Vices of Horses and Equines:

Cribbing, Weaving, Pacing

  by Robert N. Oglesby DVM

In nature, the horse is a gregarious, roaming animal, that grazes constantly. In captivity, the horse is frequently confined, alone, and without anything to chew. When you consider the changes in habits that we ask of the horse, it is amazing that he adapts at all. When pushed too far he will find ways to satisfy his physical and psychological needs and, like humans, what is "too far" varies widely from individual to individual. With repetition, these adaptations to an abnormal environment can become ingrained behaviors that are impossible to eradicate. There is evidence to suggest that some of these behaviors are based on the release of some of the pleasure chemicals in the horses brain called endorphins and enkephalins. We call these bad habits vices and they include: cribbing or wind sucking, weaving, pacing, kicking the stall. This article addresses the causes, prevention, and treatment of these problems.

You have just read the introduction to one of our nearly 800 articles on horse care, diseases, and training. It includes a description of the contents of the unabridged version. As a guest you can access this article two different ways: either purchase the article or become a member and take advantage of all the benefits Horseadvice.com has to offer. Check out our Membership Drive Discount below but hurry. This is for a limited time!