stable mirrors - do they work?

[TJ&Ozzie]

My old pony gets himself in such a state when I ride my other horse out or take him out for the day. I was wondering if the stable mirrors actually worked?

Pony in question is 23, are they really that simple to think that their reflection is a different horse? He see's me take my other horse out and then surely he would realise that he is on his own as the "reflection horse" never comes out into the field etc?

Really interested in opinions and experiences with these as he really hates being left and I want to make things easier for him without having to buy a 3rd horse! (Think my husband would divorce me if I did that!)

 

[be positive]

Yes they do, I know 2 people that have used them with great success the horses both relaxed and love standing by them, you do need to get the positioning right and may have to move it until you find the correct place in the stable that suits your horse.

 

[Paint Me Proud]

they work for some but we had one on our yard who went mental at the mirror, full on attacking it. Th owners had to remove the mirror after the first day.

 

[cblover]

Absolutely the best thing I got my youngster for his stable. He loves it! I also have one in my trailer too and he travels like a dream!

 

[TJ&Ozzie]

A friend has one, so I maywell borrow it and see what happens. It's interesting that it works differently for different horses

 

[CazD]

It didnt work for my stressy mare, she never even noticed it. we got a companion instead!!

 

[chestnutmarelover]

I bought one years back & it worked for the horse it was intended for but the two I have now pay absolutely no attention to it! Also had one in trailer once for horse that wasn't keen on travelling alone - it worked

 

[Arniebear]

worked wanders for my boy who was stuck on box rest and was a chrinic box walker didnt stop him box walking all together but did clam him down a lot

 

[piebaldsparkle]

My mare always dozes with hers. Bless she is rather 'simple'!

 

[measles]

I know that Sarah_Jane thought a lot of hers when her mare was on prolonged box rest.

 

[Tapir]

I have two ponies kept at home, one is ridden and the other is her companion. The companion used to box walk when I took my other mare out for a ride, she wasn't really distressed but not happy. When I got back from my rides her stable was full of many piles of droppings that she'd walked round and round through.

I got her a stable mirror a few weeks ago and when I get back from my rides now there's usually no droppings at all and she is much more chilled out. I am very pleased I decided to try one.

 

[Sprocket123]

Some it works for others it doesnt. I had a gelding who got stressed travelling so i put one in the trailer he loved it! Also put one up in his stable. He went from a stressed horse to a lovely realxed chap def worth a try

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

we have them in 99.9 of the stables, all the horses like them

 

[Devonshire dumpling]

I bought one for Freds when he was hating his stable, it totally screwed him up and he was boxing his new "friend", this resulting in him rearing in his stable, then we had weeks of stress trying to get him back off the walls, weeks after the mirror went x

 

[Birker2020]

My stable mirror cost £25 in a sale at an equine event. It lasted 24 hours before my horse decided it looked better with grooves from his teeth down the length of it. Within 48 hours it was completely ruined and we had to take it down. It wasn't that he 'attacked it' being aggresive. He was just bored and had nothing better to do.

Yob!

If anything hangs from his door, or he can pull through the bars from his manger he will destroy in minutes. Sometimes he will walk his stable bucket on wheels around his stable with his teeth even though it has three house bricks in it to weigh it down. He just likes being boisterous.