Many horse owners will, at some point, come across a horse that wind sucks or crib bites. These behaviours are often referred to as “stable vices”, but this term is misleading. It suggests that the horse is doing something wrong, when in reality these behaviours are far more likely to develop in response to stress or an unsuitable environment.
The more accurate term is stereotypy – a repetitive behaviour that is performed in the same way over and over again. For the horse, these behaviours are not bad habits. They are usually coping strategies that develop during periods of ongoing stress.
Much of the information in this article is drawn from the Pony Club Australia A Certificate Manual, which provides evidence-based guidance on horse behaviour and welfare.
Today, we’re taking a closer look at wind sucking and crib biting.
What Are Wind Sucking and Crib Biting?
Wind sucking and crib biting are known as oral stereotypies – behaviours involving the mouth.
Crib biting occurs when a horse grips an object, such as a fence rail or stable door, with its teeth and gulps in air.
Wind sucking occurs when a horse raises its neck and gulps air.
While they look similar, they are slightly different behaviours. Both are linked to stress, management and environment.
Interestingly, these behaviours are not seen in wild horse populations. They have only been documented in domesticated horses, or in feral horses after capture. This strongly suggests that they are connected to life in a managed environment, rather than being “natural” habits.
Why Do Horses Develop These Behaviours?
Research shows that wind sucking and crib biting are closely linked to stress and brain chemistry.
When horses experience prolonged stress, their brains release chemicals called endorphins, which help reduce discomfort and anxiety. Performing these behaviours appears to trigger the release of endorphins, giving the horse temporary relief.
In one study referenced in the A Certificate Manual, blocking the action of these chemicals reduced wind sucking by more than 80%. This supports the idea that the behaviour helps horses cope with stress.
Diet is also thought to play an important role.
Horses produce saliva by chewing, and saliva helps protect the stomach from acid. When horses don’t have enough access to roughage, or spend long periods without feed, stomach discomfort and ulcers are more likely. Wind sucking and crib biting may help buffer stomach acid and reduce irritation.
Most importantly, these behaviours usually develop during a period of chronic, unresolved stress, often linked to:
Limited turnout
Social isolation
High-concentrate, low-roughage diets
Long periods confined in stables
Inconsistent or confusing training
Frequent changes in routine
Once established, the behaviour becomes neurologically ingrained.
Do Horses Learn Wind Sucking or Crib Biting From Other Horses?
Many owners worry that their horse will “pick up” wind sucking or crib biting from a stablemate.
According to Dr Andrew McLean, CEO of Equitation Science International and Patron of Pony Club Australia, horses do not learn these behaviours by copying other horses.
Instead, they develop them due to a combination of individual predisposition and stress.
Some horses are more “wired” to develop stereotypies than others. Genetics plays a role, and some breeds and individuals are far less likely to ever wind suck or crib bite. For example, these behaviours are much less common in ponies.
If a horse is not genetically predisposed, it is very unlikely to start these behaviours, even if it lives alongside a horse that does.
The Pony Club Australia A Certificate Manual builds on this by explaining that while horses do not copy the behaviour itself, having a neighbouring horse performing a stereotypy may increase overall stress levels in the environment. In susceptible horses, this additional stress may increase the likelihood of a stereotypy developing.
Similarly, the type of management that produces one stereotypic horse is often the same management that produces another. Restricted movement, limited social contact, insufficient forage and high stress environments can affect multiple horses in the same setting.
In other words, horses do not “learn” wind sucking or crib biting from each other. Rather, shared stress and management conditions may trigger these behaviours in horses that are already predisposed.
Does Wind Sucking or Crib Biting Affect Performance?
Some horses live long, successful lives while wind sucking or crib biting, with few obvious health issues. Others may be more prone to:
Abnormal tooth wear (particularly in crib biters)
Colic
Difficulty maintaining weight
There is no strong evidence that these behaviours automatically reduce performance.
Dr McLean also highlights an important and often overlooked positive trait in many horses that develop stereotypies: perseverance.
He explains that these horses tend to be very good at maintaining habits. Once they learn something, they are likely to retain it and repeat it consistently. This means they often make reliable school horses and dependable competition partners.
Dr McLean has shared that one of his best three-day event horses was a severe wind sucker. The behaviour did not affect his performance at all. In fact, allowing the horse to express the behaviour freely likely improved his quality of life.
Can These Behaviours Be “Cured”?
Once wind sucking or crib biting is well established, it is very difficult to eliminate completely.
The A Certificate Manual notes that even after years of prevention, many horses return to the behaviour as soon as they are able.
Various methods have been tried, including:
Cribbing or windsucking collars
Physical restraints
Surgery
Medication
Most provide only short-term suppression and do not address the underlying cause. Preventing the behaviour without reducing stress may compromise welfare.
Prevention: The Best Approach
The most effective way to manage wind sucking and crib biting is prevention through good welfare-based management.
Pony Club Australia promotes management that supports the horse’s needs across the Five Domains, including the three key “F’s”:
Forage – constant access to roughage
Freedom – space to move and exercise
Friends – regular social contact
Horses are designed to graze, move and interact for most of the day. When these needs are met, the risk of developing oral stereotypies is greatly reduced.
Supporting Horses That Already Crib Bite or Wind Suck
If you are caring for a horse with an established stereotypy, the focus should be on improving quality of life rather than punishment.
Helpful strategies include:
Maximising turnout time
Providing compatible companions
Ensuring constant access to hay or pasture
Feeding smaller meals more frequently
Reducing long waiting times for feeds
Providing clear, consistent training
Minimising isolation in stables (mirrors may help in some situations)
Many owners find that when management improves, the behaviour reduces in frequency, even if it does not disappear entirely.
A Welfare-Focused Perspective
Wind sucking and crib biting are not signs of a “bad” horse.
They are signs that, at some point, the horse experienced prolonged stress and found a way to cope. These behaviours helped the horse manage discomfort or anxiety when other options were limited.
As horse carers, our responsibility is to respond with empathy, understanding and good management.
By prioritising turnout, forage, social contact and thoughtful training, we can support both physical and mental wellbeing – helping every horse in our care live a healthier, more comfortable life.
