what would you recommend for a horse that weaves?

[amy_b]

Mine came with a slight weave/box walk. he would look one way, look the other, do a lap. look one way, look the other, do a lap.

As others have said look for the triggers, I watched mine and realised he wants to see out so would look out then do a lap of his box to get a mouthful of hay, just strange that he only went in one direction for his hay!

Since then I have had him on prebiotic which helps him MASSIVELY, a mollasses lick but the most useful tool is a treat ball, he has his chaff in his manger and nuts in the ball (it doesnt take that long honest...)
He is worse on busier yards and if I do need to feed him before the other livery I leave his treat ball outside with a few nuts in for her to throw over the door when she feeds hers.

As others have said, its mostly about working out why they do it and establishing a strict routine for them.

(I am also one of those I'll never own one of those types! that got lured in!!! )

ETA - also, I tie him up when he's doing it for doing its sake like when he's tacked up and waiting to set off, that has helped. I think to a point they ahve to learn not to do it/deal with it other ways and to a point you have to accept the tendancy will always be there and isnt 100% cureable IMO

 

[Kallibear]

Lol, I wont buy one of my own that does it, however Giant Fuzzy does it - like a trouper!
He's been out 24/7 at mine since he arrived in mid Feb (tho has a box if weather is really grim but suffers OAP stiffness if in anyway, despite weaving ).
He fence runs at any movement of horses in neighbouring fields even half a miles away, he weaves at the gate if anything else goes out (has company over the fence).

That's probably the answer then!? Get him some friends! I'd stress and weave at the fence too if I was really lonely

It amazes me that we don't actually seem MORE stereotypes for horses when they're often kept inside for long periods and, much more importantly for them, have no friends! For most the worst part of being stabled will not be the lack of space but the lack of friends. The most contented stabled horses I ever saw was a trekking centre where each (large) stable had a pair bond stabled together

It starts as a stress reaction and probably because they are unable to run (the normal way for a horse to deal with stress) but it does become habit.

OP: keep him out as much as possible (which friends!!) and if he has to be in, try and provide him with a friend: a cut away wall would be ideal but a stable mirror will help fool him a little.

 

[Herpesas]

My horse started weaving cos the insenstitive b*tch who kept her horse next door fed her horse on the other side of my horses's stable door each morning without feeding my horse. Poor thing got very anxious about food (I suspect he was also deprived previously) and started weaving when he anticipated feed time. I must add the woman refused to feed her horse elsewhere and wouldn't feed my horse either - YO wasn't interested so we ended up moving yards to get away from her.

Now my horse weaves when he anticipates something happening i.e. going out, coming in, feed time, exciting work - he will weave in his stable, at the field gate, even when I'm sat on him!

24/7 turnout would be his idea of hell - he likes his creature comforts - so don't assume a weaving horse will be happy living out. In fact, my horse weaves MOST when he's turned out in winter and wants to come in (he's worn a trench in the gateway before now).

My horse lives in a stable with a back window and grills between his and the adjoining stables, so he can always see other horses. He does not have a weaving grill fitted now but has in the past (mostly cos YOs insisted). He will still weave although it's now usually a gentle sway rather than the disco inferno bopping he used to do.

If he is turned out with other horses, he isn't relaxed, he likes his own space and settles much better on individual turnout in adjoining paddocks to others (so he can still speak to and touch the other horses). I think this is down to his food issues - he likes to know this grass/food/hay is his.

The key with my weaver is as little routine as possible so that he doesn't anticipate something happening at a set time. He gets fed, turned out, brought in and ridden at different times of day. The other horses get brought in and turned out without him (although he now NEVER gets left on his own and I had a job finding a DIY yard that would do this).

I try to do as much as possible to reduce what makes him stressy - if he's stressed he doesn't know what to do with the excess energy and ends up weaving. That's the key - find out what stresses him and do as much as possible to reduce that stress.

My boy still weaves but it's usually only a short time before he'll settle.

ETA: Also look at his diet - look at the starch and sugar levels you're feeding and use a balancer with an ingredient that helps digestion. Don't assume that the 'low starch', 'low sugar' feeds are as they say - they're usually compared to a similar traditional feed starch/sugar level.

I feed as much hay as possible and avoid haylage and sugar based 'boredom buster' licks etc.

 

[HilaryG]

I went to a very well known showing yard with my parents many years ago.

There was a stable with two bricks hanging down on ropes over the bottom door, suspended at head height
.
When I asked what they were for I was told they were to stop the pony weaving.

Years later I had an horse that had just started to weave and so I hung two bricks as I had seen.

It worked and the horse never injured itself and stopped weaving.

 

[Dukey]

I don't know why some people are so against weaving..? My boy does it very occiasionally now. Like someone else said we found the cause of his weaving and work around that. He's not one for being out in the field and does like to come in for a snooze! So he's out 4 6 hours, has a stable mirror and ball (which he bashes to death) and a lick. He weaves because he's excited or stressed. Mainly when he wants to go out/be fed or if we're going for a party he'll weave tied up and won't bloody stand still. IMO its like us biting our nails or fiddling with our hair so I'm not sure why its for frowned upon.
A lady on my yard said to me watch my horse at his worse is like watching a mad person rocking backwards and forwards! And then inisted he was moved away from her 'investment'. The 'investment' was a pony with a poor action behind, which cost her £4k and now has Sweet Itch. My boy cost £2k passed a 5 stage vetting and now jumps BN courses and is ready for his first BE in August. I think I got a better deal, thanks to the weaving....

 

[jools123]

we have a hose at work that hates having a horse she can see in the stable next to her, she kicks the walls, just food for thought they dont all like to see a horse through the walls she does however like company just not next door, she is the same in the field if you turn her out on her own she is fine if she has company she spends all day guarding the gate-so some of them feel happier with a bit of space.

also if you use a weave bar makes sure it is fixed my friends horse got hers off the other week (no-one knows how) had to have over 30 stitches in her face (on a sunday) and xray as they thought she had fractured her skull

 

[amage]

We have a serious weaver. Bless him we got him with loads of problems, he never weaved when we first had him but his owners sent him to a different trainer for a season and he came back a mess. He now weaves religiously and will not stop but he is not stressed. In the field he weaves and takes bites of grass in the mid point as he passes from side to side, he does the same thing at his hay rack and feed bowl, he weaves on the horse box, while being groomed, saddled basically constantly. We have tried everything to find the root of it but can't it started from something in the other yard and even though he's happy and healthy now he won't stop

 

[jools123]

We have a serious weaver. Bless him we got him with loads of problems, he never weaved when we first had him but his owners sent him to a different trainer for a season and he came back a mess. He now weaves religiously and will not stop but he is not stressed. In the field he weaves and takes bites of grass in the mid point as he passes from side to side, he does the same thing at his hay rack and feed bowl, he weaves on the horse box, while being groomed, saddled basically constantly. We have tried everything to find the root of it but can't it started from something in the other yard and even though he's happy and healthy now he won't stop

weaving always starts as a result of stress but some continue to do it because it releases endorphins (a natural high that the body releases during excersise)