Now my cribber is starting to suck wind and the leather choker isn't working what can I do?

A cribber that has progressed to wind sucking and is not responding to a leather cribbing collar is a horse whose habit has become well established enough that mild management tools are no longer sufficient. The distinction between cribbing and wind sucking is worth clarifying — wind sucking is cribbing without the requirement of a fixed surface to grip, where the horse performs the neck contraction and air-swallowing motion without latching onto anything. A horse that has progressed to wind sucking has a more confirmed habit than one that requires a surface to crib on, because the behavior is no longer dependent on the environment providing a gripping opportunity. A leather cribbing collar that is not working may simply not be fitted correctly or may not be the right design for this horse. The cribbing collar works by creating enough pressure at the throatlatch that the neck muscle contraction required for cribbing becomes uncomfortable — if it is fitted too loosely it allows the contraction without sufficient resistance. Many horse owners fit these collars more loosely than effective use requires because the correct fit looks uncomfortably snug. Have someone experienced with cribbing collar fitting assess whether the collar is actually at the correct tension before abandoning it as ineffective. If correct fitting does not improve the collar's effectiveness, upgrading to a more substantial design is the next step. The Miracle Collar and similar rigid or semi-rigid designs apply more consistent mechanical resistance to the neck contraction than a simple leather strap, and some horses that have become habituated to the sensation of a leather collar respond better to the different pressure pattern of a more structured device. Environmental management becomes more important when mechanical tools are insufficient. Removing all horizontal surfaces the horse can grip — capping fence rails, removing stall door ledges, covering any surface that provides a gripping edge — reduces cribbing opportunities even if it cannot eliminate wind sucking entirely. Increasing turnout dramatically reduces cribbing frequency in most horses because movement, grazing, and social interaction address the behavioral drivers that cribbing manages. Maximum forage availability, social contact with other horses, and environmental enrichment all contribute to reducing the behavioral pressure that drives the habit. Surgical intervention exists for severe cases — a procedure that removes or denervates specific neck muscles involved in the cribbing motion — and has been performed successfully in horses for whom all other management has been insufficient. It is a significant procedure with variable results, but it is an option worth discussing with a veterinarian in cases where the cribbing is severe enough to cause significant weight loss, dental damage, or repeated colic episodes that make the horse's welfare genuinely compromised.