Horse rearing in stable... help!

[c-bx]

Hi all,
I’ve recently moved to a new yard with my mare and out in the field she’s very happy & very settled.
As winter is coming we’re considering bringing the horses in over night. She’s never really been stables and now seems to really stress in her stable. She keeps rearing and box walking - she managed to get one of her front legs over the stable door the other day when she was in for half an hour while I was moving fencing around.

what can I do? Would a grill over the stable door work so she can still look out but can’t get leg stuck? Or has anyone had this situation and found another solution?

unfortunately she’s not massively food orientated so extra food in the stable doesn’t help, when she’s stressing she won’t eat her feed at all. She’s never left in her stable alone!

thanks!!!

 

[Mule]

Can you just leave her out over night?
If you don't have to bring her in, it would be a lot less hassle to leave her out.

 

[Shay]

If you have no choice but to bring her in you might want to consider an anti weave grill with infill to stop her getting her front legs over the door. Its not a solution and not something I would usually agree with. But if you have no choice and she has to be in overnight then it is better than finding her in the morning hung up over the door. I do have one on yard who will try to climb out over his stable door. He isn't stressed, isn't unhappy. Just sees doors as a challenge to be met and mastered. We use a grill for him. I've also had to use one for a short time for a horse's safety. But if they are distressed in the stable caging them won't solve that and they can revert to trying to kick thier way out which also doesn't help!

You can try bringing in for longer and longer periods, always making sure she has freinds in sight etc. She might settle. But she might not. You could perhaps talk to your vet about using low level sedation to help calm her? Or Valerian if you are not competeing. But if she doesn't I'm afraid you may have to move yards to one where she can live out. Horses can do massive damage to themselves shut in a stable where they do not want to be. That said - it would be worth trying to get her to accept being stabled. If she was ever injured and needed to box rest it would be sad to have to PTS just because she can't stable.

 

[twiggy2]

Did she have company?
You need to work on being able to bring her in to do things with her but in all honesty I would just bring in for a few hours each day and leave out for as much tine as possible, it's a much more natural and healthy way for a horse to be kept.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

I used to have a mare that was utterly miserable if stabled. She shook and wouldn't eat or drink.

I had a lot of advice (unasked for) about how to get her used to a stable but she was so unhappy I decided that it was best to just let her live out. Thankfully that was a option and I am certain it was the correct decision.

RE injuries, she did a tendon and it wasn't an issue that she couldn't be box rested. I explained that box rest wasn't an option to the vet and so she was put in a small electric fenced off paddock with full vet support. She healed fully and this is now my preference even for horses that would box rest. It's so much nicer for them mentally IME.

 

[c-bx]

Thanks all so much for your replies! I will start bringing her in for short periods each day and try to build it up!?