Youngster stressing in the stable - poss weaving/rearing etc

T

tinker88

Well-Known Member
Joined
26 January 2007
Messages
422
Location
South Yorkshire
Visit site
We have 10 days ago moved yards (my 3 horses) and Jack my rising 3yr old has recenlty started being very very pushy in the stable (and really annoying like when he moves his head head buts me!) and without being heavy handed hw do you suggest some manners? He will tie up and be groomed, tacked up, lunges, walks fantastic, i can do ANYTHING to him, but he dosnt quite care if he bumps into me? or head buts me?

and yesterday/today he has been rearing at the stable door (im putting this down to settling in and when my current horses arnt near him, but other horses are) he stresses when my other two arnt in there stable at the side of him, and today a small bucking session around his stable and not "weaving" but rushing from side to side (esp at feed time)

otherwise hes great.

I tried tieing him up when hes stressy, but that makes him worse ?

He needs more toys in his stable but i just felt helpless today i dont want him to get a grumpy/weaving horse.

How can i help prevent this? They have been in for 2 days now due to heavy heavy rain but tomorrow will be out.
But also he loves his stable, has always enjoyed coming in and is the fussiest/cuddley thing ever

we are going to try a bar/chain at his door to stop the rushing out but any suggestions to help him settle
 
Have you thought about trying a mirror? It will give him a constant and although there are other horses about, its not his friends. They are relatively inexpensive (particulary if they work!) and don't put anyone at risk trying them.

Watch out with trying a chain, if he rushes it he could do himself or you some damage.

Its still early days, he will settle down, being firm and a routine will help.
 
Whilst you have to remain safe round your youngster, I'd try to understand the world from his point of view. All of a sudden he's in a strange place, his buddies have disappeared and even his mum is anxious and stressed (he'll have picked THAT up!). The "new" horses either side of him may worry him and the whole situation is making him panic. Take care because if he's distressed enough to be cantering round the stable he could try to jump out. As iconique says, it's early days in the new yard and he will settle eventually. But it's down to you to make this as easy for him as possible. Isn't it possible for him to be stabled next to his mates, even if it's just for a week or two? Try to spend as much time with him as possible but when you ARE with him be fair, firm and unflustered so you reassure him. The hardbutting is just part of his anxiety - I'd try to not make a big deal of it, just try to keep out of his way. Set the routine that he will be following in place and stick to it. He WILL settle eventually. If he is seriously trying to get out over his stable door, you could ask the vet for sedalin to help him get through the next few days. I'd walk him out in hand round the yard too - in a bridle if he's sillly. Just so he can get the feel of the new layout. Hang in there and be strong for him x
 
Chuck him out - horses don't melt in the rain. No wonder he's going stir crazy:(

He doesn't need a stable toy, he needs to be in a field.
 
amymay said:
Chuck him out - horses don't melt in the rain. No wonder he's going stir crazy:(

He doesn't need a stable toy, he needs to be in a field.
Click to expand...

I agree with you, but i dont think OP has the option of turning this youngster out at the moment from what i can gather?

A mirror is a good solution, plenty of hay to keep him busy and i would keep the top door shut aswell in case he gets any ideas about jumping out.

I always shut the top door (it is bars so he can still see out) when my 2yr old comes in as when i first leave him he has a bit of a paddy and im always worried he might jump out. Once hes settled hes fine and when i come back hes always eating his hay.
 
My pony (he's five) did this last Saturday. His friends were brought in from field for various reasons so he was left in field on his own (he did have horses in the next field but that made no difference), he went mad so brought him in so he didnt hurt himself. That didn't work as he got worked up in his stable cos he couldnt see his friends, he was flying round his stable, getting his front feet of the ground then he ended up shaking like a leaf. I moved him to a stable next to my mare and he settled. We have only had him for 8 weeks, he is settling in with his two new friends from the field but his stable manners are not perfect yet and he is very stubbon. We are firm with him and their is a slight improvement. We have tried to take him out for a small hack on his own with my hubby walking but he just napped and reared. In company he is fab when hacking. In the arena he was great for first couple of days then got nappy and started bucking, that seems to be subsiding now thank goodness as my seven year old daughter was starting to get frightened, but between her and the instructor (YO) they are getting better and there has been no bucking for last two weeks. Luckily he is only 13 hands and easy to manage, we are being firm but fair and hopefully with time he will settle, he is only young and in a new (ish) environment and will need time to feel secure.
 
if you get his pals nearer great, or if you can get him out even better. we can all understand why hes feeling anxious etc, but are you really on for getting head butted? i know hes only 3 and hes stressed and so are you but in all fairness hes not allowed push you out of his way and butt you with his head. id tie him up as soon as you go in even if its only for a minute so he knows he waits for you. i know it sounds mean but hes only going to get bigger and stronger and he'll learn quickly that 'im bigger than mum and i can push her out of my way', please dont end up with a broken face! hope he setttles.
 
tinker88 said:
We have 10 days ago moved yards (my 3 horses) and Jack my rising 3yr old has recenlty started being very very pushy in the stable

and yesterday/today he has been rearing at the stable door

and today a small bucking session around his stable and not "weaving" but rushing from side to side (esp at feed time)
Click to expand...

Then later you wrote-

but also he loves his stable, has always enjoyed coming in
we are going to try a bar/chain at his door to stop the rushing out but any suggestions to help him settle
Click to expand...

You have missed something quite obvious here! your horse is not happy and he does not love being in- if he did he wouldnt be demonstrating the behaviour you describe. The behaviour he is expressing is classic for a horse that does not want to be in, he is extremely frustrated at being prevented from fulfilling his natural desire to move. It might be annoying you but your horse is desperate and its not his fault, bluntly- its yours. You have caused him to behave like this.

Horses in their correct, natural environment move and eat for approx 18 hours a day. In the stable they are often left without food and can only walk 2 steps before hitting a wall. He has been shut in a stable for 48 hours and this, along with the recent move have made him very stressed.

The only way to stop it is to turn him out, that way you are treating the cause not the symptoms of the problem. Horses can cope with the rain! If yard rules say that you cant turn out in the rain then im sorry but youve picked the wrong yard to move to.

Unless your horse gets more freedom and social interaction then he will carry on being stressed. Extra haynets around the stable, mirrors and toys may relieve some of the stress but they are not helping the cause of the problem and physically and mentally they dont improve matters
 
I would echo the others I'm afraid. Getting him out is the only way you can resolve this. he is stressed and unsettled - he's moved home and his whole routine has changed from i'm guessing out during the day and in at night to in all the time... get him out. he need s routine, interraction and stimuli to keep his brain occupied - stable toys will amuse him for half an hour and then he'll get bored.
 
Fair enough to let him be near his mates whilst he settles in the new yard but once he has, you need to stop him being so reliant on them.
Otherwise he will never accept being away from them.
Once settled (and I agree he needs to be outside) you need to start seperating him from his mates.

He is already pushing you about. You need a strong tactic with him to let him know its NOT ok and YOUR the boss.
 
Ok i can be a classic of this,i have a four year old mare,who up until now didnt really mind being in but she came in with a nasty cut to her leg and has had to be stabled,it has taken 11 weeks so far to heal.Anyway she was in the other morning and my partner did not put her out in the morning she had been displaying some signs of stress throughout the healing process,but got so tanked up she did jump over the stable door!!!!!!!Fell on the floor in the process and was very lucky to have not hurt her self and only minor cuts,how lucky was that!!Anyway my point is ever since that day shes gone out in the morning and now comes in,in the evening and is a lot more settled and happy to be in.So i personally think from first hand experience it would be kinder to turn him out and the part were you said that he is getting his front feet off the floor was exactly was what my youngster used to do and so far i have not seen this anymore but shes being turned out 24/7 soon for the grass.So dont make the same mistake i did.
 
Agree with what TeddyT says with regard to turnout being necessary - and for your youngster to be with his friends.

With regards to him 'head-bumping' you, my youngster did this - until I yelped and waved my arms around every time her head came near mine or made contact.

She soon realised what the yelp meant, and now is mostly careful to lift her head over the top of mine if she's swinging her head round to look at something.

You have to tell them it hurts you, in the same way that them biting or kicking you hurts. If you don't tell them, they'll never know!
 
thanks for the replies,

think i worried too much, after going to the yard and sussing out what was bothering him i think hes happy now,

he is and was stabled at the side of his 2 friends, the stables i have at the new yard are indoor american barn type, no top doors, but my youngsters stable was looking directly up the barn .....outside , so he was watching all the new horses he hasnt met yet walking past etc, so weve moved him stables with my oher horse, so now his in line and facing the same way as everyone else, we put him a bar up, and he knows what that is so the barging is sorted but since swapping stables hes not been pushy anyway - as mentioned he at the last yard always liked and wanted to come in, but obviously not in the other stable, but for last few days hes been eager again to come in and has settled in the stable, and not made a mess, ate his, hay and been a very good boy :)

just proves he was trying to let me know he wasnt happy and harry my welsh D who he has swapped stables with is enjoying the view up the barn anyway lol

Spoke to YO and i can have TO 24/7 now (i did have him out 24/7 at the last yard unless the weather was really really bad) so he will be going out more now anyway.

and a paddock sized lick in his stable has helped too ....haha
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top