• A cribbing strap can be used to help prevent a horse from cribbing.cheval en stalle image by LAURENT VICENZOTTI from Fotolia.com
  
  Horses have evolved to spend most of the day grazing in an open area. So, when horses are kept in a stall, as many modern horses have to be, they can develop some bad habits due to boredom. These habits take many forms, and some are more troubling than others. You can alleviate your horse's boredom by providing more hay and some stall toys, which can be found in horse supply catalogs, and leaving windows open if possible so your horse can look outside.
  
  

Cribbing

• Horses that are trying to find entertainment in a stall may develop a habit called cribbing. In this behavior, the horse will grab onto an object such as a wall or bucket with his teeth, lean back and suck air in through a slightly open mouth. If this behavior is prolonged, the horse can wear down his incisors an extremely abnormal amount, or give himself colic from too much air intake. You can attempt to stop this behavior by putting on a cribbing strap, or by applying foul-tasting solutions to the surfaces the horse likes to crib on. Be sure that whatever solution you try isn't toxic to your horse. Some horses will continue to crib even with a cribbing strap on.
  
  

Wood Chewing

• Wood chewing may appear similar to cribbing, but in this scenario the horse is actually biting pieces of wood off of the surface. Wood chewing is a behavior that can seriously damage your property, and your horse can get splinters in his mouth. You can also try to prevent wood chewing by painting the same type of solution recommended for cribbing on your wooden surfaces, but keep in mind that some horses chew wood due to vitamin or mineral deficiencies.
  
  

Weaving

• Horses that are both bored and tend to have a nervous personality may develop a habit called weaving. A horse that weaves will stand in one spot swinging his head and shifting his weight from side to side. Some horses will stand looking out of the stall window or door and weave. You can buy a U-shaped screen that will let your horse look out but will make weaving harder.
  
  

Pacing

• Not many horses pace when in stalls, but this habit is discernable by the tracks your horse wears in his bedding by going back and forth along the wall. Pacing is more often seen in pastured horses that are bored, however.