Box walker behaviour advise plz!

[townfieldlass]

I have 13 YO ex-racer. I have owned him for 2 years and he has always box walked. I have been told he should live out rather than be stabled over winter but by mid October last year he was unhappy, worried and thin so he came in! I turn in at 6.30pm & turn out at 5.30am to avoid him been sweaty - (running off him sweaty) if you leave him till 8 or 9am.

I have moved to a new yard this year. My new stables are breeze block. I have had to bring him in a few times already because of the bad weather and boggy fields. Although there are others around him he canters around the stable or hastely walks bashing feet off the side of the wall (removing chunks of brick), ripping shoes off and skuffing his eye and has been known to nik the blood vessel in his leg and lose alot of blood.

He has toys, we have tried mirrors, balls, large bowls of chaff to keep him occupied and nothing keeps his attention long enough.

I was thinking of getting a behaviourist to look at him. I either want him to be happy with living out on his own as my other horse cannot winter out or to slow down in the stable. I am worried about him because I don't want him to be injured or be unhappy. Is it worth it?? Its £50 + travelling + vet referral. If not what else can I do??

Advise plz

 

[MerryMaker]

It's not always possible, but is there anyway he can have the run of the yard and access to his stable? I had this arrangement with a previous horse, both had access to a small yard area, and 2 large, roomy stables, and were very happy like that.

 

[townfieldlass]

We can't have run of the yard because of the other horse and there aren't any spare stables. I had been thinking along those lines and getting a stable shelter maybe but they are around £900 which I just cannot afford and he would still be on his own outside......

 

[HollyP]

thats horrible to have to deal with that every day, I would defo atleast talk to a behaviourist poor guy sounds very stressed. My mare weaves quite a bit, she can be fine somedays but a when new horses come on the yard and keep calling it sends her loopy and she gets herself in such a state she needs to be snapped out of it!

x

 

[*hic*]

QR This is probably highly non-PC but I have had to box rest for months a mare who box walked. As she was supposed to be kept as still as possible I was frantic. Eventually I got a stall chain across the door, hung a haynet up on each side of the door, put a bucket of water on an upturned waterbutt in front of her and cross-tied her in the doorway. Stopped her in her tracks. Even now when she's put in her stable she will make the odd circuit round but seems to have been broken of the incessant box walking that she used to do.

 

[Madasmaz]

When all else failed with a friends horse, she called in a horse psychic. I know..lol..couldn't believe it myself as she is not the type to try anything hollistic or touchy feely. But it has worked, and the lady she has called has had a number of successes with horses showing distress for unknown (to owners) reasons. Don't know the lady's name but she is in the Newbury/Headley area

 

[seche]

In NZ where I worked - My bosses best polo pony would walk and walk and walk her box till she reached the solid floor, walked her shoes off and wore down her feet so badly she crippled herself once. She normally lived out 24/7 = in NZ thats possible (not so over here with an ex racehorse!) but at away touranments (stabled in) she would have her (I kidd you not) 30 childrens (the sort with disney characters on) footballs which would be put in her stable - would annoy her to kick when box walking so she would just sleep standing up - she wasnt afraid of them but would kick up terrible fuss if in with out them - worth a try perhaps as they are dirt cheap. Though sometimes horses brains are so over cooked that no amount of therapy or whispering or healing will ever help - its frightening when the march like that I know!

 

[townfieldlass]

If I tie him up in his stable when I am there he doesn't really fuss the stress is involved in the actual box walking. As much as I would sometimes love to Im not going to tie him up unattended. I would be tempted sectioning off a large corner of his stable so his route is limited?? I am going to chipboard the walls to avoid more wall errosion and eye scuffing!! The ball thing sounds tempting...my dark side says buy half a dozen of those big exercising balance balls and put them in!!

 

[longtalltilly]

Mine used to box walk and weave frantically, she too also hated living out all year round! i went on like you, early mornings, late nights (so i was the first and last at the yard) until i moved yards where she was kept in an americian barn! I can honestly say she has virtually stopped! She has the odd walk about at tea time and breakfast and then occasionally something will set her off but in general she is about 99% better!

 

[eoe]

Have you tried NAF 5* Magic or Nupafeed?