Is this a behavior problem or is it a medical problem?

Question

my horse is being really weird in the barn the past 2 days, not himself at all. he wont stand still for more than 2 seconds, wont stand in the cross ties quietly (bobs head, walks forward & back) and is really nervous with his head high and eyes big. i thought it might just be he gets upset when he cant see other horses (he cant really when hes cross tied b/c i go at night when theyre all turned out and usually am the only one at the barn), but then i walked him out of the barn aisle so that he could see other horses, (different field than he lives in though) & he still wouldnt stand still. when i rode him he was a little up but listening to me & being really good. then, as soon as we got near the field where he gets turned out he was fine and when i turned him out he was fine. Do you think its behavior & he doesnt want to work & wants to go out in his field? Or is it something more serious like he isnt feeling good? i was going to take his temp but he wouldnt stand still long enough..

Answer 1

Ok he should only have 2 flakes a day and the grain part is fine, i think its a behaving problem, he is acting pasture sour so he wants to go where he is turned out. I would get a chain lead rope to help you control him and make him behave, if not you may need to get a trainer or a vet to check him out if he needs vitamins or something but the food your giving him now is fine!

Answer 2

It's commonly called being "herd bound".  It happens to all horses at one time or another.  

You just have to work them through it.  Let them know that YES, they will get to go back and live with their buddies but they HAVE to work first.

Or you can try separating him from his buddies and starting out again.

Answer 3

I think that there is probably something that is spooking him. It could be something in his stall, anything you put on him, when you are getting ready to ride, I wouldn't worry about anything medical, I mean if you wanted to it wouldn't hurt to have someone check him out, but thats probably some money not worth spending, since it doesn;t sound medical.

Answer 4

Hello,

Well, you have lots of good answers.  MY opinion...sounds like a horse that is given HOT food and kept in a stall.

Our horses use to be penned up in stalls before our move over a year ago...they too would be like this.  Now we have a ranch and are able to keep them turned out year round  24/7...

IT makes a HUGE difference!  EVEN with all of the room to roam they all have about 10 to 20 acre pastures, they are so much happier.  AND we do NOT ever feed anything then Top quality grass hay and vitamin and mineral supplements.  MOST of our horses are performance horses and they are in great condition both mentally and physically.

Turning them out into a herd it a large area makes a difference!  I do know not every one has this luxury, and we sure didn't living in Southern California, but MAN it sure does help make a nice minded, well exercised horse!

WE don't even have a horse barn here in Idaho....  See if you can turn him out more!  And cut off the grain, he sure doesn't need to be hot standing around in a stall.

Answer 5

Sounds like he would rather be turned out in the field with the other horses and basically wants out more than a behavioral problem.  Is he eating or is he off his food?  Only way to determine is to try and exercise during the day when all the horses are in their stalls and see if he does this again.

It's like a child having to do his homework when he can see all his friends out playing.

Answer 6

This used to happen with my horse whenever i brought him in to ride. He HATES being alone and never stood still for  me even when i put a flake of hay infront of him... it sounds like its just behavioral. as long as hes not being dangerously pushy or rude then he should be ok...

Answer 7

Is he being kept in when the others get turned out, after he's been in all day?  He could just be anxious to go out to pasture and upset that the other horses are out there without him.  that would be my guess.

Answer 8

i doubt its a medical problem or even a behavioral problem...horses naturally live in herds so horses feel more comfterable and safe when surrounded by their buddies and when they leave their "herd" they bcome vulernable. Your horse is probably lacking confidance so try riding in a large group and then slowly decreasing down to him being alone when being ridden.make sure he is getting handled daily by someone so he feels confident around people and not only his buddies. the pacing etc. is just due to him anticapating something whether it be being ridden or going back to where he feels safe. so like i said make sure he is being handled daily by ppl so he feels confident outside of his herd

Answer 9

Could there be a mare in heat that he is smelling. I don't know if he's that kind of horse, but it could be a possibility.

Answer 10

Sounds like he is getting nervous about something, doesnt sound medical. Is there a storm or something going on that is making him afraid to be by himself. Is there anyone else around that he may be scared of

Answer 11

Have you considered getting him a goat for a stall mate?  It seems as though he is lacking companionship and a goat is easy and inexpensive to keep and will serve the purpose quite nicely...now, when you ask him to leave the goat, you are going to have to mean business...,if it were me, I would saddle him and then leave the halter on and tie him outside of sight/scent of the goat until I see that he is settling down, then ride him.

Answer 12

It sounds like separation anxiety from the other horses.  Your horse in insecure at being alone.  You might try slowly separating him from the others for short periods of time, like 10 minutes.  After that, if he calms down, you might try 15 minutes then 20 and so on until he starts to gain more confidence and looks to you for guidance.