Rox the Stable door hurdler.... advice please!!!

[Rudey]

We have an american barn style yard, very spacious and horse friendly with 8 stables, 4 on each side facing each other.

The bottom half is approximately 4 foot high breeze blocks, the top is metal bars so the horses can touch and see each other.

But clearly this is not enough for my youngster! Who abundantly doesn't let a mere 4 foot solid door get in his way!

The first time he popped over the door he was 10 months old and it puzzled me somewhat

He had a full corner of hay, the yard was full of liveries and other horses, he wasn't upset or distressed. Just cleared the door and made his way to the big round bale of hay in the yard!!

Calm as anything! Not phased one bit! Clearly he had bigger sights then his poxy full hay corner lol

Grass is greener springs to mind!!

I then did LOADS of handling work with him in the stable, gradually getting to the stage he could be left loose in the stable with no other horses or people about for short periods of time initially, and building it up longer and longer. Even I use to take my other horse away to turnout, leaving Rox on his own until I returned to get him!

I thought (yes THOUGHT) I had cracked it!!

but it appeared not!!!

A few months later he did it again! This time I had left him whilst I finished off riding Sammi. I put him in with a full hay corner, his feed, lick and a salt lick in. He even had Sammi's rugs to knock off the rails to keep him occupied! I was half way over the jump when I saw this beautiful coloured galloping past the paddock to the fields! It was my bloody horse!!

I went back to the yard to grab my head collar, and the door was still double bolted (and intact lol), the monkey had cleared it again!!

I thought I would invest in a grid for the time beings sake, but prevention is okay, but what I really want is a cure to solve my problem!! suggestions?? Have you had this problem with youngsters???

Here's some pictures of the little demon, showing our yard set up in the background! Please help!

 

[Enfys]

Hi,

Nice little barn, I like the arched doorframe.

My advice would be, as you say, to get yourself a door grill pronto before he does himself an injury, better safe than sorry and all that. Too nice a little horse to hurt himself unnecessarily.

As to how to deter him, I supervising have no idea. I am afraid if he were mine he'd be behind bars unless I was there. Perhaps (hopefully) he will simply grow out of it.

 

[JanetGeorge]

They usually grow out of these sorts of behaviours (with luck!) I have one who HAS to have a grill - because he doesn't JUMP his stable door - he walks through it - breaking bolts on the way - just because he can! (He's 4, 17hh, built like the proverbial brick outhouse. His father does the same - they just don't notice the door!

Get grill fast - one day he'll hurt himself! But looks like you have a jumper! Most horses I've known who've tried to jump stable door ended up suspended over it - and that's NO fun to sort out!

 

[Rudey]

[ QUOTE ]
Hi,

Nice little barn, I like the arched doorframe.

My advice would be, as you say, to get yourself a door grill pronto before he does himself an injury, better safe than sorry and all that. Too nice a little horse to hurt himself unnecessarily.

As to how to deter him, I supervising have no idea. I am afraid if he were mine he'd be behind bars unless I was there. Perhaps (hopefully) he will simply grow out of it.

[/ QUOTE ]

Thanks, it's a really nice yard, the farmer looks after it well! Apart from the obvious of not wanting Rox to get hurt, I don't want him trashing the yard either!!

 

[Rudey]

[ QUOTE ]


Get grill fast - one day he'll hurt himself! But looks like you have a jumper! Most horses I've known who've tried to jump stable door ended up suspended over it - and that's NO fun to sort out!

[/ QUOTE ]

For now I only have the one stable which is for my 16 year old, but I obviously use it for Rox when I handle him. I thought safer to leave him in there for five minutes then leave him unattended tied up!! huh that showed me lol!

BUT.... I have got his name down for a stable, and eventually he has to learn. I hope he does grow out of it.

Perhaps for a year with a grid on, he may learn that his stable is his own personal bedroom with food on tap, and when he's settled, take the grid down while I'm there at first.... and see if he can be trusted!

Problem is, I don't like the risk!

 

[the watcher]

One of mine will barge out if she can see too much of the outside world and thinks nothing of climbing over doors, booting down top grilles etc - her problem is that she can see too much and has no privacy in a stable like this. Put somewhere quieter with full walls she is completely settled. Try hanging rugs over the front and side grilles to make the stable a quieter more private place, but I do think some kind of top door might be required - they don't all grow out of it!

 

[Llwyncwn]

Had to laugh at the innocent expression on his face. You have a very sexy boy there

 

[SonnysHumanSlave]

when i had jack, coloured in my signature, he used to do that for absolutly no reason, had to put a grill on to stop him, weird thing is though he'd always jump into the yard (indoor stabling) but he had a door at the back of his stable out into a field, wouldnt it make more sense to go that way??

 

[TicTac]

Beautiful cheeky looking horse! As allready mentioned, get a grill to stop him doing himself an injury or leave him out! Good luck

 

[siani1989]

my 2 yr old does this aswelland i bought a grill and all the bugger did was get her legs all threw the grill and hurt herself more than she did jumping the 5ft stable door - so i have now given up and now lives out

 

[Shipley]

I had a similar problem and was told to put stallion bars up (woor across the top door as if they do get up / stuck in it wood breaks metal does not

 

[beckiebeckyboo]

he looks very cheeky!!! lol, a grill, if he now knows he can get out un hurt he ll keep doing it. !'d put anti weave grill up and just leave it, at least hes safe. and hes far too handsome to get hurt!

 

[Spudlet]

No advice to add here, but just wanted to say what a lovely looking little horse you have there - if a tad cheeky

 

[M_G]

Could the farmer put a top door on for you, so you could leave it open when your older horse is in and close it for the little jumping bean?

 

[SO1]

I would not get a grill with a V but a full on prison one instead. My 14h pony is a stable jumper and he managed to jump over a stable door through the V - straight after I put the grill up. His mission is to eat the other horses breakfasts and then head to the hay barn - this is even when he had food in his stable. My pony was easily jumping through the V from virtual standstill and it was at least 4.9ft.

I then put up a full grid and after 1.5 hours of him rearing up and banging with grid YO said he better go back out as it was dangerous and disturbing the other horses.

I tried everything including professional help and sedation nothing worked until I moved yards as it was difficult to keep him out 24/7 all year at the old yard due to their worming policy.

He still lives out 24/7 but he has never tried to jump out of his stable when he comes in for an hour or so before he would jump out after about 5 minutes - it never occured to me that perhaps he just did not like the stable at his old yard - his current stable is much bigger and lighter. He is fine in there even without food. I have never left him overnight though.

Sometimes he even sleeps!

 

[R2R]

We nailed a plank of wood to the door, sticking up. They can look out, stick head throgh each side, but cant jimp over.

 

[SO1]

If there is enough space for their head then there is enough space for them to potentially get a leg stuck trying to climb out - with the really determined one they might still try and due something stupid.

 

[XxHorses4LifeXx]

hes a cheeky lad isnt he lol, i dont really know what advice to give hun. i just wanted to say that hes bloody gorgeous and i hope you sort it out hunni xxxxx

 

[Rudey]

Funny you should say that mother_hen.... I've broken my ankle and my horses had the farrier so my friend sorted them out for me and put him in her stable on the other yard. That yard is more private stables, really quiet, in a box crew yard shape, and the stables are full brick stables, and where the head goes over the door, is only a few foot gap to the top of the wall/roof.

On the inside of the door is the wooden frame in a 'z' shape holding the door together. The little monster has his front feet on the bottom part of the frame! My mate was worried he was going to attempt going over again, so she shoooed him off, and as he went back cracked his head on the wall!!

I'm hoping that will deter him!

Well ever the optimist, at least he has scope.... from stand still lol! I bought him to be an all rounder! But this takes the biscuit lol!

My mate suggest an anti weave grid with the middle removable centre section. Hopefully as he learns it's his bedroom with an endless supply of food, EVENTUALLY take the centre section out whilst I'm there.... and progress that way?? I hope it works and he grows out of it!! Something I'm worried about risking mind! I mean, what on earth do you do if they get stuck and panic??

He is a real sweety, thanks for everyone's comments, but he is PURE MUSTARD lol

 

[Rudey]

SO1.... aaaaawwwww he is lovely, look at him snooze! Clearly it's a hard life being that cute!

What's your devil.... I mean.... horses name?? xx