Evaluation of intra-abdominal pressure in horses that crib.

The study investigates the intra-abdominal pressure (IAP) in ‘cribbing’ horses and compared it with the IAP in non-cribbing horses, finding that cribbing is associated with increased IAP, even after the behavior has ceased.

Research Context and Method

• The context of this research involved a comparison between two cohorts of horses: those who have developed a behavioral anomaly known as ‘cribbing,’ and those who display conventional, ‘non-cribbing’ behavior. Cribs refer to the habit in horses of grasping a fixed object with their teeth, then flexing their neck and sucking in air, leading to a characteristic grunting noise.
• A total of sixteen horses participated in this study, with eight horses in each group. The horses in both groups were healthy.
• To measure intra-abdominal pressure (IAP), the researchers used a microsensor catheter introduced into the peritoneal cavity through the right paralumbar fossa, while the horse was under local anesthesia. The IAP was recorded in one-minute intervals over a two-hour time frame while the horses were stationed and tied in a stall.
• The main purpose of this study was to measure IAP during cribbing activity and compare it with the IAP in horses not exhibiting this behavior, in order to investigate whether cribbing influences IAP levels.

Research Outcomes

• The baseline IAPs of the two groups showed no significant difference. However, during episodes of active cribbing behavior, there was a significant increase in IAP amongst horses in the cribbing group.
• The frequency of cribbing in horses did not show a significant association with an increase in IAP, indicating that the amount of cribbing didn’t necessarily relate to increases in IAP.
• Interestingly, even after the cessation of cribbing behavior, the IAPs in the cribbing cohort remained significantly higher than those in the non-cribbing cohort, hinting at a potential lasting effect of cribbing on IAP.

Conclusions

• In conclusion, the researchers found that cribbing behavior in horses leads to increased IAP both during and after the display of the behavior. This finding suggests that cribbing is more than just an odd quirk but may have physiological effects on the horse.