how to stop bad habit - kicking/pawing stable door

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karenjj

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HI all,
my boy has picked up a habit of kicking his stable door the second he hears me in the morning and he's started pawing in the field by the gate now as well when he wants to come in. Has anyone got any advice on how to stop him doing this? He's already got quite fragile legs as it is! He's brilliantly behaved in mostly every other way.. Thanks
 
Daisy was a terrible door banger when i first got her because her old owner used to give her a handful of haylage when she did it to keep her quiet.

Time has largely solved the problem as she has learned that she doesn't get any attention from doing it.

In the meantime, I'd recommend putting tubtrugs full to the brim of water in front of the door. If he kicks them he'll get splashed.
 
Fit industrial grade cocconut matting (with rubber backing) to the inside of the stable door. You will need to stick it on to marine ply and it is best to put angled steel around the top edg so that the horse can not try to pull it off at the edges.

It will deaden the sound and also prickle their feet.
 
What brilliant ideas! My mare gets us up every morning banging and as our stables are wooden i'm scared of her busting the fronts off. The only thing I have tried is putting electic tape over the stable door to stop her getting into position but she just bangs the walls instead... Off to get some broom heads what a fab idea!
 
I've heard of people fitting a piece of old carpet to the back of the door as this too deadens the sound which is part of the "fun" for the horse. As others have said don't reward bad behaviour. Don't shout at your horse when they are kicking or pawing simply ignore them but do praise them and give them attention when they are quiet/behaving. The penny will drop with them over time.
 
I just ignored it and she stopped it is attention seeking behavior so i don’t even shout at her, or look at her then she stops.

After a while she cottons on that she doesn’t get any reaction from it so now she throws her rugs on the floor instead. Oh well cant have everything!
 
I did read once about using one of those kids water cannon/guns. You need to be able to shoot a stream of water at the horse without being seen so they don't know where it's come from or from whom. Therefore they only connect the banging with an unpleasant squirt of water rather than a person. No idea if it works, but kinda makes sense, though not sure of any resulting injuries of pony dashing backwards away from the water!!
 
Take away the door/keep it open and put a chain across the door!
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or put electric fencing on the inside of the door and put it on - one kick will be its last
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Soph kicks the door the minute i walk on the yard usually.Her stable is opposite the hose pipe so she gets squirted with it but the clever bugger then kicks the door and legs it before you can squirt her !
 
QR

Good luck ...!
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My 17 year old has done it pretty much forever. I try to be as quick as possible when mixing feeds so he doesnt get a chance to do it, and totally ignore it. Its hard to do (i often find myself saying 'Oi!' or whatever out of reflex!) but can help. Routine is the best thing really!
 
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