What to do with a horse who doesnt like being in a stall...?

Question

ok i have a small problem here..this TB mare i train HATES being in a stall. it doesn't matter if her best buddy is right next to her, she will yell, pace and bang the door non-stop. she just WILL NOT RELAX . she starts sweating within 5 min. of being in there and just completely stresses herself out. she is out 24/7 except when i bring her in to ride, when the farrier/vet come, and in really bad weather. I've been trying to everyday things like brushing and tacking up and feeding in there but when im tacking up in there she just walks all over me. now she is excellent on cross-ties, but when i put her in the stall she is a completely different horse. when i feed her in there she will eat , then go on to screaming/pacing. she has a LIKIT in there but doesn't pay any attention to it. are any other boredom toys worth buying? any other suggestions on what to do?

Answer 1

She isn't use to it because she's never in one. You need to slowly introduce her to the stall. So for 1 day, keep her in a stall for 15 minutes, next day 30 minutes, next day an hour. And so forth. She should start to get use to it and calm down.

Answer 2

put a goat/sheep in with her

Answer 3

Horses are not use to being cooped up. They have been in the wild for centuries and prefer to have the freedom of the paddock. You could try a rug on her if she doesnt have to be in the stall and i prefer to leave my horse in the paddock with a rug on then in the horses stall.

If your horse has to be locked up in a stall there isn't much you can do, all i can think of is walking her in then out then in then out. Teach her to walk backwards when you walk backwards, walk forwards when you walk forwards and halt when you stand still. Then jsut keep her at it.

After you've walk her in and out 5 times, start introducing her to the stall leave her in their for 10 second bring her out for 10 second. Bring her into the stall for 20seconds, lead her out 20seconds. Lead her in for 30second, lead her out for 30seconds. Just add on 10seconds until you think she is ready, then lock her up in her stall, get out of her view and watch what she does.

If you seee her pawing and kicking the door, lead her out and start again and soon she'll get bored of doing this and go into her stall.

If she is bored and doesnt really care about toys beware that she does not windsuck or start crib biting. If she does this an excessive amount it will cause health problems for her teeth and lose weight because she wont eat (wind fills her up) This is why you see so many ex racehorses thin not jsut because of the way the bones are structuredbut because they dont eat when they are locked up.

Anyways hope this helped and goodluck

:) Paige

p.s. My horse had the same problem when we had to stable him when he got a hoof infection from the rain.

Answer 4

I had a stall built out in my pasture my horse stays out 24/7 horses should be outside all the time.if she is happy outside and you have shelter leave her out.

Answer 5

my late gelding was like that when i first got him so i would put him in there for five minuets and walk away then put him out. i did this for some time then in-cress the time it took a long time but in the end he didn't pace anymore.

Answer 6

is there a bigger stall maybe ment for two that her and her friend can go in, try a jolly ball. Goat are known to get along with horses very well. put a fan in so when she does sweat she will find comfort to know that the fan will cool her down.

hope this helps...please best answer this!

Answer 7

Hi

Well you have nothing to worry about hopefully its just shes afraid of something and nothing to serious! Consider these things

. She might prefer company/Less company

. She might be claustrophobic

. Something in the stall is scaring her(the fan, the lighting etc

. She might be bored

Did you have her since she she was born, if not consider

. She might have suffered a mistreatment before and this reminds as perhaps it happened in a stall.

.She might have been sick or in an accident or incident that causes her to remember bad memories.

Check out her past records(which aren't ALWAYS reliable so be careful)

For a solution i would look up the Bach flower remedies and massage /feed them to her. they are an approved drug and feed.

use them all if you want but some are bound to help.

Good luck i hope i helped!

Alice L

Answer 8

are you sure the mare's not pregnant? any way it could be possible that she doesn't like company with other horses in the stall. or she could be closterphobic in small places.

Answer 9

Your horse doesn't sound bored, but rather is reacting with fear as in feeling trapped.  Horses naturally run to escape danger, so this horse may feel panic when she is unable to run.  The fact that she will settle down enough to eat means she is trainable to tolerate being in there, gradually increasing the time she is required to spend in the stall.  Also, a horse like this benefits from being in a stall that allows her to see into other stalls, rather than the type with solid wood walls between stalls.

I personally don't believe in tacking up in the horse's stall, or doing veterinary procedures in it.  The stall should be considered as safe haven and not be associated with procedures, etc.  Not everyone would agree with me, but it is my opinion.  I also believe that in some cases, it isn't safe to work in such an enclosed space with a horse.

You may or may not succeed in curing this horse of the behavior, but I think it can be improved.  She should have plenty of hay whenever she is kept in.  She shouldn't be in a stall that allows her to see other horses out in a pasture....just one with a view of other horses in the barn.  If she only acts up when the other horses are all outside, it will take an every day committment to get her over this.  Good luck.

Answer 10

Have you tried different stalls - there may be something about this one particular stall that freaks her out.

Answer 11

lead her up to the stall let her look around and then make her go away for a minute.

Then you bring her back but this time you hold the very end of the lead rope, dont pull but walk in the stall and then in or not make her go away for a minute.

Bring her back and then same as before until she is in the stall with you and then shut the door (while you are in there). stand there for about 10 seconds and then open the door and lead her away again.

this time same as before but close her in there.

hope this helps! as this worked for my horse.

Answer 12

Like most TB and other stalled horses - she's developed anxieties about being in the stall!  Put her out to pasture - She'll be happier!