help! my pony tries to jump/ rear over his stable door

bracken99

bracken99

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i have a 7 year old gelding who has lived out all of his life. But he has to live in at winter. but he trys to rear and jump over his door and i don't him to get hurt. comments and advice please!!!:)
 
A bigger grill, lots of mental stimulation ie, likit toys or treat balls, soaked hay so it lasts him longer, and try to put him in a stable where he can see others 24/7. My girl is much better when she is on box rest when she can see others (and luckily there is generally other demics in around her!)
K x
 
thanks. hes stable is oppersite a wall but there is a horse next to him. if he has a bigger grill he can't do any damage can he?
 
As KellysHeros says, lots of stimulation plus a full grill to make it safer for him... but also start bringing him in now for short periods of time and give him a large bucket of chaff and hide pieces of carrots around his stable so he is tempted to walk in himself for a treat. Then pop him back out before he makes a move for the door, try and build up the time in until he is happy to come in for a small feed and groom etc...
When the time comes to keep him in make sure that he comes in at the same time as his field companions and can see them, put up two or three small holed nets that will last all night and before you go give him his tea, try and hide out of sight to watch him for a while to make sure he has settled properly once everyone else has gone and try to be the first down in the morning. xx
 
my foal did this first time she was on her own in her own stable - even tho her friend was opposite her. As long as the door is high enough he wont get over. I would never put a grill up (would you like looking through prision bars?) or he could get himself more worked up and hurt himself more.

increase the rime he spends in side - if thats not possible then give him a big haynet, stay outside and around the door - when he gets worked up - soothe him and walk away. Like children they quickly catch on to what gets your attention. He will settle - my foal settled in 1 night, actually most of the babies have settled in 1 night. Place a salt lick in there as well (hanging one) and that takes their mind off it!

get there early in a morning to let him out! dont leave him standing for hours!
 
He could hurt himself on a grill anyhow.
your horse = your decision
if he is already stressed about being in the stable, how do you think he would react to being trapped with a grill?
 
i suppose. im gonna try him with just his toy and without a grill tomorrow and watch him. the doors are quite high but he rears up at them. if he got his foot over will he be able to get it back again:(?
 
I haven't ever had one but had a livery who nearly had a mare put to sleep as she was so stressy in the field and in the stable, bought one and has never looked back!

my gelding is a nightmarre to stable and always has been, he has had to be stitched up from getting over the door and has taken the door jamb out with a full door once when I shut the top door - he just doesn't deal well with being on his own.

I now have him in an indoor stable where he can see other horses at all times - he takes a bit of management as he can't be the last one out but is very settled for much of the time, is there any chance you can move stables to see if he settles better somewhere else?

It is a nightmare I hope you sort it.

(I had a grid at one point but it never really helped, he just stressed more)
 
thanks! i did try move stables but non are free.

i think ill try without the grid as he just rears higher. ill leave him in for an hour today to see what hes like.
 
I brought a pony who did this, I didn't know and the first time I put him in a stable with a anti weave grid he went mad and jump through it, bringing the grid crashing down with him. Lots off blood but nothing serious luckly. Since that I tried everything and he was not happy so he's now in a big stable with another pony and happy as larry. But will not stay on his own.
 
How would he hurt himself if the grill was in place , he could not jump over a full size proper grill, and I don't think any horse would see the bars as a prison, but he is obviously happier outside.
If you can get him in with someone else, as above, I would go with that. Otherwise you might have to move him in winter.
If he gets a foot over you may have to lift it back, but there is serious danger of hurting himself.
the grill would have to be narrow enough that he could not possibly get a hoof through it.
 
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one of ours used to try and come out over the door when he as young, as a deterrant i put a slip rail up about 6'' above the bottom door, that worked for him as he wasn't scared or stressed just didn't fancy being in:rolleyes: For a really determined pony though i would probably go for a full grill over night.
 
Make a 'grill' of electric fence and attach it to a battery for a few days at the right height just inside the door. Sounds cruel but it works.
 
I would definately be looking to desensitise him route first, unless you want a stressy and dangerous horse. Calm short periods in it when something nice happens (a groom, a feed, a treat ball...) even if you can start by just bringing him into the stable for a feed then turning him straight out again for a week, until he associates the stable with nice things.
 
Ech naturallly..... shutting him in will probably increase the stress, taking it slowly and getting him associating short periods in the stable with pleasant happenings is probalbly the more sucessful route to go. That way he might relax in the stable rather than be flooded / shut down or just "give up" ) that is if he does not injure himself.



another thought

is it possible to build him a pen just outside the stable ... I have seen this occasionally and the horse can go in and out ... and sometimes even touch neighbours ( depends obviously on whether they get on or not too ;)


Is it not possible at all for your ned to be left out 24/7 if he really gets stressed about stables. ?
 
My horse does this, she dances aswell :) I have a wooden bar up mid height above her door and the ceiling, and she can just pop her chin on top happily, shes fine at night once everyone leaves (normally just when im gone!) , maybe get a stable mirror? I also found when she was in a large stable she didnt get quite so worked up, so my poor 15.1 cob ahd to go an live in the tiny pony stable for a while last winter!
 
I agree Dancing Queen. You won't help an already stressed animal by making it fearful and resentful. Imagine trying to get him back into that stable after he's spent a night behind that contraption. Honestly, humans are often utterly lacking in empathy. Unfortunately, the pony doesn't like the arrangement that suits his human so it's up to his human to work out how to make him happy and reassured without bullying or depressing him.
 
bracken99 said:
thanks. hes stable is oppersite a wall but there is a horse next to him. if he has a bigger grill he can't do any damage can he?
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Well - we have a **** of a backer here at present. When he arrived, he threatened to go over the stable door so we put a grill up. He rammed his nose HARD into the grill, got it stuck, pulled the grill out of its sockets with his nose and scared himself half to death!:D But I've never known any other horse do anything quite so silly!
 
What a varied lot of responses!

The good thing with horses is there is always another option- if one thing doesn't work- try something else. As long as you're prepared to put the time in there isn't many problems that can't be solved or at least improved.

I would start with the simplest/cheapest - a bit of grub and a tasty lick and radio on for company for a short period. If he's only in 20/30 minutes with a lick thats so good it turns his nose orange then he'll probably forget that he's frightened and you'll be able to work the time up.

If that doesn't work try a mirror as well, and if you still need to get a grill (or a sheep friend- joke) then you've still got these to fall back on.

I have pony who loved to get his legs over the breast bar in the box and I had to lift him back over he's only small but still to this day don't know how I did it I was terrifying- so I understand. (He travels fine now.)

Good luck
 
My pony used to get stuck upto his elbows when I tried to stable him couldn't put up a grill as the stable block was odd shape. He would even rear if I was in the box next to him! I found that short periods of time and being fed in it made a huge difference. I used to make sure he was one of the last horses in at night and definitely the first one out last winter and it worked. Once the weather gets bad they're usually happier to be in. This year he will be sharing his stable with our shetland for the simple reason I cant separate them these days! Good luck x
 
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