Field Shelter - help me stop him banging it!

J

juliette

Well-Known Member
Joined
17 June 2010
Messages
952
Location
Suffolk/Essex border
Visit site
I keep my horse at my friends. He suffers with COPD so he has a field shelter rather than a stable. Last winter I just put 2 ropes across the front to stop him escaping during the night. However, one evening recently my friend found he had caught his leg in the bottom rope and she had to rescue him. So, as a temporary measure I have dispensed with the bottom rope and put electric fence around the front (like a tiny garden!!) so if he does go under the rope he won't wander round the field and upset her horses who are stabled at night.
I have just ordered a set of brackets to have a slip rail across the front instead as we have decided this will be safer. Does anyone have any suggestions on how I can adapt this to stop him making banging noises? He has been moved down the field at the moment as he was banging in the morning asking to come out and waking my friend up.:mad: I have ordered a rubber mat to put on the lip of the field shelter to muffle his banging - does anyone have any other ideas that could help? He has rubber mat on the floor and minimal bedding as I think the banging was related to his COPD and it then became a habit.
 
Does he absolutely have to be confined to the shelter at night time?

If the electric fenced 'yard' in front of the shelter works perhaps consider putting up a more permanent fencing so that he can stay in there at night?
 
I was going to suggest the same as Enfys, make some kind of enclosure around the field shelter so he's not actually shut in.
 
Thanks for your comments.

Tried a stall guard when he was in a stable, but don't think they make them wide enough for a field shelter (10 foot gap!).

He bangs on the wood across the opening with his foot hence he has had his house dragged down the field as a temporary measure so that he doesn't wake my friend up. "Garden" also has to be temporary because we are on clay soil so he will have his home dragged back up to the yard area for the winter. It just isn't practical in the winter to have him down the field at night and he can't live out in the winter as it gets so muddy. We are talking major up to your knees suck your wellies off mud! He gets turn out every day (9-5) in winter and is out 24/7 in summer, bit of a mix now as we have had a lot of rain.

Have bought a rubber mat to cut up and try to cover wood on opening to stop him getting satisfaction from making the clonking noise when he kicks it. Not sure how to deaden the noise from the new slip rail as he is bound to lean against it as he likes to look out. Don't want him waking up my friend again.
 
I wish you luck, after a year our gelding still bangs stable doors/gates.
After he got a leg stuck across the top of a field gate we electified the gate
which he now leaves alone but still bangs doors wooden gates, he seems to hear the electicity going through and keeps away but knows it's safe to bang others, our concern is that he will hurt himself
If you find a solution please let me know
 
One of the stallions,who live out all year, took to kicking his shelter so loudly that a neighbour rang me to say that there was someone shooting next door.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top