How to get horse to settle in stable?

[icyfreya]

I've had my new horse for 7 weeks, and he's been out 24/7 so far - he's very settled apart from being quite spooky, but i think that's in his nature.

Anyway, brought him in for the first time yesterday to give him a break from the torrential rain, as all the others on a yard of 5 of us were in (apart from one who's out 24/7). So yesterday he was 100% calm, really happy to be in, went straight to his haynet, came back later and he was still fine, turned him out with no probs.
Anyway today, when it started pouring it down went to get him in again, this time only 1 of the horses was in, and M was really really anxious and unsettled, to the point that I was worried he was going to try and go over the door. He was fine in field and walking in, but didn't really want to go into the stable. He was walking & spinning round his box so much he nearly slipped over a few times, and weaving and shaking his head (he banged it quite badly on the top of the door and also banged his face on the salt lick) and neighing loudly, and when I tried to change his rug he tried to nip me a few times. He didn't touch his haynet or water. He was so unsettled that after 20 mins I put his heavier turnout on and chucked him back out, where he went back to his normal placid self! In his last home he was out mostly, only in in really bad weather, but the home before that he was half stabled all year, and previous people said he was fine to stable...

So, is this normal behaviour for a horse which has been out 24/7 for ages, and how do I best deal with it? Is it best to ignore him and just leave him in & hope he gets used to it? I would've done this but I was worried he'd injure himself...

Any help/advice appreciated xx

 

[be positive]

How are all the others going to be kept this winter, if they only come in in bad weather they will have no routine and your horse will probably find it harder to settle. I think that most horses like to have a fairly set daily routine and some need it more than others, has he got a field mate that he is bonded with that could come in at the same time as him.

 

[Piaffe63]

Have you tried some stable toys? He might enjoy those, but I've also heard about some people putting mirrors in their stables (I think this is so they dont feel lonely if they are the only ones in). You could try putting a swede in his stable to play with? Hope this helps

 

[Ginger Bear]

My tb is exactly like this.. At my old yard, he was on box rest and wouldn't even settle with another horse next door, I ended up moving him to the barn so I could shut the doors, feed him haylage, and stop him seeing out as this just worked him up more. At our new yard he is in a barn where he has a row of horses next to him, opposite him & behind him, only place he has been calm even if the others are put out.

 

[starryeyed]

How well does he get on with the one that was in? It could be something as simple as him not being with his favourite friends, seems strange to have such a change of attitude over one day!

 

[Goldenstar]

I have just had this problem my dressage horse needs a period of rest following a splint all was well while every one was out then the first lot came in and left two out then the other needed to come in and he was left out he was ok came in for a little while every morning as he has all year what a pain pawing the ground all the time banging the door melt down if he saw any tack.
Then the weather turned and he needed to come in stable armagedon shaving all piled up the back wall no food eaten so I put him on to a strict routine of in at a certain out at 9am in a week he is back to normal settled in his stable eating thank god as I could not afford the bedding! He still comes and bangs the fence when he sees the others in the school ,I guess he likes his work.
I think routine is the key, some of them manage without it some really need it.

 

[icyfreya]

Ahh found out today from another livery that apparently the hunt were out yesterday morning, all round our area, so he will have heard all the horses and the hound etc going down the road which might have wound him up a bit.

I think also he isn't friends with the one who is in as she has had lami so is on box rest so he hasn't met her, and she's 3 doors up from him. I might try stable toys (likits?) but yesterday he had a haynet which he ignored, and i gave him a handful of nuts in his bucket which he also ignored, when he normally loves his food, so he might just ignore it.

Shall I keep bringing him in at the same time each day, so he has some routine and then hopefully settles to it? I only brought him in yesterday because of the rain.
Eventually in a few weeks I plan on having him in at night & out in day every day. Think all the others just play it by ear and bring in only when the weather dictates, don't think they switch to an in at night routine. It doesn't help that he has a veiw across the paddocks from his stable, as he can see where he wants to be.

What should I actually do when he's being so unsettled, just ignore him? Or try to calm him?

 

[StormyMoments]

i had this problem with taz i have owned him for 8 years and he has never had a problem with any stable until now but the thing is he was doing it when all the horses were in and he was climbing the door, so i ended up moving to the next stable over and he wasnt settled still but more settled than he was i then would put him in there after he was worked so he would be quite relaxed i would dump him in with a haynet let him have a flid while i put his tack away make up his feed, chuck his food over the door, let him munch on that, let him wait till i wantd to turn him out then i would walk him back down the the field so every time he goes in the stable he is nice and relaxed and last night for the first time he stayed in with his field buddy and there wasnt a peep hope this helps!

 

[GingerTrotter]

What should I actually do when he's being so unsettled, just ignore him? Or try to calm him? [/QUOTE]

My horse gets like this if he is in and even just one horse is out without him.
He wont stand in the stable by himself if there is a human around the yard.
He reels around, throwing himself off the walls and generally being a nutter - however if you just walk away and leave him he stops (i can see the stables from my house window so i can spy on him)
He just acts like a nutter so I put him back out - attention seeking.

He has been on box rest all by himself with others out in the field - I cant say he's paticularly happy about it but if he's left alone he'll calm down and only get silly when I go out to muck out etc - I ignor the behavour completely, dont even talk to him.... even if he kicks the wheelbarrow over in disgust!, I only pay him attention if he calms down, this works for him. But he does prefer someone in to keep him company which normally he does.