Dirty box walker help!

[Albus15]

Hi Guys,

One of my horses is a horrific box walker.. he is so so nosy, he goes to grab a bit of hay and then walks through his stable to put his head out of the stable door.
He's in an indoor barn, with my other horse in the stable next to him and railings on 3 sides (so he can see the other horses behind his stable, his 'brother' next to this stable and the horses in front.

He's not wet (in terms of wee) but his dropping are very cow-pat like, and get mushed through his whole stable (half of which is matted). Essentially he brings the bedding off the matts to the front of the stable and then treads his wet poos through the entire bed.

I need some bedding recommendations or general advice. We currently buy bedding from the yard, which is shavings, easy-chick or wood pellets - straw isn't allowed. I have tried pure shavings, which has so far been the cleanest, but it takes me over 45 minutes to sieve through the whole bed to muck out. I have also tried wood pellets, and whilst I love these for my other horse who is incredibly wet, they just haven't worked for this horse.

They're currently not in a routine as such, they come in for a few hours during the day for some hay or during horrific weather, and sometimes they stay in overnight if they've got an event on the next day. The plan being in November they'll come in overnight and go out during the day. I'm toying with the idea of bringing them in during the day and out overnight, but it just feels backwards/wrong to me.

 

[Horseysheepy]

Can you tie his hay net next to the door so there's less backwards and forwards movement?.

Maybe try a gut supplement to help with his loose droppings?

 

[Albus15]

Can you tie his hay net next to the door so there's less backwards and forwards movement?.

Maybe try a gut supplement to help with his loose droppings?

It's worth a try! I'[m just worried about the mess out the front of his stable and pissing the YO off

 

[Horseysheepy]

Is there room to position a sheet of wood under the net in the front corner to catch any loose hay to stop it spreading everywhere? Or use a smaller hole net so he's not pulling loads of hay out at a time and spilling it on the floor?

 

[Albus15]

Is there room to position a sheet of wood under the net in the front corner to catch any loose hay to stop it spreading everywhere? Or use a smaller hole net so he's not pulling loads of hay out at a time and spilling it on the floor?

It's more the hay dropping on the floor outside the door of his stable. The trouble with that is he's in hard work+still growing/a poor doer so I need to avoid doing things that will in any way reduce the amount of hay he eats

 

[RLS]

could you put a box or tray outside the stable door, to catch the hay he drops over the door? but that maybe a daft idea, though.....

 

[deicinmerlyn]

I think I’d be looking for the root cause of the box walking, unsettled behaviour rather than trying to deal with the symptoms. I’d also hang the hay net where he looks out, regardless of the mess!

 

[Muddywellies]

I'd be looking more at dealing with the anxiety. That stable arrangement doesn't sound like its working for him and he cant relax in there.

 

[Sanversera]

Turn him out more and stable less. Try overnight turn out suitably rugged for the weather.

 

[Albus15]

Thank you. I'm trying to keep him out as much as possible but there's limited grass (35 acre field with 15 other horses). We've tried various stables/yards and he's been the same everywhere.

 

[LouisCat]

Tie haynet by door and put wheelbarrow under the door so it catches hay falling out of their mouth. Works a treat

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

I would out the hay next to the door. Tell the YO you will Sweep up any mess he makes. Most YOs won’t mind if it’s to help the horse.

He may not like being able to see horses on either side of him so clearly either. I know my gelding likes his privacy so having a horse moseying through the bars at feeding time or hay time would drive him a bit mad.