New horse hates being in the stable

Ic1504

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We just bought the most perfect horse, hes smart and calm but he box walks, weaves and called when in the stable. We wernt told about this before purchase but we feel he may not jave been like this with his prevous owner has they had him in a dressage yard at one point. We think it maybe the sheep as in the barn opposite him are some noisy sheep that will be out soon. Also the stable is alot bigger and roomy at our yard so he may not be used to that. Can someone help?
 

Pearlsasinger

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We moved our first mare from the livery yard she was on after 6 weeks, for several reasons but her inability to settle in her indoor stable was one of them. The roof was quite low and we thought it could be that causing the problem. She did settle much better at the next yard, where she was in an outdoor stable but several years later we brought her home, where she was again in an indoor stable with a lowish roof and it never bothered her.
IME, some horses just don't settle well at some yards for reasons that we can't ever really work out and will behave completely differently if moved to a different yard.

ETA, sheep smell strongly and it may be that OP's horse has never met them before.
 

gina2201

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Give him some time to settle, it could all just be a bit much for him if it's still so new, his routine and herd will have changed all at once. My gelding was a total stress head when I brought him home, but he had gone from living in a herd outside 24/7 to being 'at home' with my other horse (we now have heard of 4). he is much happier once he settled in but it took a little while. He would box walk, crib, weave!

My mare on the other hand seemed to be much more 'settled' on a livery yard, with horses coming and going next to her and she didn't care about being in on her own, yet at home, with a stable herd and a quieter yard she shows a bit more of a worry by neighing a few time to him when we take him out in the trailer (but then settles down with the shetlands). Shes a flighty TB so i wrongly assumed she'd be better at home than on a busier yard. Possibly because she has built up such a strong bond with him. At the livery yard she was in a herd of mares. I am wondering whether to buy a third horse now :D (plus shetties make 5 - nice herd number?)
 
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joosie

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Bless him. He may just be one of those sensitive souls who takes time to adjust to a new environment and new people etc. Is there any reason you can't let him stay out 24/7 until he has had time to settle in a bit and get to know you?
 

Orangehorse

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Well weaving is classed as a stable vice and if undeclared you can send the horse back to the seller.
However, some horses weave until they settle down. I had a horse that used to weave a bit, but it wasn't all the time, just when she was stressed and she did it with her new owner, who moved her to a different yard where she settled down. I think her new yard had indoor stables where the partitions only came half way up, so she could see all around.

I did everything I could to make the stable a nice place, so ad lib hay, and only brought her in late and out early. She did have company sometimes but she didn't really like other horses, she seemed quite happy by herself. She would even weave in the field sometimes e.g. if something upset her.
Maybe she likes to be able to have a good view, so she can see all around. Very likely doesn't like the en mass sheep if she hasn't met sheep before.

I would advise the previous owner that the horse is weaving and you retain the right to send it back (some people would never buy a weaver). Try and see if it is happier living out, and then bring in for feed and grooming and turn out again, don't bring in and only ride.
Ride from the field, i.e. groom and tack up in the field. You could try a mirror in the stable, but that doesn't always work. Do you have a different stable?
 

Ic1504

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Well weaving is classed as a stable vice and if undeclared you can send the horse back to the seller.
However, some horses weave until they settle down. I had a horse that used to weave a bit, but it wasn't all the time, just when she was stressed and she did it with her new owner, who moved her to a different yard where she settled down. I think her new yard had indoor stables where the partitions only came half way up, so she could see all around.

I did everything I could to make the stable a nice place, so ad lib hay, and only brought her in late and out early. She did have company sometimes but she didn't really like other horses, she seemed quite happy by herself. She would even weave in the field sometimes e.g. if something upset her.
Maybe she likes to be able to have a good view, so she can see all around. Very likely doesn't like the en mass sheep if she hasn't met sheep before.

I would advise the previous owner that the horse is weaving and you retain the right to send it back (some people would never buy a weaver). Try and see if it is happier living out, and then bring in for feed and grooming and turn out again, don't bring in and only ride.
Ride from the field, i.e. groom and tack up in the field. You could try a mirror in the stable, but that doesn't always work. Do you have a different stable?
I dont think they new he did it amd anyway i love him 2 mucb
 

Ic1504

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Bless him. He may just be one of those sensitive souls who takes time to adjust to a new environment and new people etc. Is there any reason you can't let him stay out 24/7 until he has had time to settle in a bit and get to know you?
Thats what we are doing at the moment but hes quite heavy and is tearinf up the feild so taking him in at night would be great but we can deal with it until he settles
 

SEL

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Always worth trying another stable too.

We never found out why my mare hated her designated stable at our last yard, but she got dangerous refusing to go in it. Swapped to a different one and zero problems.
 

Shay

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Rats can really unsettle stabled horses. If you think that might be an issue get some rat bait down. But sometimes you just never know what bothers them. Is the mare the only equine company he has?
 

hopscotch bandit

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Leave a radio on. It might distract him/pacify him. Sorry to state the obvious at this late stage but its always advisable to see the horse in its usual stable when going to view a horse. This way you can determine whether it weaves/box walks/kicks the stable door or crib bites. Also witholding water from a horse will make it more docile so always good to see it has access to water in its stable as well as checking for signs of bitten wood. Hope he settles for you. Feel sorry for the guy. Must be confusing and unsettling world for a horse in a new home.
 

hopscotch bandit

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Always worth trying another stable too.

We never found out why my mare hated her designated stable at our last yard, but she got dangerous refusing to go in it. Swapped to a different one and zero problems.
One night it took three of us and a whip to get my horse in her stable and the vet to travel 40 mins to calm her down with acp and even after being sedated she was extremely anxious and terrified of the back wall of the stable. In the wise words of the vet 'tomorrow is another day and it will be forgotten about tomorrow' . To say i was sceptical was an under statement. But blow me, next day she was stood with back to back wall as if she'd never had a days worry in her life!
 

Equi

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Is the stable block walls or american barn type? My horse never really settled at my last yard which was outdoor stables totally walled with only the door as a lookout point. Other horses beside etc but could not see them unless their heads were out...he was okay in winter because he was starving and looking in to eat, but had to be first out in the AM. but in summer he would not tolerate being in the stable even if the entire yard was in so when winter was coming i dread it until he was hungry enough to want in, it was usually two or three weeks of hell before he got to that point. He would just rush the door and stand swinging his head. When i had him at home for a few weeks, he had an indoor stable with a bar section inbetween so he could see the other horses, and he never went near the door but he spent most of his time grabbing food then rushing to the grate to make sure the other horse had not moved. If it had moved (and i mean literally if it had walked from the back to the front of the stable) he would spin and plonk about.

Moved to the new yard in nov last year and the set up is 6 in a barn, all low walls. higher walls between the horses, but every horse can put their head out over the front and see all the other horses, touch them if they want, and even when they move around the horses opposite is always in full view. He also has a window at the back so he can see right down to the arena and furthest field, thus is able to watch the horses leave, then see where they go to and that they are not "away" and his is the first stable so he can see the full yard. I would be reluctant to ever swap him to a new stable now.

He settled literally instantly, and everyone commented on how settled he was. I told YO he needed first out, and she text to say he was so settled he didn't even want out and was happy to wait til everyone else was out. He is happy to come in, stay in and be on his own too cause he can see the horses in the fields from his stable. This move came after many months wanting to move but panicking about how new yard would react to his behaviour! In the last 5 months, i have not seen any of the behaviours he showed at the last yard or my house.

Now its all fabulous as it is, but summer will be the tell tale. I don't think he will be as settled, he won't be able to see the horses in the paddocks cause they are winter ones, but he will be kept in a routine of coming in and i have it on good authority others come in too (fat club) so he should fingers crossed not be AS bad as he was.

Went on a bit of a ramble there....basic point being...find where your horse likes lol
 
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