Any tips on dealing with a kicker?

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kearthur

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Hi, Does anyone have any ideas on dealing with a mare that kicks to the point of self destruction?!? She is a fairly talented mare who's full sister was agrand prix jumper but I am running out of ideas as to how to deal with her. We are keeping her out full time atm and she did look to be improving untill we tried to take her to a show at the weekend (in a trailer on her own as she flips completely in the lorry with other horses) and had to turn around and come home with the ramp tied up after she broke it kicking. We currently have her on Regumate but it does not seem to be helping much, I would be so greatful for any advice or ideas that anyone has.
 
How old is she? Have you tried taking her out just for very short drives in the trailer and increasing them slowly over time? It might just be a case of taking it very very slowly, taking her out every day (or as often as feasible), just for 10 mins and straight home and so on. Feed her on there, get her standing on it at home with hay and so on, so she associates it with something "nice" and/or realises that she isn't going to be on there for a long time.
 
She is generally worse in the first 10 or 15 minutes of the journey, she usually settles down then once we get into a longer journey but can be set off again when at shows by horses close to our trailer. She was brought in to the stable yoday for a few hours so we could turn another horse out and after about half an hour had kicked of her two hind shoes (only shod on friday) and grazed a leg in several places. She is only 5 and can be very sweet at times but can also turn into a total demon very quickly. I could put up with the kicking if that was the only problem but she seems to have no pain barrier and I am afraid that she will hurt herself.
 
so it happens when she is in an enclosed space, these could be panic attacks she doesn't like enclosed spaces, if you could make an open stable say with the large hay/straw bales would she still kick? if can stay ok in the open stable then it sounds like she is claustrophobic ?
 
check for mites? does she have any leg hair? if she justs kicks back when travelling you could hobble her? in fear of being shot down once again have you tried being really firm with her? sometimes a good smack sorts out this mareish behaviour.....geldings do it too. whats the breeding? is it a common trait through the blood line? try to establish an in/ out routine sometimes those that are out 24/7 resent the confinement of a stable ot trailer or lorry?
 
I know some people do not believe in this and I didn't until I saw it really help a friends horse recently but what about calling someone from the natural horsemanship to come and help? worth a try maybe?
 
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