Cribbing Horses Can also Solve Complex Tasks

A study conducted by Agroscope's Swiss National Stud Farm (SNSF) in collaboration with the University of Neuchâtel refuted the assumption that cribbing horses perform less well in complicated learning situations than other horses. All horses in the study were able to recognise symbols as well as solve inverse conclusion exercises, which are difficult for horses. The critical factor here is for cribbers to be allowed to crib while performing the tasks, thereby relieving their stress. Cribbing is a stereotypical, repetitive behaviour in horses without an obvious function. Cribbing horses usually place their upper incisors on a stall fixture such as the feed trough, contract the muscles of their lower neck, and emit a characteristic noise or grunt. Horses in the wild do not exhibit stereotypies such as cribbing. These behaviour patterns arise during periods of chronic stress, and owing to a genetic predisposition.