Cribbing (horse)

High school (ages 12+)
Animals & Nature

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/cribbing-horse

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Equus caballus
2. What is the behavioral classification?Equine oral stereotypic behavior (also known as wind sucking)
3. What is cribbing in horses?Cribbing is a behavior where a horse puts its front teeth on a solid object, pulls its neck up, and sucks in air while making a grunt. It is not eating but a repetitive action.
4. Why do horses chew on things and suck air?Horses often crib because they feel bored, stressed, or don't have enough space or friends. It can also be linked to genetics or stomach discomfort.

Stereotypy: A repetitive, invariant motor behavior with no obvious goal or function, often seen in captive animals, indicative of behavioral regulation issues.
Stable Vice: An undesirable or abnormal behavior exhibited by horses, frequently associated with confinement and management conditions.
Lignophagia: The act of chewing or eating wood, a distinct oral behavior from cribbing that does not involve significant air ingestion.
Aerophagia: The excessive swallowing of air, a potential consequence of cribbing that can lead to digestive disturbances.