Stable vices - repetitive behaviours including crib-biting, weaving, and box-walking - are indicators of chronic stress in horses that are preventable but often managed with suppression rather than treatment.
Stable vices are welfare indicators, not behavioural problems to be corrected. A horse that cribs, weaves, or box-walks is communicating that its management does not meet its fundamental needs for forage, movement, and social contact. Suppressing the behaviour with a cribbing collar or weave bar prevents the expression of the stress response without addressing its cause - and may lead to substitute behaviours or increased overall stress. Management change that maximises forage access (ad libitum hay), increases turnout, and provides social contact with other horses is the only approach that genuinely improves welfare for affected horses.