Poor horse, whatto do!

dominobrown

dominobrown

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Brought little b in from the field and it was raining so put him in the stable to dry off. He hates being in but closedtop door, had loads of bedding and he has a compleatly rubber stable! After 10 mins of kicking etc everthing went quiet (i was pottering around the yard) and i checked on him. He was standing quietly in the stable. Looked down, is back leg was red.
Quickly took him out of the stable, hosed the leg and held an animalintex to the wound, blood stopped gushing out and was a tiny cut. blood started to gush out of it again. He was being a right twurp at this point so I bandaged the leg tightly, and its seemed to stop bleeding. Turned him out as he was threating to throw himself about. Led him quietly upto the field, let him off and he galloped about and did some extended trot so deffo is sound.
Its sunny now, so he can stay out, but its going to rain, and I think he would be better of in where it can't get dirty.
Checked the stable and there is nothing there he could of hurt him self on unless he has kicked himself.
I think he will be fine in everyone else comes in.
1) What to do?
2) How do I teach him to stay in (he stays in at other peoples yard and in winter no bother).
 
Did he have something to eat? I find that you can teach most horses to stay in quietly if they have something to eat and you do it gradually with company at first.
 
He won't eat when he goes into 'stressy' mode, he did have a haynet. Don't won't cut to get infected and itsnot always practical for him to be out, like for instance before a show and its raining.
 
Do you bring him in with a friend? I find that if you do this and make sure that hay is waiting for them, they don't get too stressed. When I am sure that they will settle like that, the next step is to bring the stresshead in first then bring the friend to join it. This way the stressy one will have only been on its own a short time. Keep doing that, when the stressy one understands that the companion will be coming, yo can make the periods until the friend gets there longer.

You do need to be patient and take small steps.
 
I think I may do that Pearlsasinger, if I take him to work though he will stay in there by himself. He's a weirdo!
Just fed ad checked him. Still got an appetite and is sound. No heat and swelling or blood.Few!
I was told just to shut him and leave but I don't thats a good idea as he is hell bent on killing himself!
 
Why did you close the top door?
I assume you didn't leave him out bandaged?
shut in and leave might work in a stable with a full grill but sounds like you essentially left him in a dark enclosed space-no wonder he hurt himself!
 
Get a full grill. closing the top door will only make him much much worse.
Hope your ground is dry and grass short or you'll end up with a messy infected wound from a wet bandage..
 
Yeh it is, but I am not putting him back in for a bit otherwise he will get in such a state again. Also the bandage won't be on long, I will take off first thing in the morning and clean it out.
Homemade stables meaning putting a grill is quite an operation.
Trying to work how he cut himself in the first place, Its above his hock on the inside. Nothing obvious in stable which has rubber floor and walls (paddedd cell!).
 
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Alernative to closing his top door, stand in front of it with a big whip and beat him everytime he goes to come over, that`ll learn him!!:D
 
If you can't provide adequate facilities (if he is settled elsewhere suggests yours are smaller/darker/more claustrophobic) for this horse (and aren't willing to try by the sounds of it-grills are v. easy to put on , and weaving grills similar) then you need to put him on livery or build him a better stable. Or put up a sheltered area you can bring him into that isn't enclosed. Or work on small periods, but it's v. hard to desensitise a worried horse to a stable safely, as they can as I'm sure you know, throw themselves around and barge over you, so be careful.
 
Build another stable? I am trying! The builder have just left me a bill for £2,500 for a new roof and some concreating. Also you have no idea what my yard is like, or how dark they are, and they are hunter size boxes. He does throw himself about, hence padded cell! I am trying (I have laid concreate, built fences etc ALL by myself which is incredibly hard work). I am going to start bringing him and his friend in for short periods bring him in first then fried out first. The fact he is fine else where makes me think he isn't scared and once he knows he has to stay in he is fone, like in winter.
Please don't be so quick to criticise or jump to conclusions :)
 
There are in a barn, the barn he goes in he can't see anything ad is often by himself. Also when he has gone to other stables which have been smaller etc and he has been fine. The only thing I can think of is my stables are rubber lined with wooden kickboards behind that and then tin sheets (which are hopefully coming off soon) while at work they have solid stone walls. He kicked them once the first time he went in there, and as you can imaine it hurt! He doesn't do it now and just eats. I think its in his head and so far I have always just gone for 'easy life' approach and just turn him back out when he being a prat (so he doesn't hurt himself) like today, so maybe he thinks he can get away with a big stress thing and he gets what he wants. The problem is though when he goes a 'stress' he loses it and will destroy the place and hurt himself.
Horses? Who would have them, eh?
p.s my n key isn't working very well.
 
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