Over the Top?!

Kungfoo-hamster

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would you electrify a horse's stable door to prevent them climbing out? A grill has not worked....

I'm thinking of attaching some fencing posts to the door and adding electric tape, run to a battery and energiser outside the stable...
 
so what would you suggest to prevent him climbing over the door, potentially getting stuck and damaging himself and the stable? I am genuinely keen to hear any ideas...
 
He's trying to tell me that he is in the middle of a teenage paddy - I have listened, I am not prepared to give in to his tantrums, but I don't want him hurt...what's the difference between electric fence in a stable and in a field?
 
No, I have heard of people doing/planning to do this before-if a horse is unhappy enough in the stable to climb out then you need to work out what and deal with the cause not the symptom. if electric is ever used the horse has to be able to move away from it like it can in a field or you risk your horse panicking and injuring itself physically or permanent mental trauma being caused.
 
He doesn't fancy being in the stable at that point in time - he is not scared, he is not unhappy in the stable, he is not lonely there are others in, he is not hungry he has food and water, he is not bored he has stable toys...he is looking for attention and any form of correction by me is providing the attention he seeks.

He is testing the boundaries and it is a situation which cannot be allowed to continue or escalate
 
He doesn't fancy being in the stable at that point in time - he is not scared, he is not unhappy in the stable, he is not lonely there are others in, he is not hungry he has food and water, he is not bored he has stable toys...he is looking for attention and any form of correction by me is providing the attention he seeks.

He is testing the boundaries and it is a situation which cannot be allowed to continue or escalate

I think you need to stop treating him as if hes a child and let him be a horse....I doubt very much he's doing that to get attention from you, more that he wants out of his box !
 
I doubt very much anyone is going to say that electrifying your horses door is a good idea....could he not stay out instead ?
 
Turn him out 24/7.

Groom him in the stable, but start off asking him to stand for 5 minutes, then build up slowly.

Not worth getting into an argument with him over it.
 
OK, thanks guys...over the top refers to what he is doing!

he needs to be in overnight from October onwards, I am trying to resolve the issue before then
 
Shut the top door? Put up a grille?

I had one who would jump out of stable, I used to leave stable open and let her wonder yard, hay, feed and water were left in stable. She soon started popping her head in to eat/drink, eventually walked all the way in, after a few weeks we could shut the door no issues. Now she is one who will walk from the field into her stable of her own accord. Just an alternative idea.
 
does he jump electric fences?

If not then at a push I think you could leave stable door open and put three strands across as if it were a normal field fence, this would mean he could look out still
 
Some horses just don't settle in stables, could you not move him to somewhere he can stay out 24/7?
Electric fencing by his door could cause him to panic and get hurt. Outside they can run away from it, without hitting a wall.
Why didn't the grid work?
Maybe he has had a bad experience in the past, in that case it will take time and a lot of patience for him to accept a stable.
Maybe a calmer supplement might help.
 
If there was a like button, I'd like this post.

I really think you need to try to address the rout cause of the problem instead of 'I need a short term fix'.

Whilst common place for us, a stable will go against most of the natural instincts.

Have you tried working with a good trainer to incrementally help overcome some of the issues? How's he with clausterphobic things overhead or around him?

Have you thought about trying a stable mirror? Working with a calmer - or even rescue remedy or essential oils? I've had pretty good results with oils in the past, to help with problems.
 
does he jump electric fences?

If not then at a push I think you could leave stable door open and put three strands across as if it were a normal field fence, this would mean he could look out still

Depending on your yard set up you could also create a pen outside his stable using elec fencing?
 
He's trying to tell me that he is in the middle of a teenage paddy - I have listened, I am not prepared to give in to his tantrums, but I don't want him hurt...what's the difference between electric fence in a stable and in a field?


He is not having a tantrum, the horse is stressed for a reason.
We have a Shetland that hated stables, he did climb over the door once. It takes patience to change things. There is always a reason why they do things. In our ponys case he wasn't tall enough to see over the door and he was upset that he couldn't see his friends. The answer was a sturdy wooden box he could stand on.
 
OP, know how you feel, you can't do right for doing wrong on here at times.

My horse freaked when put in stable but he was left to it. The door was raised so he didn't have the opportunity to jump over it but he could still get his head over it. He stayed in the stable until he settled.

The amount of grief I got for that was significant. I now have a horse that can go in any stable with highly slim chance he will do anything than look over the door.

Do what you feel is right.

Quite a few on here are sheep that conform to what others think but sometimes you have to think outside the box (particularly as they have never even seen your horse!). Just go ahead and do what you feel will work.

Sometimes there is no easy route, you know the horse best and if he gets a shock from barging the door, so be it. You will have to deal with the positives and/or negatives.

Best of luck. :)
 
OP, know how you feel, you can't do right for doing wrong on here at times.

My horse freaked when put in stable but he was left to it. The door was raised so he didn't have the opportunity to jump over it but he could still get his head over it. He stayed in the stable until he settled.

The amount of grief I got for that was significant. I now have a horse that can go in any stable with highly slim chance he will do anything than look over the door.

Do what you feel is right.

Quite a few on here are sheep that conform to what others think but sometimes you have to think outside the box (particularly as they have never even seen your horse!). Just go ahead and do what you feel will work.

Sometimes there is no easy route, you know the horse best and if he gets a shock from barging the door, so be it. You will have to deal with the positives and/or negatives.

Best of luck. :)


OP asked for ideas and that's what they got, if you don't want to know don't ask.
 
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