Seperation anxiety/ stable problem.

[Sarah Sum1]

Ok, so my new horse is great in all ways, except that he will not except being stabled. If i put him in the stable, he will start to pace around, which soon becomes frantic, followed by door barging and kicking, pawing the floor like crazy and at worst trying to climb over the stable door.
At first i thought it was due to being stressed by the move and not having company in the stable block (neighbouring horse was away) but since this horse has returned he is still completely against being stabled. I have him out at night but soon this won't be possible. I have ordered an infill for the door so he won'r be able to get his legs over, but my question is- could this be a short term thing? or a deep seated permanant issue? I know there is no answer, but i am unsure as to his future with me because i cannot have a horse that i can't stable. It also quite literally scares me when he is like this, as i worry he will injure himself. If i put the infill up and leave him to stress it out, will he eventually accept that he is in his stable, he is ok and will go out in the morning, or will he continue to be like this. My other fears are if i ever have to put him on box rest, or keep him in for any reason.
I have had help handling him when he is in this state as he bites and barges, he is acting out of pure fear and in general is a really good natured horse who is respectful and good mannered. I am concerend if this is a deep seated problem that may be too much for me to handle.
thanks for reading if you got this far.

 

[Luci07]

have you talked to his previous owners to see if there is any history of this?

 

[Sarah Sum1]

I don't know his previous history as he came over from ireland 3 weeks ago, and i purchased him from a dealer. I think he may be used to living out 24/7

 

[Nickijem]

My horse was a bit like that the first few days I had him. Even though his friend was in the next stable he would get very anxious. He did gradually get better when he realised his haynet was in the stable and that his friend wasn't going anywhere. It took a few days of just bringing the horses in for a short time every day to get him to be happy in the stable on his own.
Good luck with your horsey - it might just take time but I have got horses over their seperation anxiety before by working with them a little every day.

 

[sevoflurane]

it may be a stress thing that will change when he becomes more settled. Is the stable inside a barn, does he have asomething to look at, is he too far from others that may be in?

My TB ex racer was very stressy when I first had him, and he frightened me in the mornings....i would battle to get a headcollar on and a rug was a nitemare....he would be quite brisk going out to the field but after 5 mins was a darling.

I moved yards after just 4 months because he was so unhappy and he is now in a lovely outdoor wooden stable and stays in no problem. However recently he has become very stressed as he's been on box rest (long story-crappy feet) and now does the same as your boy....pushing, barging trying to bite me....doesn't do this with the others, and then drags me to the field and rips off like a lunatic and he's on a calmer!!!

all i'm trying to say is, its probably a whole host of stress related things with a new mum, home, life and he doesn't really know what to do....i'm sure he will settle down and relax, just give him time and as much time in the field as you can

good luck

 

[Echo Bravo]

Is is stable inclosed on all sides so he cann't see the other horse as my old skewbald cob was the same, he was claustrophobic, took time, when we bought our own place I had grills put in when we rebuilt the stables so he could A) see the other horses
B) me where every I went as I also had 3 Windows put in so he could stick his head out, plus the stable is 14x12.
It used to be an old nissan or scout hut and completly rubbish inside, so Hubby made 6 lovely stables.

 

[Sarah Sum1]

Hi, the stable set up is a barn with 4 stables, 2 on each side. He has a horse next to him and there are bars all along the seperating wall so he can see the other horse. He just doesn't seem to care that there is another horse next door. His main priority seems to be escaping the stable.

Thanks everyone

 

[Sarah Sum1]

Thanks, i think i'm worried it is a permanant thing and he will never settle. It's hard having to a) watch him go through this immense stress and b) having to stress out myself with all the worry. I feel for him as he is so placid in all other areas, so it must really bother him. Perhaps a calmer may help him, although i'd have to administer in the field as he won't eat in his stable.

 

[Sarah Sum1]

Thank you

 

[air78]

He might settle in time, but if he's as bad you think, then i'd be looking at moving yards to somewhere he can live out for now.

I'd want a stable to keep bring him in for half an hour etc before you ride, so he can get used to the idea, but if he's that stressed it's not doing him any favours been in.

You've just said it makes you stressed seeing him stressed....... that's no good- it's ment to be fun

 

[SO1]

My pony does not stable - he jumps out - but in the winter when there is no grass from Dec-Feb he was ok, then come March he started jumping out again. If depends if the horse is frighted or just wants to be out - if he just wants to be out once out becomes less appealing he may be better. My pony was not frighted he just wanted out - even sedating him did not work. He jumped through a weaving grid and with the full grid up would rear and bang his hooves against the door in anger - in the end this would disturb the other horses so he would get let out again.

In the end I moved yards as even though he was out most of the time there were times when the yard wanted him in and he would not oblige and it just was not working and was causing me quite a lot of stress - he is now on grass livery but does have a stable but has never tried to jump out of this stable in the 15 months he has been at this yard. Prior to moving he would jump out almost as soon I put him in - even if he had plenty of hay.

The main difference is that his stable at this yard is much bigger and brighter and the yard is quieter and calmer. He has nice rubber matting and I think his stable is more comfy for him. I won't risk having him in over night but he is seems perfectly happy to come in for a few hours - without or without hay, he will even lie down and sleep. This is a remarkable transformation which I never believed would happen and I even feel should he need to go on box rest he would cope.

Most horses and ponies do eventually accept stabling - some will but are fussy about the circumstances and others just won't. It is hard to say how extreme your horse is. You could try a calmer. Is your horse young?

 

[Sarah Sum1]

He is seven, i am just thinking if i put the grid in and leave him, surely he would learn to accept it and would 'give up' but if you say your pony jumps out and rears up etc if grid up then perhaps i am doubting his maybe potential persistence

 

[thumperbos]

Our advanced eventer has always needed a stable companion, and for a few years when we had him, then was a metal grill between their stable walls so he could see his friend at all times.
This was fine until we recently got him back whilst we found him another rider, and he had no companion as his wee friend has sadly died of old age, plus our young horse is used to going out at nights. So he threw a complete wobbly, until we eventually brought the mare back in, so she them was grumpy and he calmed down!! Nightmare :s

So we turned her out in the day to stretch her legs, at which point he started up again, but this time, we left the door open leaving him with a great big bar across his stable, and for some reason, having the door open seemed to alleviate the situation.

He will only be home for about a week, which is sad cos he's lovely (Reg features heavily in my signature, beautiful boy!), but nice that he will soon find himself in a yard full of buddies to keep him company. So he won't be stressed for too long

So it definitely helped him when he felt less enclosed, and could see more of the rest of our yard, and could lean over his bar to view my mum teaching in the arena which soothed him.