We have cured the door kicker

Bosworth

Bosworth

Well-Known Member
Joined
10 February 2006
Messages
5,268
Location
devon
www.ballhillequestrian.co.uk
2 months ago we had a new livery arrive - a sweet 14'2 gelding. He is ex riding school and unfortunately came with a bit of an attitude problem. He kicked the door continuously. And really hard. It wasn't just at feed time - it was all the time he was in. I hate door kickers, for a) the damage they do to the stable, b) the damage they do to themselves and c) the irritation. I had a chat with the owner and suggested we tried to stop this behaviour. She was more than happy. So I got my OH's large water pistol. every time he kicked I shot him with water from a distance. He was shocked, tried again, was shot, tried again - was shot. After 2 evenings of this he is cured. Does not kick the door now, and we have been kick free for 3 weeks now. It is brilliant, he doesn't even do it at feed time.

So I can who heartedly recommend it as a solution. it shocks but doesn't hurt. it is instant and therefore related. And to cure a door kicker of his standard is a miracle. And no I have no idea why my OH should have a water pistol the size of a small cannon.
laugh.gif
 
And it sounds like fun!!!!
tongue.gif


There are a few door kickers on our yard I would like to zap from a sniper position. Constant banging from 7.15am till their owners arrive does my head in!!!!
 
that is a great way of curing door kicking...

used it myself several times...and never knowwn one yet to be bothered about having a hose near it either...
 
an auto method is Quitkick which is a box that screws to the front of the door and has a motion sensor we have two on a yard of 30 boxes and stops any kickers in about 2 days
 
We have a couple on our yard. I keep meaning to buy a water pistol but thought we'd be squirting them for weeks - good to know it can have a quick effect!

I had some training for my BHS stages at a fairly well known riding school a few years ago - they used to chuck whole buckets of water at the door kickers! Effective but... that seemed rather extreme!
crazy.gif
 
Unfortunately my old pony was squirted with water because she was bolshy in the stable (she had never been stabled before) and when I got her I couldnt go near her with even a fly spray or conditioner for her mane and tail!
I just about managed with a bucket and sponge
crazy.gif
 
perhaps she's associating the squirting with the people, i.ie., standing there squirting it in her face after the bad behaviour, rather than associating it with the kicking, more of a sniper shot, while in the action of naughtiness.
 
he he, what fun, never thought of it for door kickers but makes sense.

Mary kings mum used to do the axe vale pony club in devon (don't know if she still does). But my old boy was a bugger to load and she walked up with a bucket of water and flicked some on his rump, he ran straight up the ramp!! She just turned and said 'it works every time!'
 

I second the Quitkick and because it squirts water automatically, they don't associate it with people. My mare was a terrible doorkicker and has stopped completely (she just scrapes the floor instead
smirk.gif
)
 
My Tesco bargain Supersoaker has done sterling work over the years. Very handy for all sorts of aversion therapy!

HOWEVER....if you are going to use this method you need to hide so the horse doesnt associate you with the water. It must come as a complete surprise so cannot be used by someone just standing about waiting. I hide behind the tackroom door and squirt through the gap down the side!
 
We have a pony that is a serial door kicker and nothing bar standing around the corner with a big stick stops him.

We have tried everything, including hobbles and squirting with water.
It's purely for attention- he can have a manger full of hay and still do it
 
smile.gif
Coincidence that. AVHPC told me that too.
smile.gif

Not Mrs Thompson though, she wasn't there when I was.

I don't have a water pistol (cannon!), a spray bottle works for weanlings trying to climb doors for me. (Also fighting cats, dogs, children
wink.gif
)
 
I went METAL at my YO for spraying my horse, but this was due to lack of concultation.
We had just moved into a new yard and whenever we do this even going to PC camp for the first day my horse will kick the door, if you go over he stops cos he see's all attention as love...even yelling, waving, the trick is to completely ignore him (eardefence, iPod) it him stops after about twenty minutes and he gives in. (unfortunatley convincing a whole yard to rise above it for even half an hour is hard).
Anyway before the hunting ban came in some protesters using the citrus spray to cover up the foxes sent were asked to stand aside (on private land) while the hunt came past, they were spraying the sides of our horses with citrus spray however my 15hh cob with his (perminant outline in trot...yay!) amoungst 17hh hunters got sprayed straight in the eyes by lemon juice (much panic and I fell off but another story) so that was the end of spray bottles, we then spent the next five ish years teaching him that spray was not scarey (even wound spray was an issue) and still only I could spray him.
The point is as soon as she saw me she announced that she had cured my horse of his vice I cringed, my horse was standing on his bank at the back of the stable refusing to come forward even to his haynet next to the door. And we are back to square one with whole spray thing. And now she can't go near him! So thats no to part livery then!!
However having said this it worked on some horses I know with no adverse affects. so its probably my boy is a sensitive boy!
Just wish she had asked about this 'vice' first.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top