Help!!!!! Door banger!!

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Could anyone please help me before I loose my marbles!! One of my horses keeps banging the door, if all the attention is not on him, so whether I`m doing some fencing or seeing to another horse he keeps doing it. Shouting and getting cross with him does nothing, although he appears to look bothered, he just starts again. I have just brought him in after living out, he is rising 4 and turn out is now limited. If its not attention based its food based because he thinks he should be having some/ all the food - even though none of the others are better off than him. Having hay does not seem to stop him. :mad:
 
A really annoying habit so here with some suggestions!

Assuming he is banging it with his hoof, attach some carpet or rubber matting to the door. This will deaden the noise so therefore be less irritating.

Put a strip of electric tape a foot or so on the inside of the door to keep him away from it, and if needs be power it up!

Invest in a water pistol and 'shoot' him everytime he bangs - makes the scenario more entertaining for you and may just shock him into stopping....

Good luck x
 
The old Nagsmen's method of course, was to tie bunches of holly or gorse to the inside of the door.

Remove/don't close the door. Seriously, use a stall guard or rails.

Stuff a sack with straw and fix that to the door.

Put water tubs in front of the door so that horse splashes himself - (also his bed :()

Put a chain or bar up so that the horse cannot breast the door to bang it, he needs to be in a certain position to bang. I have a mare that bangs when she considers it is time for her to go out, her door is in the corner of the stall and I have a chain that cuts that corner off, she still digs but that isn't as annoying as her bashing the door.

You could consider a grill which will also stop him being able to get his head over the lower door. Not a favourite of mine but grills do have their uses.

There is a device called Quitkick which is reputed to be effective:
http://www.quitkickusa.com/store/
 
My mare is a door banger we have put a chain across the door, now she digs the floor so we have also put a rubber mat down, peace and quite at last.
 
I would agree with trying a bar or chain acroos the door so theres nothing to bang against and i know its hard but try not to give attention when the horse is doing it. Mine used to do it in the mornings if he thought i was not giving him his breakfast quick enough! Very annoying..

Hope you find a solution!
 
2nd the chain or webbing door, not expensive.

Please dont squirt with water or withhold feed so sad to hear some folks do that.
 
I'd second the quitkick (has a UK site too). Mine used to kick the door out of impatience / for attention at mealtimes and would sometimes bicker with the horse next door and kick the wall between them. Got a quitkick, she got squirted once, and quietly and calmly stopped. You could almost see her shrug. As it wan't stress related, she hasn't replaced the behaviour with anything else. Provided it's not caused by stress, I'd far rather she got squirted once or twice with a tiny jet of water (it is teeny tiny, just enough to surprise them) than kept banging her leg on the door or risked hurting herself when getting squealy with the chap next door and kicking the wall. Far and away the lesser of two evils. I wouldn't personally shoot with a water pistol because I think the attention defeats the point, but this one's automatic.
 
put a bar across the doorway, put rubber matting down and take the door away. i have done this with mine in the past, it was great no more stress for any of us.

a word of warning about stable guards and chains, they both have clips on them and bored animals will play with these, i have seen a goat attached to one when it went through the side of his face-that was very stressful with him yelling his head off and me not being able to detach him on my own-i had to leave him to go and get some help and the vet had to stitch the side of his face back together. another time my friend arrived to find her haflinger had been rubbing his face against his and it had pierced his nostril, he was just stood there attach to the clip by his nose, she mananged to undo the clip whilst waiting for the vet to come and stitch him up.
 
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