Crib-biting and wind-sucking are oral stereotypies in horses that develop in response to management-related stress, and attempts to physically prevent them often cause more harm than good.
Crib-biting and wind-sucking represent the horse's attempt to cope with chronic stress — the behaviour itself may provide relief from anxiety. Attempting to prevent crib-biting with collars, electric devices, or surgery removes a coping mechanism without addressing underlying causes, potentially increasing distress. The welfare approach is to identify and address the management factors that drove stereotypy development: increasing forage availability, improving social contact, providing turnout, and reducing stall time. Horses that crib-bite are often discriminated against in purchase decisions despite little evidence of significant health consequences from the behaviour itself; the secondary veterinary concern of dental wear and colic risk is generally modest compared to the welfare benefit the horse derives from the behaviour.