Q: Help! My Horse Hates Her Stall!
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Posted by Laura Thompson May 18, 2009 |
We've all been in a place before where we've felt cooped up, uncomfortable or irritable. Who's to say a horse can't experience the same unease in a stall or paddock. A Suite101 reader wants to know what to do if her horse hates her stall.
I've only run into a couple of horses during my career who have shown strong aversions to a stall. In one case, a colony of ants had taken up residence under the shavings, and in the other, the horse had never been in a stall before and was used to more space.
Your horse might display negative behaviors in the stall:
- Pawing
- Weaving
- Cribbing
- Calling
- Pacing
None of these is particularly healthy, so it is important to understand why the horse doesn't like her stall and make changes accordingly.
First, make sure the horse has everything she needs in the stall, including water and hay. A plentiful supply of coastal hay is the best way to keep a horse occupied when in her stall, though a salt block might also make a useful addition.
Look for anything that could be agitating the horse, such as ants, an exposed nail or even a peculiar smell. Perhaps the stall was disinfected recently and the walls have retained some chemical residue. Barring that, it's all up to training.
The reader who contacted me was concerned that she would harm the horse by not putting her in the stall, particularly as we approach the summer months. This is a great observation, but the horse might do more damage to herself in the stall than she would outside.
That said, don't give up entirely. Start by putting the horse in her stall for just an hour or two at a time, perhaps while you are doing barn chores. If she starts to get agitated, visit her in the stall until she calms down.
Slowly increase the amount of time the horse is in the stall until she is able to stay inside all night without a fuss.
Of course, there are times when horses display violent or dangerous behavior when in a stall, and in this case, professional assistance might be necessary. If the horse is scared or anxious, she could easily harm a human without actually meaning to cause injury.