How do I get my horse to settle in a stable?

RubyFrench

RubyFrench

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This is a hypothetical question as I am not actually going to move my horse to a livery yard but...

My horse does not settle in a stable and will jump up at the door etc, I'm not sure to what extent he would take this, or if he would get bored and give up or carry on and try and jump the door (most likely).

He does it whether there is hay or food in there. I don't know if he would do it if there were other stabled horses around at the same time, as I have no way of testing this out.

Looking at livery yards, I know most bring in at night for winter, which in the long run I would love to get him to do this, (I quite enjoy mucking out and all that lark) but how would I be able to go about it. For instance, where I am now I rent a field, so don't have access to stabling to 'build him up' to being in there, so if he did go to a yard, he would be thrown in at the deep end, so to speak.

Like I said, this is not really happening, so please no "if he is happy out, leave him out" etc. I just want to know what I would do if he HAD to be stabled.

Anyone have a horse like this that has now been cured?
 
i have a horse like this- currently couldnt or wouldnt dream or leaving him in a stable over night- either he or stable wouldnt be standing by morning!!

currently im trying to slowly lengthen the time he stands in for, whilst he eats his tea and has a play with his treat ball- max 20 mins at min, before he begins to pace and act like he may attempt to come over the top of the door!!

am hoping to slowly expand the time spent in- just in case in winter he does have to come in.

am hoping others may offer some great tips!:)
 
You could move somewhere that will let you have him out 24/7 but where you have a stable too and build him up by bringing him in just for a feed at first. Many livery yards allow 24/7 turn out in summer so probably best to move then.
 
The best thing would be to move in Summer when he could still be out 24/7. Then you be able to build him up gradually, with a friend in a next-door stable, just bringing him in to a feed at first and then lengthening the time he is in for, always making sure that he has hay/lage to eat.
One point strikes me about how he is kept atm. Does he have a companion now?
 
ellis9905 said:
i have a horse like this- currently couldnt or wouldnt dream or leaving him in a stable over night- either he or stable wouldnt be standing by morning!!

currently im trying to slowly lengthen the time he stands in for, whilst he eats his tea and has a play with his treat ball- max 20 mins at min, before he begins to pace and act like he may attempt to come over the top of the door!!

am hoping to slowly expand the time spent in- just in case in winter he does have to come in.

am hoping others may offer some great tips!:)
Click to expand...

Just a thought - are you leaving him til he starts to play up, then taking him out? It would be better to take him out before he starts to get silly, as you are reinforcing to him that if he starts to muck about - he gets taken out.
 
you should read my previous thread! Freddie would come over the door, and he boxes the walls, with full on rears, we put a full grill up for his safety, he was much better today, we just ignored him!
 
Auslander said:
Just a thought - are you leaving him til he starts to play up, then taking him out? It would be better to take him out before he starts to get silly, as you are reinforcing to him that if he starts to muck about - he gets taken out.
Click to expand...

no i attempt to take him out before the silly behaviour starts, trying to reward the good settled behaviour rather than the naughty!
 
I've always had horses of the opposite ie jump the gate and come back to stable or pacing the gate. I just got a youngster who I was warned he did not stable they used a grill for the limited time they needed him in, he also attached on serverly to my pony where I couldn't move the pony without him getting silly.
Fast forward only two weeks of just ignoring the behaviour he has come on leaps and bounds.
I would always want a horse that could be stabled for any reasons that ment to is not poss ie colic, injury.
Stick with it and you will get there
 
My little NFx is a sod in the stable when she wants to be. I find throwing carrots round her stable and giving her a feed ball keeps her occupied. She has come over the door once and I am going to get a top door for her so that she can't come over again. Normally in a morning I take her and my other mare out to the field together but this morning I decided she could wait her turn. I threw some carrots on the floor for her to find, took first mare to field and when I came back she was still searching carrots out. I made sure that I took her out BEFORE she started creating hell so that she doesn't start to associate playing up with getting her own way. I dont' agree with horses being left on their own for long periods, but I do expect her to be able to manage for an hour while I go for a ride on the other horse......
 
Thanks for the replies everyone :)
I can't quote people on my phone so just to answer some questions... He is out 24/7 at the moment in a herd of 7, all out 24/7.

Well my two queries were obviously lengthen the time slowly but do you take them out before they start playing up or do you ignore them (this seems to be a popular choice) and if I closed the top door or put a grill up would it make any difference or would be become more stressed out?
 
I guess it depends on why yours is playing up in a stable- is he nervous in the stable or is he just pratting around?

Mines very anxious in a stable, Im sure he's clautrophobic, and works himself up a bit. We've given up on trying to stable him now and he lives out 24/7 which he's happy with, but it does restrict the types of yard we can keep on! Ive found that most yards that allow 24/7 grazing all year have no facilities :-(

Any how, if its the nervous variety I would build time up slowly, rewarding him at time to come out and making the stable a pleaseant as poss place.

If its just pratting around I would prob ignore...
 
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