"You always crib"!!!..This is the single most popular comment I have heard people make about me. Not that I am happy about it but as all Capricornians, I just have this constant feeling that something is not correct and in 99.99% cases most of the things are not right! I can't say I have the desire for more because "more" is a bus I am always trying to catch, so I am sitting here in my office on a weekend day doing what I do best (also known as nothing) and thinking what does cribbing actually mean and can I do something about it.
A man's greatest strength is to identify his weakness and do something about it so I went in search of what cribbing actually meant. I usually don’t go too far these days in search of knowledge. All I need to do is to search in google and . . . .tadaa. . . . all my questions are answered.
Cribbing is a compulsive behavior or "stable vice" seen in some horses (In my case Stud would be the preferred word). It involves the horse (me) grabbing a solid object ( yikes!! May be not always solid..... sometimes imaginary stuff too! Issues like trivial matters, financial and career concerns, family issues, relationship concerns, fiancé and the endless list goes on) such as the stall door or fence rail (something which I feel I am attached to), with his incisors (sometimes incisors are my sharp mind or even sharper tongue), arching his neck ( that’s required because that’s where the HEAD and in it often the BRAIN is, though they are usually on vacation whenever I need them), pulling against the object, and sucking in air.
( "Yup!! That’s exactly how I GRAB hold of the situation and make a total mess of it.. See how easy and effortless it is to crib.. No wonder I do it so often. Considering I wouldn't have cribbed had someone told me that it burnt calories!'' Yes! I adore my lazy self.)
Cribbing is thought to cause the release of endorphins in the horse's (my) brain ("hormones which release stress, anxiety, worry and tension in my case.. the feeling that by worrying about it I can solve it! I know, what a smart ass!"), causing a sensation of pleasure ( Yup as my fiancé would say " You derive so much pleasure from this don’t you! Worrying about nothing and complaining all the time.")
A related habit, wood-chewing, does not involve sucking in air; the horse simply gnaws on wood rails or boards as if they were food (Ya very true!! When there is nothing major to worry about you always find something smaller. Like your girl friend staying out late, waiting too long for things to happen, why isnt she picking up the phone, why is no one scrappin me in orkut, no non-vegetarian food, too much traffic and so on.... quick cribbing just to keep the grey cells busy.)
Causes and solutions
Cribbing is usually caused by boredom or anxiety, but usually both causes are related to confinement ( Yes!! The ultimate desire for man to break free from peer pressure, ambition, family pressure, performance pressure and so on.... When he feels tied down and he feels he is not doing enough and he feels he has no control over the situation). It is therefore seen most often in horses (men) that are stalled for long periods ( Yup! Chained to the same work desk for years, same friends every weekend, same life nothing actually HAPPENING. The constant feeling that enough is not good enough). Once a confirmed habit, the horse may crib in other places, even out in a grassy field, though extended turnout does, over time, reduce the frequency and intensity of cribbing (Yup! No matter how good things are for me I continue to crib. Even if things are really really great I manage to see the dark, negative, boring side of it so easily and the only time I reduce cribbing is when nothing goes wrong for like 6 months! I know very rare..... but I am working on it). Cribbing can be minimized by having the horse wear a "cribbing strap," a collar-like device that prevents the horse from swelling its neck to suck in air ( Ok!! Got the message loud and clear in the words of my most loved one "What you need is a SMACK where it really hurts!'') heee haaawwww!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Well actually there is no sure shot cure for cribbing. Maybe a little scotch-tape and wire might help but that too will take time to show results. So until I find something else to chew sorry I mean worry about. I am the happiest Stud I know.
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