HSF Equine Nutrition

03/02/2026

Quick clarification because the comments are getting mixed on our last post about cribbing. Wood chewing and cribbing are not the same thing.

Wood chewing is exactly what it sounds like. A horse chews on wood. It can be related to boredom, forage availability, curiosity, mineral deficiency, or management. Increase hay. Increase turnout. Adjust minerals. Sometimes it improves.

Cribbing is different.

Cribbing involves a horse grasping a solid surface, flexing the neck, pulling back, and drawing in air. It is a repetitive, habitual behavior. Research shows it is associated with changes in dopamine pathways in the brain. In simple terms, it creates a "high" for them. That is why it can be so difficult to stop once established.

When someone says, “Minerals fixed my horse’s cribbing,” often what they actually mean is their horse stopped chewing wood.

That does not mean nutrition is irrelevant. Management absolutely matters. Turnout, forage, stress reduction, and gut health all play roles in prevention and reduction of stress behaviors. But true cribbing is not the same as casual wood chewing.

They may look similar from across the fence. They are not the same behavior neurologically. This is not about being right in a comment section.

It is about using the correct language so we can apply the correct solutions.

If we confuse the behaviors, we confuse the management.

Clear definitions lead to better care.

03/02/2026

It's 2026. Where are we at with cribbing research??

Here’s what the latest cribbing research shows.

1) Cribbing isn’t bad behavior.
It’s a stress-coping mechanism, developed by horses in high stress environments or management systems that don’t meet their natural needs. Top contenders for this are early weaning and confinement.

2) It literally affects the brain.
Studies show cribbing is linked to changes in the striatum and dopamine pathways, the same parts of the brain involved in habit formation. That’s one reason cribbing can become nearly permanent once established. Scientists found "cribbing horses blink less often and change up their activities more often than noncribbers." Further proving that cribbing horses have striatums that behave differently that those of non cribbers.

3) There may be a genetic predisposition.
Certain breeds like Thoroughbreds and Warmbloods show higher rates, suggesting some horses are more wired to develop cribbing than others. But no confirmed link has been found directly tying cribbing to a certain gene.

4) The gut and brain are connected.
Cribbing horses have different hindgut microbial communities than non-cribbers, supporting a link between stress, digestion, and brain behavior. This could be due to stress.

5) It isn’t simply about ulcers.
Earlier theories that cribbing was a way to neutralize stomach acid don’t hold up. Research shows no clear direct connection between the behavior and gastric ulcers.

6) Cribbing is associated with other health risks.
Long-term cribbing can wear down teeth, affect eating, and is correlated with increased risk of colic and joint issues.

7) Cribbers can have different learning and sensitivity profiles.
One study tested cribbers and non cribbers on their ability to pick up a new task, touching a card for a food reward. Cribbers were much quicker learners, but also "they take longer than noncribbers to stop trying for that reward, continuing to touch the card well after it no longer leads to a food reward." This study suggests a higher habit formation in cribbers. They also found cribbers to be more sensitive to touch, likely due to how stress and brain function intersect.

8) Management matters more than “fixes.”
Equipment like anti-cribbing collars or toys can reduce the frequency, but the best way to reduce cribbing is to address stressors: more turnout, social contact, and natural feeding patterns. Once it starts, its unlikely to stop, though.

9) Some experimental treatments show promise.
In one case, daily CBD was linked with a dramatic drop in cribbing hours, but this is early data and not yet a standard practice.

10) Horses don’t catch cribbing from each other.
Contrary to popular belief, there’s no strong evidence that one horse “teaches” another to crib... it’s more about shared stress and management conditions.

Bottom line: cribbing isn’t a horse being bad. It’s often the horse’s way of coping with stress or unmet needs. The real solution isn’t suppression, it’s better welfare: turnout, forage, and a life closer to what horses are built for from the beginning to prevent the habit from forming in the first place.

https://thehorse.com/1124690/whats-new-with-equine-cribbing-research/

03/02/2026

It's been a long week, I was struck down by a stomach bug and am only now getting back on my feet😅

I'll be back to posting more soon, and I'm so looking forward to the change in the weather coming up - I have availability if anyone wants to schedule to get ahead of the game before the warmer weather 😊

02/26/2026

02/24/2026

I love finding these in my fields ❄️🐴

02/23/2026

02/22/2026

Cribbing isn’t just a “bad habit.”
It’s often a sign your horse is under more stress than you realize.

When horses crib or chew wood, they’re usually trying to cope. Stress from limited turnout, lack of companionship, feed or routine changes, or inadequate forage can push the nervous system into overdrive. Horses that crib consistently show higher cortisol levels, a hormone associated with chronic stress.

Cribbing triggers the release of endorphins, giving temporary relief, so the behavior can become self-reinforcing even if the original stressor is no longer present.

Over time, unmanaged cribbing may contribute to:
• gastric ulcers
• dental wear
• neck and topline strain
• joint stress

Instead of focusing on stopping the behavior, the real question is what’s driving it.

Supporting a cribbing horse often means:
✔️ increasing forage and fiber access
✔️ improving turnout and social interaction
✔️ reducing environmental stressors
✔️ supporting gut health and nutrient balance

Cribbing is communication. When we listen early, we can support the horse before stress becomes a long-term issue.

02/20/2026

As the weather is finally starting to break, now is a great time to evaluate your horse's diet and feed program to ensure they're able to feel their best this coming spring!

I'm a certified equine nutrition advisor and I would love to work with you and your horse to make sure they're able are getting the best nutrition possible. I work with horses of all ages and disciplines, with a personal specialty in senior and metabolic horses.

I offer both on farm and virtual consultations and even have discounted prices for multiple horses!

Reach out to me anytime through Facebook, Instagram, email or my website ☺️🐴

02/17/2026

Offering choice sounds beautiful.
Until your horse says no.

When we talk about autonomy and giving horses a voice in their training, we often highlight how empowering it is.

And it is.

But there’s a part we don’t always say out loud.

If you teach your horse they can say no…
you have to be prepared to hear it.

Every time.

Not just when it’s convenient.
Not just when you’re in a good mood.
Not just when you have extra time.

If “no” only works when it suits us, it isn’t choice. It’s theatrics.

It’s also important to understand that when pain is involved, they may never say yes to certain things. That can be confronting. It can change timelines. It can change goals.

I remember the first few times Pale expressed “no” to being mounted.

I had prepared myself to hear it. I believed I had set the environment up for an easy yes.

And still, when he said no, there was a flicker of a thought:

“Maybe I should just make him do it once. He’ll see it’s fine.”

I didn’t.

But that thought creeping in is exactly the point.

Offering choice means sitting with your own discomfort instead of overriding theirs.

Offering autonomy inside a human managed life is powerful.
But it is not soft work.
It is not passive work.

It requires emotional regulation from us.
Consistency.
And humility.

Because once you give them a voice, you cannot take it back when it becomes inconvenient.

02/16/2026

This is an excellent post and I think pertains to many professions in the industry.
Personally I love providing free content through social media because I know that is incredibly helpful to many people. At the same time, I've put a lot of time, energy, labor, and money into not only my job and content but also to the education that got me here. It's simply not feasible to provide the majority of my services for free.

I think it's important to understand as consumers, myself included, that providers are worth their prices, otherwise we wouldn't need their expertise.

Keeping content behind a paywall -
That’s something I see many trainers who work online be accused of lately. And I would like to share my thoughts about this.
First of all, whether a trainer chooses to provide free content, that’s entirely up to them. We don’t have a “right” to get free content. We all just got so used to marketing strategies that lure you in with free content, so you can be sold an expensive product, that this is the norm now.

It’s become so widely accepted that “online work” should contain some form of free access. Do we expect the physiotherapist to give us the first treatment for free? Or ask the painter to paint the first wall for free so we can evaluate if we like his work? Yes, some professionals offer free consultations to see if a new client fits them. But it’s not something we expect to the same extend as compared to the online space.

Second, most trainers provide a ton of free content every day. On their social media. We can see their work, read their thoughts. This hasn’t been possible before. If not for social media, most of you would have to travel thousands of kilometres to see me train. Or you would have to pay for a book or buy a spectator ticket to a clinic to know my thoughts. Social media and blogging have made it possible to follow a trainer for years before making a decision to work more closely with them. I think that’s extremely valuable on its own, we’re just taking it for granted. So much so that we grow suspicious of trainers who prefer real life over social media.

Third, providing free content as a trainer is not always a pleasant experience. I’ve had a 3 hour free groundwork webinar on Youtube for some time, and I had to check the comments regularly, because even though I think the webinar provides a ton of free valuable information, I still got complaints, or comments saying I shouldn’t use a whip (which makes it clear that these people didn’t even watch the seminar). I have since chosen to move the free seminar to my website and have people sign up via email for it.

Online work is not easier because it’s online. It takes many, many hours to provide a “freebie” and to create valuable course content. I think it’s just amazing that we can look over the shoulders of so many trainers in their online courses, without having to move off the couch.
I’m not saying everyone has to do it the same way. Some trainers love putting everything out there, and that’s fine. For me, it’s a boundary: I want to teach in a way that feels sustainable, without constantly having to justify myself in comment sections. I’ll keep sharing what I can publicly, because I genuinely enjoy connecting with you. And I’ll also keep some work for the people who choose to step into it more intentionally. Both can be true.
So yes, a lot of my content is paid. Not because I want to “hide” it, but because good teaching takes time, and time is a real resource. You’re welcome to take what serves you from the free material that’s out there. And if you want the deeper work, meaning the structure, the progression, the details that change things, then it’s fair that it has a price tag.
In the end, I think this comes down to respect. Respect for the craft, for the time it takes to learn, and for the hours it takes to teach well, whether online or in person. If you enjoy someone’s work, you can absolutely follow along for free on social media, take what’s helpful, and move on with gratitude. And if you want more depth, more structure, and the kind of guidance that takes real time to create, then it’s normal that it lives behind a paywall. That isn’t greed. That’s simply how sustainable work looks.

Photo by Céline Rieck Photography

P.S.: You can find the link to my free online seminar in the comments, no paywall ;)

02/16/2026