Mare won't leave stable?!?!

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nitro_nimph

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We've had issues with my horse coming out of her stable lately. She bumped her hips on the frame a few weeks ago, and understandably started rushing in and out. We had the door widened (hurray for DIY dad's :P) and she improved to the point of rushing slightly going in and being perfect coming out - and over the course of one night has suddenly refused to go either way!!!
Shes still in her stable after no level of coercion or begging could get her to come out, we've just left the yard closed with a big bucket of feed outside the door!!
Any help/advice GREATLY appreciated!! Have no idea what to do now!!
 
Oh dear - I think you've done the right thing just letting her come and go as she pleases until she's got her confidence back
smile.gif
 
Had a similar issue with my mare, who can be very stubborn( normal for females!!). She wouldn't come out of the stable and on occasion wouldn't go in regardless of food bribes. Solved the issue with patience, just easing her in and in. Sometimes making her work, turining on the forehand etc, making it more comfortable to be in the stable.
She did not have a confidence problem just a mile wide stubborn streak and being the alpha mare in her herd.
 
My horse has a real issue with going in and going out! he has been like it most of his life and he is 16 this year. I just try and keep the door way as clear as I can and not put too much pressure on when going in out. he is quite happy to stay in and when he wants to come out he will, in a rush mind you! Whether he rushs is not determined by day time weather, in fact I have tried to work out when/why but its not consistent. At the moment he is rushing in and walking out, after banging his hip on one side I have had to change where I tie him so that he can't get crooked and just flick the rope over his neck so I don't get trampled when he goes in. I've tried the feed thing but he eats as much as he wants and then switches off. Sorry not to be more helpful but I've found that there is not one easy answer, you have to try a variety of things. In fact my new stables were even designed trying to make it easier for him to go in and out, big stables, wide doors. Oh well roll on summer when I can chuck him out.
 
lol, part of it is definitely being a mare!
This morning rather than go out in the field with the gelding she just stood innside all day - and arguing with a 16.2 mare in pumps in alwaya a bad idea! lol
Thankfully between me, my dad and a lunge rope we were able to get her out, and with the aid of a dresage whip shes gone back in again for the night. I expect she'll be trouble again in the morning but at least shes been through twice now without a big argument and with as much praise as possible for being such a wuss!! lol
Thanks for the comments and sorry about the late reply!
 
lol, our two sound identical lordy!
Shes only rising five so i'm really hoping to nip it in the bud early and get her comfortable with it soon. Flicking the rope over her neck and treating it like I'm boxing her actually helps, and worked excellently until this morning!
But either way was able to take her in and out tonight, admittedly with trouble but still, it was an improvement!
just going to have to allow an hour extra for the stable door on journey times! lol
 
We have (had) the same problem with one of our mares. She came to us with the known problem of not going in and out of doors, having damaged both her hips through the stable doors where she was kept being pony size width. Like you, we tried everything - bullying, smacking, loving, even laying a trail of feed from where she stood to outside the door and then the same in reverse order (when she eventually after half an hour decided to rush through at 100 mph). Coming back into the stable was even worse - she stood and refused to budge - so a trail of grass was laid and it was one step every 10 minutes until she finally got one foot in the the doorway and then charged in. BUT WE'VE SOLVED THE PROBLEM! She's just had a foal (5 weeks ago) and she follows the foal in and out with no problem whatsoever. We make sure the foal goes out first, she looks - where's my foal and was rushing out originally, but now is even just walking quietly out. What a difference - hooray! I know it's not the answer to your question but we just hope that once this foal is weaned, the problem will have been solved. If not, oh well, not too long to wait, she hopefully will have another foal early next year. We do appreciate though with how you feel - believe me, we've really suffered. We even had to tell the stud (Darley) when we took her for covering last year that she won't go through doors and could they possibly open up the sliding doors for her to go through. They thought we were being stupid and tried to get her in through the doors. Needless to say, she put up a fight and with 4 blokes trying to pull and push her through, she refused. She reared up, slipped about and eventually we pleaded with the sliding doors to be opened and they relented. Guess what, she went through without a problem. When she had been covered and needed to come back out through a door, again she refused, and they ended up taking her out the back way and came face to face with a stallion (it was the stallion sliding barn doors she was led through). Took her back to stud the other day, explained she was the mare with the door problem and this year, they immediately slid open the doors and she walked through them like an angel!
 
Ditto, mine has these same issues, but she is so greedy food usually does the trick. When it used to be really bad I used to put her hay, feed and water outside her stable, shut up the yard and go. If she was hungry or thirsty she would have to do it for herself. It has taken a long while but now she will walk in and out quite happily following a carrot.
 
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