendering them inadequate.
The Utility of Poultice Boots
Poultice boots serve as a far better alternative in such scenarios. They cover the foot and lower leg comprehensively, offering the necessary protection against dirt and other environmental risks. Straps and drawstrings allow for secure fastening, ensuring the boot stays in place.
Material and Design
Poultice boots come in different materials and designs. Some boots feature leather feet with canvas tops, offering good durability and breathability. Other options are completely made of rubber, providing a higher degree of waterproof protection.
