Door banging.

B

Bert&Maud

Well-Known Member
Joined
4 November 2006
Messages
976
Location
Wiltshire
Visit site
The mare who is at livery with my horse has a serious door banging habit. She has periods when she is quiet, and others when it's pretty well constant - there doesn't seem to be any trigger. She's TB in hard work and living out is not an option although she's turned out 8 hours a day or so. She digs hard with her off fore, so her owner has put heavy duty rubber matting inside the doorway to save her shoes. However, at the same time, each time she brings her foot forward she bangs the door hard. She is now lame and the farrier thinks that it's concussion in the foot from all the banging. Any experiences/ideas/solutions gratefully received!
 
My boy used to love to door bang when I first got him about 5 years ago (incidently he doesn't really do it anymore although we have moved yards and he has grown up alot!). The only thing that really stopped him was attaching a thick piece of carpet to the back of his stable door. Once he realised it no longer made a racket he gave up. Might be an idea for this mare??? Even if it didn't stop her completely it might give a bit of cushioning and help relieve the concussion??
 
have found with a door banger we have that a pole inside the door at an angle keeps her far enough away from the door she cannot bang does not stop her pawing but at least she is sound
 
Ad lib hay and well fed. She's been with us nearly 3 years and has always done it - and before she came to us as well. It's attention seeking, anticipation of being turned out/fed/exercised etc, fury at being left behind when other horse goes out, and anything else that meets with her displeasure. This is the first time that she's gone lame because of it though.
 
a friend of mine has a machine attached to the outside of her horses door that sprays water each time there is a sudden movement v funny to watch and works a treat !
 
Why can't she go out with the others Tass? Rugged up to the eyeballs she should be fine unless she has other health probs? I just ask coz if she's banging coz of serious stress, your pal could find more health probs rearing their ugly heads in the future eg weaving, cribbing, colics etc etc etc.

Another solution is to fit one of those stall guards that is sort of a sheet of criss-crossed webbing straps. It fits each side of the stable doorway and you clip the door open. It has 2 great effects. One is that there's no door to kick (although determined neds will start to kick the bl**dy wall instead) and another is that the stable feels more open and so less claustrophobic which might reassure ned. Don't get a cheap one.
 
I have heard that hiding and squirting them with a water pistol works (my farrier's idea) but I don't have time. Mine is a door kicker and I am terrified it will trigger her laminitis again. I tried shutting the top door as 'punishment' whenever she did it, but she just went round the stable kicking the walls/hay trough instead
shocked.gif
 
When I said she does it when the other horse goes out, I meant when he goes for a hack or out in the trailer to a competition. She has to be left in then, because if left out she gallops round until she gets in a complete state, and is also quite likely to jump out. So leaving her in is the safest option!
 
Carpet or rubber matting on the door works.
You could also put a bar up just inside the door to stop her reaching it, or webbing across the door and leave the door open.
Be careful not to feed her/catch her out for turnout etc when she doorbangs - she may see it as a reward.
As a longshot you could try padding the feet - look at something like covering boots maybe, or the shoe replacement trainers?
Personally, I'd consider buying her a Sheltie or similar for company if she has none available, and throwing her out 24/7. My Tb mare is nearly 20 and lives out, well rugged, all year with no adverse effects.
B
grin.gif
 
I would say the carpet on the the back of the door would work. At a yard where i used to be they put a metal pole at the back of the door just far enough away from the door so the horse couldn't kick it when she was stabled, or when the pole was on the door could be left open.
 
Am a bit shocked by some of the suggestions here which I think would just further add to her stress (water spraying??), and I would worry about a pole on the door and potential accidents. You have already said she gets regular work and turnout and ad lib forage which are the important things to sort first. Try the carpet, its safe and easy to sort out, and for me worked a treat.
 
My hubby did it for me - he used nails shortish ones (i.e. about an inch so they didn't go all the way through the door). Sorry, very poor at DIY!! Only took him a minute though. X
 
Flat top nails and as heavy pile carpet as you can get. Curl the carpet up on it's self so it'sbulges slightly at the bottom, the sensation of kicking the carpet which moves away generally put them off and if not the lack of noise does take the fun out of it
smile.gif
 
Well I'd far rather stick nails in the door and watch them try to bang that (a bit sadistic I know...)


Joke!!
tongue.gif

Ad-lib hay and more turnout are the obvious answers, but if it seems to be triggered by anticipating routine (thinking it's turnout/feed time etc.) then that won't necessarily work. Carpets are the next thing to try (as you don't have to be there for it to work) but water spraying would be my next step. Generally there should be something out of those few things that should stop it!
 
I put that rough, prickly matting that people use in their porches on the door, stopped my gelding kicking pretty quickly. He now doesn't have it on his door, kicks occasionally but not as bad as it used to be!
 
Another for carpet on the door. My old horse used to kick the door until I put carpet on it took the sound out and he didnt find it fun anymore. No sound no attention for kicking!
 
Setup some portable electric fencing attatch it to the back of the door zig zag it up and down the back of the door plenty near the bottom where it kicks. Put the batterey unit outside. Cruel as it may sound it works in no time. I have seen this done a few times and never fails. First though I would make sure the horse has access to plenty of hay all the time before trying this electric fence.
 
[ QUOTE ]
Setup some portable electric fencing attatch it to the back of the door zig zag it up and down the back of the door plenty near the bottom where it kicks.

[/ QUOTE ]

And in case of a fire...I don't even use hand bolts on the bottom of doors as it delays opening stables if there is a fire. Kick bolts only if required.

We had a fire in the straw barn across from the stables and the horses had to be evacuated PDQ. I can tell you if one of them had required electric tape to come down before it was removed it owuld have been left to last.
 
Why would the eletric tape have to be removed to get the horse out? The tape is put onto the back of the door with the round fence insulators. The unit is on the out side of the stable with the crocadile clip over the top of the door clipped onto the top strand of electric tape. It takes 30 secs to clip the clip off the tape and open the door, thus the tape is all attatched to back of door. PrincesSparkle I dont think you quite understood how its all fixed up. Its certainley nothing as complicated as you think. Cant exactley see why you think all the tape needs taking down before you take horse out of stable.
 
I would use hessian spikey matting - like the stuff that you wipe your feet on - its not harsh but enough of a prickle if you like on the knee to make them want to stop>
 
[ QUOTE ]
[ QUOTE ]
Door grill? If she can't stick her head over, she can't kick the door.

[/ QUOTE ]
Don't count on it...

[/ QUOTE ]

Turns around and wellies it too?

wink.gif
smile.gif


I would just tie mine up if they bang the door now.
 
My Horse used to do it at our old yard we put a bar on her door to keep her like back from it which seemed to stop her until feed time which she would scrape but she soon stopped,she does it now withut the bar but only at feed time and listens wen u shout at her
smile.gif
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top