Box walking... quite a stressed out little horse

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mrsshire

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Hello

Does anyone have a box walker and have any advice to help manage a horse who box walks when stressed? Does yours pace the fence when turned out?

I have recently purchased a 4 year old that box walks. He is in isolation with another horse for a couple of weeks, then I will be able to try turning him out/him living out or different stables, but for the time being, any suggestions to help slow him down/help him relax?

Thanks
 
the chances are when isolation is over and the horse can live as a horse in a herd and in a field that the box walking will stop-best thing for now is routine, ad lib hay, no hard feed and in hand walking/grazing for as long a possible every day
 
We only have a few fields, the horses can all touch each other over the fence, and turning him out would mean we reserve one field for him and then two either side couldn't be used while he is out. At the moment, he is quite wound up and I would worry about him 'getting' to the other horses by any means if I did turn him out on his own, away from the others. I can turn him free in the lunge pen - high, see-through fencing - to give him some relief, and he'll be able to see other horses. He is being ridden and lunged gently every day, during which he is settled and mature beyond his years, but in his stable he is really struggling.
 
Is there any chance you could run electric fence inside the fence line of whatever field he is put into so that he is out of touching distance of the other horses?
 
I new a horse that boxed walked and when turned out just walked up and down drove me crazy!!! it trashed the feilds in winter and in summer just got itself sweated up, we ended up trying calmers and the best one that worked was equistro betamag12 which they no longer do, i would try equistro equilizer or equistro forte will really help your horse, shop around for the cheapest price i think animed is the cheapest at the moment, im sure you will see a massive difference if you choose to go down this line. xx
 
Bless him! New surroundings, box rest and isolation... One of those on their own would be enough to drive a young horse mad, never mind all three at the same time! I would say if you can do as FubsyMog suggests and enlarge the gap between fields with electric tape and get him OUT the box walking will reduce / stop altogether...
 
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