Equine stereotypies including crib-biting, weaving, and box-walking are indicators of poor welfare history that, once established, are persistent behavioral patterns requiring management rather than cure.
Equine stereotypies are behavioral indicators of past or ongoing poor welfare, and their management requires addressing both the symptoms and the underlying conditions. Prevention is far more effective than cure: providing ad libitum hay or forage, social contact with compatible horses, and adequate exercise and turnout creates conditions in which stereotypies are far less likely to develop. Once established, stereotypies should be managed by improving welfare conditions rather than using physical prevention devices that block the behavior. Cribbing straps and anti-weave grilles prevent the coping mechanism without addressing the need it serves, potentially worsening welfare by removing an outlet for frustration.