Pushy horse in stable

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Jess+Murphy

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How should I handle a horse who is pushy in the stable? Yesterday, I went into his stable, as I've done dozens of times before, but this time he barged me into the door with his chest, pinned me against the wall with the side of his body and turned his back and tried to kick. I tried putting his headcollar and leadrope on to stop him turning and kicking me but all he did was spin around so that didn't work. As I tried to leave the stable, he barged past me and charged off into the field.

He isn't my horse, I part-loan the other horse on the yard, but the tap is inside this horse's stable. Usually there is a hose on the tap so we don't even have to open the stable door to get water, but it wasn't attached yesterday and I can't reach to attach it without going inside. He can be a bit difficult but I've been in his stable with him lots of times before and never encountered this. What should I do next time he behaves like this? I wasn't particularly flustered at the time but my shoulder is killing me today and I'd like to not get squished again!
 
I wouldn't be going in a stable with a horse who was liable to do that to me if I didn't have any responsibility for them personally. Either get him out and tie him up while you go in there (if safe to do so), or request a more permanent solution for getting water from the tap without going inside.
 
I'm going to avoid it for now but it was very unusual - sometimes he gets a little nudgy but nothing that has ever felt remotely dangerous when I've gone in to change his rug or turn him out. Either way, there is usually a short hose attached that passes through the wall so you need never do more than pop your hand over the door to turn the tap on and off. Someone just forgot to reconnect it yesterday. I was trying to lead him out to tie him up when he barged past. But I will definitely avoid going in the stable with him for the time being. His owner is putting up a door chain so we can open the door (to reach the tap) without risking him getting out
 
Some horses can get precious with personal space. I'm sure it's not personal.

GS has suggested a perfectly sensible option. For the horse's sanity and your safety and anyone else who ventures in.
 
Trading stables could be a sensible option if both horse owners are willing - the lady who owns the horse is lovely and is working on his manners - he went from a large busy yard to this tiny one (just the two horses) in the last three months, so we think this has something to do with his change in behaviour - he has been playing up in other ways recently and previously he had impeccable manners.

I do handle him fairly regularly (being a DIY, one of us feeds and turns out in the morning and the other brings in and feeds in the evening to save us each going twice a day), so I'm not sure it's a "stranger" thing, but I guess it could be, I suppose am still relatively new to him.

Thanks for all responses :-D
 
Was he eating? I have a sign on my mare's door to tell people not to enter of she's eating. She'll react like he does if there's food around or it's near feeding time.

The sign goes on to say she must be tied up if you're working around her in the stable.
 
SEL said:
Was he eating? I have a sign on my mare's door to tell people not to enter of she's eating. She'll react like he does if there's food around or it's near feeding time.

The sign goes on to say she must be tied up if you're working around her in the stable.
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That's an interesting thought! He was munching a haynet but he's not batted an eyelid whilst eating before - perhaps he was particularly hungry this time? I will bear that in mind, thanks!
 
Jess+Murphy said:
How should I handle a horse who is pushy in the stable? Yesterday, I went into his stable, as I've done dozens of times before, but this time he barged me into the door with his chest, pinned me against the wall with the side of his body and turned his back and tried to kick. I tried putting his headcollar and leadrope on to stop him turning and kicking me but all he did was spin around so that didn't work. As I tried to leave the stable, he barged past me and charged off into the field.

He isn't my horse, I part-loan the other horse on the yard, but the tap is inside this horse's stable. Usually there is a hose on the tap so we don't even have to open the stable door to get water, but it wasn't attached yesterday and I can't reach to attach it without going inside. He can be a bit difficult but I've been in his stable with him lots of times before and never encountered this. What should I do next time he behaves like this? I wasn't particularly flustered at the time but my shoulder is killing me today and I'd like to not get squished again!
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My donkey did that pinned me and I could not breath or call out. If it is not your horse then I would not be going in there, until the owner taught the horse some manners. Maybe the owner should put a stall guard in to stop the horse getting out or a rubber coated chain. Don't put yourself in danger again, be clear on that to the owner

If it were me I would get y/o to get a plumber in and install another tap outside on the yard and block that one off. I would not like a tap inside my horses stable in case horse got injured or played with it and flooded the stable.
 
OP please be super careful around this horse, especially considering it's a small yard, so you may be there alone?
I would be putting on a headcollar, with leadrope attached, over the door before going into the stable, even once a door chain is added. And they should be backing up away from the door before you go in. They may try and barge out again, having done it once.
Hopefully the horse can be moved to a different stable, and/or ideally tap re-situated, or will settle in.
Deep Heat ointment might help with your shoulder! Bit stinky but great stuff! :D Maybe go get it checked out if you are still in bad pain come Monday?
 
In somewhere outdoors, with him in a headcollar and a confined space, teach him to back up from pressure on his chest. Use pressure and release and when he has got it, use lighter and lighter pressure to get a response. A horse like that is in control and he needs to understand that you are the one in charge. Backing up is something they only do from a someone they respect and it teaches that respect. Not to mention a very useful skill when putting feed down, going through doors etc.
 
JillA said:
In somewhere outdoors, with him in a headcollar and a confined space, teach him to back up from pressure on his chest. Use pressure and release and when he has got it, use lighter and lighter pressure to get a response. A horse like that is in control and he needs to understand that you are the one in charge. Backing up is something they only do from a someone they respect and it teaches that respect. Not to mention a very useful skill when putting feed down, going through doors etc.
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You can’t do stuff like that with someone else’s horse.
 
Goldenstar said:
You can’t do stuff like that with someone else’s horse.
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Why not? If it's a matter of safety that would be far preferable to what a lot of people would do and shout and hit the horse, forcing him into self defence mode. If it bothers you ask the owners consent first
 
Because it’s someone else’s horse and you can’t go practicing training methods on someone else’s horse .
The Yoer simply needs to move the horse pronto and solve the issue .
No horse should ever have to live in a stable so inappropriate for its needs and I also notice the post above about hunger it would also be a very badly managed horse that was allowed to get that hungry .
I sometimes just despair when I hear what horses have to put up with .
 
Sorry if I was unclear, I wasn't after ways I could train the horse, as that's not my place - just if there was a different approach I should have taken at that moment in time. I doubt he was hungry, perhaps that was the wrong word for me to use - he had been brought in from the field perhaps an hour or two earlier, had eaten his tea and had hay on the go - I don't think he was "hungry" so much as just greedy and possibly defensive. Problem is being solved now :-)
 
Jess+Murphy said:
Sorry if I was unclear, I wasn't after ways I could train the horse, as that's not my place - just if there was a different approach I should have taken at that moment in time. I doubt he was hungry, perhaps that was the wrong word for me to use - he had been brought in from the field perhaps an hour or two earlier, had eaten his tea and had hay on the go - I don't think he was "hungry" so much as just greedy and possibly defensive. Problem is being solved now :)
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Good to hear they are looking for a solution. Lots of horses can get defensive over their food and that anxiety can turn to aggression if it isn't understood properly.
 
Goldenstar said:
The horse would benefit from a change of stable .
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This. Horses like this IMO need to be worked with my one person first as I find they need to be really really strict with everything the horse does (and needs this repeated over and over, which other people wont do/shouldnt be expected to do) - I had a very large and strong 3yo Welsh Cob who did this when I first got him. He was a nightmare to handle, he'd try to kick, he'd paw out in front at me, he'd lean all his weight on me against the wall or stable door, and would burst out of the stable door if the latch wasn't done up even if you were in the way. I solved it by being VERY specific about where he was. I'd ask him to move back away from the door when I entered (I used the end of a show cane to push into his chest enough he moved back whilst using voice commands), if he stepped towards me at all even a side step while I was grooming him then I'd move him back to exactly where I wanted him. I literally had to do this to death until eventually he got the idea and was then fine after that as Id finally gained his respect! Obviously this isn't something you can do so I'd get the horse moved or get some sort of permanent solution to the water tap issue (which doesnt sound ideal anyway).
 
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