Advice on barging needed please

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Bessieboo

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I am currently helping a friend with her horse as she is working away during the week.

This horse knows me well and all I am doing really is giving him some TLC each night, picking his feet out, grooming etc and giving him some redigrass with vitamins in for her.

The problem I am having is that when I go to put him back in his stable he really barges past me. I know he does not do this with his owner as my horse is stabled right next door and I have watched her put him away many many times.

I know I probably sound like a numpty but I have never come across this behaviour before I am not sure how to best deal with it. Last night I kept leading in and out of the stable to try and calm in down more and he did seem to improve a little but obviously I dont want to keep doing this if I am doing the wrong thing. I will talk to his owner at the weekend and let her know what is happening too.

Any advice in the meantime would be really appreciated.

Thanks in advance.
 
Do you make sure you're in front and in the stable first before you put him in?
A lot of horses will panic if you're both in the doorway going through and do this.
 
Yes I do make sure I am in front and entering the stable first but he just barges past me, the first night he almost knocked me over doing this. Someone else in the yard saw and said that he always does this for anyone putting him away except for his owner and that I should just throw the lead rope over his head and let him run in?
 
I had a barger once. I owned him for 9 years and although he improved significantly it was always there, however to me this sounds like a panic rather than a barge, if that makes sense. We had a horse on a yard, that had banged himself badly going through the doorway once and it had really scared him and 15 yrs down the line he still rushed through the door at a rate of knots or if you tried to lead him in would sometimes just plant himself. The owners found he was more happy to get to the doorway, throw the rope over his neck and let him make his own way in. If your horse is just doing this through the doorway leading in then I would probably just do what the other livery said but if he is a true barger then there are lots of things you can do and I will be happy to tell you how I dealt with mine.
 
Hi Cyberchick

The horse isn't mine and only does this with anyone except for his owner.

I did try the throwing the rope over his neck thing last night but he still went into his stable like a bat out of hell.

I guess I am just worried because he isn't mine and don't want to do anything wrong whilst I am helping out.

Maybe I am worrying too much about it?

Bessieboo x
 
As long as you are aware of this and don't let him hurt you and as long as it is just this that is the problem, then I wouldn't worry to much. You could always speak to the owner and make her aware of what you are going to do and just make sure she agrees that it is the right thing.
 
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