My horse is startled of his steady?
I have a 15hh cob gelding who is scared of being contained by his stable. His stable is inside a barn and is in a brown corner. It has bars across the door and no where to put his cranium out of. I have tried to fit a removeable bar across the door when its open but he jumops over it or go under it. Is there anyway to at ease him down. He circles and kicks the door.
I agree with galloppal.
If you can keep him turned out 24/7 w/a shelter he'd prob be happier & more comfortable. if not then you requirement to try to swap stalls with someone; maybe ask one of the other boarders or ask the stable owner to switch out one of their own horses. yours may get the impression too confined or anxious due to size or darkness of the stall. Is there anyway you can remove the bar?? then he could hang his head out. Or whether there's a horse next to him, maybe take out some of the slats bwtween the stalls & replace beside screen or bars so he at least see the other horse..
Answers: My experience, which is pretty extensive, is that this will get worse before it get better. Some horses cannot be kept in stalls such as this. They have to be able to see the other horses and enjoy ventilation or they freak, develop vices, and ulcers or other disorders. I boarded horses contained by every imaginable variety of boarding facility for over 50 years before getting my own place. I would not maintain a horse in such a stall. The lack of ventilation is a central health hazard, and that alone is enough to prevent me from keeping my horse within such a stall. But many if not most horses will have psychological problems contained by such a stall, and this produces stress which also affects overall health. I would find different accommodations, whatever it take.
hes alarmed. he prob isnt used to being in there and possibly he thinks it too close to the outside door.
my pony is the exact same...he hates being in! he will mess up the bed which is a niggle for the "mucker outer". if he doesnt like it, DO NOT FORCE HIM or else he'l be fearful all his life. wat i do is put him in a steady near the barn doors (so he can see out in to the yard/field) and give him a big haynet or nice(not to big - 1/4 of a scoop) nurture. keep peting him and talking. do this regurly and he might just acquire over his fear. but dont wind him up like principal horses past his stable all the time it of late gets them all worried. if your on livery, ask the owner/manager whether you can move your cob. but just remember, dont force him and if he resists, relax him. merry early christmas
BOARD- If you board your horse and he get placed in there, tell the barn owner that your horse is mortified in that one certain stall in the poorly lit. If he is not around other horses, it may bother him and make him feel lonely or scared.
OWN PROPERTY- Do you with the sole purpose have one stall on your property? If you have more than one, try moving him to where within is sufficient sunlight and he enjoys it more. If you have other horses, put him near them.
IN GENERAL- This solution works any way for your horse. If he is in a new stall, he may be gunshy of it. Remember, stalls are horses total zone. They sleep there, they eat there, it is comfy and their domestic basically. In a new environment, there is a devout chance he will be scared. Comfort him every time you take him into his stall. Give him treats close to carrots, apples, some hay, or oats for good behavior. Take him in slowly on a head rope and don't shut the door! Tie him up and just sit there with him, stroking him and person really affectionate. Having his owner there with him will really calm his nerves.Then bequeath him what every horse loves.food! Give him his normal feed and let him put away it in the stall. Let him know that you haven't left him and that he is ok. Horses respond to the emotions they know we quality, so a calm, relaxed spirit will make him feel duplicate. Keep him tied and slowy start to close the door, meaning the door should be fully closed in just about a minute or two. This is all very soft movement, which will keep him at ease. Once the door is fully closed, watch his reaction. Feed him another treat while he is still calm and verbs to sit there. After a while, untie him and close the door slowy again. Walk out of the room only for a few seconds. See how he is doing. If he starts to catch upset, go back in and tolerate him know you haven't left him.
Repeat this process until he is calm and quiet. It may pocket and hour, a day, or months. It all depends on his emotions and he will do ably if he thinks you are still there next to him.
Good luck!!
----Edit----
Well, then you should try the 'In General' thing. If his problems continue for a extremely long period of time, it may be best to move him, if you can afford it. Hey, I'd take the free stall too lol!
