NEW horse dives out of the stable over the weave grill???! HELP!

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tinker88

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so my new horse of 3 weeks shire X TB (6yrs same home all his life until feb when hes been messed around until he came to me)

he wont stay in the stable, he was fine just a bit of new horse syndrome , neighing, very observant etc, until last week i brought his neighbour out and he dived out of the door!

so we fitted a weave grill (they have been out 24/7 except for a coming in for 1/2hr for a groom/ride etc) all was going well until last night the yard owner said all horses in at night?! not sure why... but brought him in with our other horses, he was a little upset with routine change but OK.

Until this morning he dived at the grill and bent it when he saw a horse walking past his door to the field..... we quickly turned him out ...!!

Then this evening had a great ride, brushed him off, put him in the stable, he was fine, horse next door came out and was tied up outside and boom - straight into the weave grill, bent it and he was over the door.

we had to quickly put him in the stable and shut the top door, while we sorted the other horse out, and got some first aid for him! so he was rearing up the sides, (they are wooden v nice strong stables) but he almost got his leg over the 8ft wooden sheeting at the top of the walls, and then got his shoe on the haynet, he went crazy!!!!

we tried to temp fix the weave grill so it was filled in so he could see out but not look over top, but he rears at it.

He now has many cuts, but nothing bad. BTW, hes fine in the stable to be groomed, fed, and if im stood wth him - its when hes alone, even though he knows his friends are over the wall

We managed to turn him out tonight (had to lie to yard owner why he had to go out - didnt want to cause a fuss, or get kicked off for the crazy horse), and he just chills out instantly when hes out of the stable,

So any suggestions???

my options i can think of are a full grill, or weld/ reinforce the weave grill so he can only put his head through (block the top bit where there is a gap above the grill and top of door so the gap is smaller) sedaline for a while? horse mirror (do they really work?)

they are not our stables so i cant go cutting a hole so he has a window to his neighbour and they are lovely stables, so i dont want him to smash them up. (he already broke a roof panel when jumping out which we replaced)

ALSO - we only just moved to this yard, i think everyone thinks we are the local nutters now , but we really like this place, and dont fancy leaving , or selling the horse hes perfect in all other ways :(
 
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I doubt his reactions at being stabled are new. Was he quiet in the stables when you tried him and did you handle him inside or was he outside when you viewed him.
 
Yikes that sounds pretty extreme. I would put a full grill on the door if he is to be in, and try to minimise anything he can get stuck on. Also putting him on a calmer and looking at what he is eating won't hurt.

If he continues to do this and does not do it when he is out you may have to accept that he will be better off being out full time. I have a horse who would not cope well with being stabled especially on a big yard with a lot of comings and goings, but it is fine by me as she can live out all the time on my rented land.
 
He is going to take time to settle now he has been able to get out over the door and the change of routine has probably made things worse before you have had time to get him used to all the comings and goings, he may be used to american barn type boxes where he could always see another horse while he was in his box, the new yard may be more difficult as he can only see another one if he looks over the door.
Stable mirrors do work for some, they may need to be moved until the right place is found but definitely worth trying, the problem with a grill is he will be even more distressed as he will hardly be able to see out, finding another more suitable yard if he doesn't settle would be kinder than shutting him behind bars, even though it may be for his own safety initially.
 
OMG I thought I had problems with my 11.3h doing this!!
The only thing that works for her and keeps her relatively calm is Naf Majic Calmer liquid! I knew a horse that had to have a magnesium calmer when coming in at night, otherwise he would try to climb over the walls too
So I would definitely try magnesium!!
 
I have a neurotic Shire-TBX who can convince everyone that she's the most zen-like horse in the world so long as she is at a yard which keeps things to her strict requirements. This includes being able to see the neighbours when stabled and a strict routine regarding turnout times being adhered to. So long as these guidelines are followed, everyone, me, the horse, the yard owner, are all happy. It sounds like the OP's yard might be one of those where the routine varies widely and can be very arbitrary. This sort of thing drives my sensitive Shire-TB bananas. Worth thinking about, perhaps.

Not every yard will suit every horse, no matter how much you like the yard and wish your horse would do the same. And yes, I have said to my horse, "This is really good yard and I like it. Can't you just try a little bit harder to get on with it?" And she answers, "I live here 24/7. You come up here two hours per day. No. You have opposable thumbs and internet access. Find me one I like."
 
Caol Ila said:
I have a neurotic Shire-TBX who can convince everyone that she's the most zen-like horse in the world so long as she is at a yard which keeps things to her strict requirements. This includes being able to see the neighbours when stabled and a strict routine regarding turnout times being adhered to. So long as these guidelines are followed, everyone, me, the horse, the yard owner, are all happy. It sounds like the OP's yard might be one of those where the routine varies widely and can be very arbitrary. This sort of thing drives my sensitive Shire-TB bananas. Worth thinking about, perhaps.

Not every yard will suit every horse, no matter how much you like the yard and wish your horse would do the same. And yes, I have said to my horse, "This is really good yard and I like it. Can't you just try a little bit harder to get on with it?" And she answers, "I live here 24/7. You come up here two hours per day. No. You have opposable thumbs and internet access. Find me one I like."
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I love that last bit! I'm afraid I can see her point ;)
 
Hmm, ideally I'd get him out! We had an old horse, hated being stable. However, he cut his leg badly so vet said to stable him. We put his best pal (donkey) next door and these stables have bars between so they can see each other. We arrived at the stables next morning, both of them were out! They hadn't got over the doors, oh no, horse must have got so stressed he'd thrown himself against the back wall and somehow the whole back wall of the two wooden stables he'd smashed down! We left him out after that! :-) Was a good job, as solid as they were, that the stables were wood and not even more solid stone or anything!!
 
I had a horse on trial that did this: tried to climb over the stable door. Then we turned it out and it tried to do the same with a five-bar gate! It was a nightmare so I sympathise with OP's predicament. Horse went back to owner BTW.

Later on I was told that this particular horse had been shut in a stable; and instead of shutting just the bottom door, they'd shut it in totally, and it couldn't deal with it and freaked out. THEN apparently someone had gone in with a lunging whip and walloped the ****e out of it. Hence every time it was in a stable, it freaked.

So there might well be something similar that's happened with this horse. You could try the stable mirror and see how that worked.

The other side of the coin is that I'm a YO and a horse like this is a nightmare in any yard, not just because of the damage they cause (which the owner frequently walks away from and YO is left with expensive repairs to deal with) but also because it unsettles other horses in the yard. Sorry OP I'm not getting at you here, but as a YO I'd like/need to know if there was a horse on the yard that had potential to injure itself, its owner, and potentially other horses, like this. Plus kick the *****e out of the place.

It may be that you might need to think about finding a yard with turnout rather than stabling for your horse. Perhaps a professional could help you with this? Because there WILL be occasions when your horse needs to be stabled and a professional might be able to suggest some solutions?
 
Caol Ila said:
I have a neurotic Shire-TBX who can convince everyone that she's the most zen-like horse in the world so long as she is at a yard which keeps things to her strict requirements. This includes being able to see the neighbours when stabled and a strict routine regarding turnout times being adhered to. So long as these guidelines are followed, everyone, me, the horse, the yard owner, are all happy. It sounds like the OP's yard might be one of those where the routine varies widely and can be very arbitrary. This sort of thing drives my sensitive Shire-TB bananas. Worth thinking about, perhaps.

Not every yard will suit every horse, no matter how much you like the yard and wish your horse would do the same. And yes, I have said to my horse, "This is really good yard and I like it. Can't you just try a little bit harder to get on with it?" And she answers, "I live here 24/7. You come up here two hours per day. No. You have opposable thumbs and internet access. Find me one I like."
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very true!!! hes my first shire x tb, i usually have welshies and WB, which are usually a bit odd.... but nothing like this boy. But god i love him even after 3 weeks which is rare for me. hes just so cool, and brainy!

i think if he dosnt settle sharpish ill look into somewhere else. Also abit annoyed at the rpomise of sumer gturnout to be told in august that its dropped cooler so horses need to be in!!
 
MiJodsR2BlinkinTite said:
I had a horse on trial that did this: tried to climb over the stable door. Then we turned it out and it tried to do the same with a five-bar gate! It was a nightmare so I sympathise with OP's predicament. Horse went back to owner BTW.

Later on I was told that this particular horse had been shut in a stable; and instead of shutting just the bottom door, they'd shut it in totally, and it couldn't deal with it and freaked out. THEN apparently someone had gone in with a lunging whip and walloped the ****e out of it. Hence every time it was in a stable, it freaked.

So there might well be something similar that's happened with this horse. You could try the stable mirror and see how that worked.

The other side of the coin is that I'm a YO and a horse like this is a nightmare in any yard, not just because of the damage they cause (which the owner frequently walks away from and YO is left with expensive repairs to deal with) but also because it unsettles other horses in the yard. Sorry OP I'm not getting at you here, but as a YO I'd like/need to know if there was a horse on the yard that had potential to injure itself, its owner, and potentially other horses, like this. Plus kick the *****e out of the place.

It may be that you might need to think about finding a yard with turnout rather than stabling for your horse. Perhaps a professional could help you with this? Because there WILL be occasions when your horse needs to be stabled and a professional might be able to suggest some solutions?
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im afraid Iam a BHSII , but due to my other business cut down horses and moved to a livery yard

:( ive had horses do everything but not this...... hes so bright its untrue - he figures things and people out.
 
Another vote here for a mirror. My youngster used to become hysterical and throw himself at the door when on his own. With a mirror I can leave him on his own all day with no bother. He is happy and relaxed with his handsome companion. I was sceptical until I put the mirror up, but he really believes!
 
tinker88 said:
Also abit annoyed at the rpomise of sumer gturnout to be told in august that its dropped cooler so horses need to be in!!
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Yes I fear if you have to bring them in this early you may be one of the endless 'YO says they have to be in 24/7' threads come November, which is probably this horse's worst nightmare bless him!
 
Is it just to do with the stable? Sounds like it could be a sort of separation anxiety. What's he like if left out in the field on his own? If he's had six months of being messed about and a nice home before that for years I wouldn't blame him for getting upset at being shut in alone, especially as he's so bright. A proper stable mirror as suggested above is probably a good investment, especially if its likely he will have to spend time in there over the winter. Will he stay in a box or trailer on his own? Just wondering as if it is a separation problem you would expect to find issues elsewhere.
The other thing you should try, which won't help his anxiety but may help the lunging out of the door, is to stop leading him head first out of the stable, always back him out for a few weeks. It takes a lot of patience and practice though. This really changed my bargy horses brain. After a couple of days he way like...'so do you want me to go forwards or backwards out of here?'
 
This a difficult issue to cure but it can be .
The first thing you need to is make the stable as safe as possible .
The first thing to do is establish strict roultine with the stale I would bring twice a day give something nice to eat and groom then turn out .
Leaving them out unil they are maddened by the flys then bringing them in can help but I think you are too late in the year or that .
Turnout on a very bare paddock and bringing loads of times a day for small amounts of food is another way however you need to be on the yard a lot for that .
In winter make sure the only way he can get food is in the stable.
I have forgotten how old you say he is but my experiance is they need to be tired to fix this so lots of work if you trips to different places , and working more than once a day nice when mine got to the stage of please please I just want to stand and sleep I begun to get it really cracked as an issue .
A mirror is some thing I would definatly try.
This may be an up hill struggle on a yard you don't own .
I got to the stage with ours of kill your self wreak the stable but you will learn to stay where I put you .
He now stands in the stable with just a stall bar but I would always shut the bottom door is we rode out others and if the lorry leaves without him.
Hobbles is worth seriously considering mine is evil in the lorry as well so I just hobble him when standing .
We where arranging to have electricity on the inside of the door when we cracked it with mine it was a very long haul but we got there it was not for the faint hearted .
Interestingly mine is half Clydesdale and knows he can break things without hurting himself unduly .
 
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tinker88 said:
im afraid Iam a BHSII ,
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by the time your education gets to that level you should realise you wont and dont have all the answers and sometimes you need to get someone who has more experience in certain areas to help out. if my memory serves me right and things have not changed to dramatically then BHS exams do not address this sort of issue anyway.

'This a difficult issue to cure but it can be .
The first thing you need to is make the stable as safe as possible .
The first thing to do is establish strict roultine with the stale I would bring twice a day give something nice to eat and groom then turn out .
Leaving them out unil they are maddened by the flys then bringing them in can help but I think you are too late in the year or that .
Turnout on a very bare paddock and bringing loads of times a day for small amounts of food is another way however you need to be on the yard a lot for that .
In winter make sure the only way he can get food is in the stable.
I have forgotten how old you say he is but my experiance is they need to be tired to fix this so lots of work if you trips to different places , and working more than once a day nice when mine got to the stage of please please I just want to stand and sleep I begun to get it really cracked as an issue .
A mirror is some thing I would definatly try.
This may be an up hill struggle on a yard you don't own .'

i agree with the above by goldenstar, but i would never ever put eletric fencing in a horses stable for any reason
 
As another poster said, changing their mind last minute and not allowing full turnout in August would ring alarm bells for me about winter turnout

My horses are in a small permanent herd. There were 2 different horses on my yard that used to break down the stable door to be with their new best friend. They moved (thank god!) to another much bigger yard where there was a more transient environment and they settled better.
 
We used to have a little pony who just would not tolerate being stabled. She had never been stabled before she came to us and simply couldn't get her round it. Ever with a buddy next door she would trot round her stable, sweating up and kicked the wall so hard one evening she put her hoof through the partition! :eek4: we decided to just keep her out 24/7 which she was perfectly happy with, even when all the other horses went in for the night she wasn't bothered. I thought she might have some kind of horsey claustrophobia!

My point is, is there anyway you could just have him outside 24/7? I would be honest with your YM and explain about the panicky behaviour, they have a right to know as they have a duty of care to ensure all the horses are receiving the appropriate care. And it seems the appropriate management for your boy is the outdoors life! I think it's a bit odd that your YM has said summer turnout has finished already? Maybe, if your YM can't accommodate 24/7 turnout it's time to find a new yard? Where I keep my horses now we have grills partitioning the upper walls of the boxes and it's so nice for the horses to be able to see each other and interact. My mare can be a bit anxious in a stable and it's really helped her to feel like her buddies are right there!
 
If a horse doesn't like being stabled, kick 'em out 24/7 - that's what I say :) No point stabling them if they just get stressed, trash the bed (expensive & time consuming), become un manageable etc. I had horses in the past who HATED being stabled, but I liked stabling them and continued to do so. I did begin to realise what I want is not what they want and turned them out 24/7- oh why I hadn't done this before :p
 
YOU HAVE JUST DECRIBED MY HORSE TO A T!!
When I brought him, this was not mentioned and tbh I only saw him in the stable yard and had never in 20 + years had a horse had hated stables so it never crossed my mind. When they brought him over and I put him in a stable their faces said it all and they told me he would be better out. and I thought "" oh could have fun here then" anyway he was fine until a horse moves away from the yard, he jumps through a anti weave grid and even a full grid!! Just stepped back and jumped at it until they both crashed down on the yard. He's a bit of a nutty not tbh and I decided there's no way I could re sell so had to work with him to see what he was happy with. I put him in a large foaling box with a nice window and he was fine as long as he had company!! So that was my yearlings job for the next 2 years job done. This summer my 3 year old is now stabled on his own and my nutty lad is ok ( I say ok as he's not 100%) but stays in his stable and hasn't jumped out for a long time. Horslyx lick works for him, I personally hate the dam things due to the sugar levels but needs must and it keeps him happy while others go out riding even his mates. I know when it runs out!! But it's making life easier and his bare feet haven't shown any signs of being footy so I'm happy to keep one in his stable. Also just to add, is his eyesight ok? My lad ended up being blind in one eye but if that's part of the reason who knows but one thing I know based on his nutty ways he will never leave my ownership nor will he ever move yards as I know he wouldn't cope and as he's now in his 20s he would be pts rather than go through everything we have had to work with. He was a free horse from a local paper and boy I soon found out why but he's a character and muched loved family member just god help any strangers who go to touch him :) :) :) guard horse to the extreme.
 
well today I bought 2 4ft x 4ft mirrors and we have found a new yard that has 36 acres of grazing in a mixed herd until bonfire night, then they can be out 24/7 until mid Dec :)

the yard is simple - no arena but a jumping paddock - and isn't cheap! , but has a very nice internal L shaped American barn style layout, I explained his "issues" and the YO is a dealer, she dosnt seem phased and said to put up his grill (another 2 stables actually has full grills too) but its the usual bars all around the stables so he can see the WHOLE yard, and my other horse will be 3 doors down, which will be good so they don't get too clingy. Also the whole area seems more open, and he will be brushed I the barn, fed in the barn etc so maybe it wont feel like hes going "into his stable" just into his own private area of the barn ..... does that make sense.

Im feeling very relived and maybe ill sleep tonight .... :)

next step tell the current YO we are off..... :/

Ill still use his new mirrors .
 
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