Anti weave bars?

[bigchief]

Hello everyone,

What is your opinion of anti weave bars?

Is it better to have anti-weave built into a door, or seperate?

Or plain grill at top

Or Simply just a half door for internal stables.

Not sure which option would be best, but coming close to decision time.

 

[Damnation]

I don't bother with them.
Weaving may be unsightly but other horses don't "learn" how to weace from other horses.. and a weaver will just weave behind the bars anyway..

 

[bigchief]

Thanks Damnation for your rapid response to my post.

Yes i'm not keen on them either to be honest, I've heard stories of horses becoming trapped and young foals deciding to have a jump....which worries me. I originally was going to buy just half doors, but some advise to buy grills. My stables do not have side window so I do not want to make the horse feel too closed in. Thats why I made this post to hear peoples suggestions.

 

[Box_Of_Frogs]

The current thinking is that it is more humane to NOT put up anti weave grills. The stereotypical behaviour is a reaction by the horse to something stressful in its environment or management. The action releases endorphins which have a calming effect on the horse. Prevent this action and you have an even more unhappy horse. The solution is a more natural lifestyle, appropriate to a horse, ie maximum turnout, ad lib hay/lage if stabled, company etc. And any way, as Damnation says, a determined weaver will just weave inside the door instead.

 

[bigchief]

Thanks Box_of_Frogs for your indepth answer! I think that says it all, I will be going for half doors.

Thank you to both of you for your responses!

 

[SO1]

I used anti weave bars in an attempt to stop my pony jumping out of his stable and TBH it did not work as he got just got even more stressed.

He jumped through the V type one and then with the full bars spent an hour rearing and trying to bash the door down - at which point I decided it was better to find a yard where he could live out. My vet actually advised against them and said often these demonstrations of unhappiness are resolved by changing the horses environment or management like the previous poster mentioned.

I moved my pony to a quieter yard and he is living out and coming in occassionally for a few hours and has not jumped out or showed signs of stress so perhaps for some problem horses a change of scene will do the trick.

 

[CrazyMare]

I just moved one of mine to a stable with a V shape weave grille - first thing I did was remove it.

On a different but similar note - My OH's horse windsucks badly - we leave him to get on with it and he is a very relaxed horse, the other windsucker on the yard is prevented from doing it with a collar and tubing on his door - one stressy animal.

They have their particular vice as a coping mechanism at some stage in life, so let them cope!

 

[sachak]

i have a V grill for my boy not because he weaves but because he kept pulling things over outside his stable!!!! haha

he was rather perturbed when it first was put up but if your horse is really that unhappy im not sure a weave grill is going to help x

 

[TURBOBERT]

We use a V shaped anti weave top door with all our youngsters. They often start a weaving type of motion when they want something eg food - to go out etc . We find they dont/can't get into the habit of doing that and yet with the V can happy stick their heads out and participate in the yard activity... just our view. It has worked so far - but of course we dont know if they would have developed into determined weavers...

 

[bigchief]

Thank you everyone for your replies! They have been very useful!

Will keep you all updated on my end decision, and hopefully if I get my Camera working for a picture.

 

[Katiesmum]

Mines is a weaver but she picks her times as soon as its feeding time or she sees me she starts weaving, I have anti weave bars and she still does it behind the door.

However, as soon as I'm not there she's fine.