Preventing bad box walking!!!

Gemmahorselover

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Jun 23, 2008
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Stafford, West Midlands
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Hey. I need desperate help or advice:(:(:(My 5 year old mare Magic has a really bad stable habit. She box walks. She poos everywhere because its almost as if she is scared of being in the stable. Once she poos she box walks and rubs it everywhere making it a really hard job for me to save up on straw and clean her out properly. None of the other horses do it including the same aged horse in the stable next to her. They are all calm in the stables apart from her. I have tried hanging a lick up and that works 10% of the time. I have tried putting more hay in but she ignores it and tries to jump out the stable. I have tried playing the radio softly to comfort her making her think someone is always there. I am running out of ideas and her problem is getting worse. She is not capable of living out 24/7. I am desperate now. i am literally on my knees begging for someone to give me some advice on what to do or how to go about this problem or phobia she has of stables. Please someone help me:(:(:(

I am thinking about her boxwalking INCASE she does come back to me, and this is the only yard that i can find at the present time
 
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What is the reason she can't be turned out 24/7? It seems that what she is telling you is that she doesn't like being in.

NB - smaller fonts are a little easier to read!!
 
What is the reason she can't be turned out 24/7? It seems that what she is telling you is that she doesn't like being in.

NB - smaller fonts are a little easier to read!!

Because it is winter, the yard owner does not allow any of the horses to be turned out due to the fields becoming mashed up so when Spring comes there is no grass growing. It happened this Spring just gone. Was a nightmare.
 
ditto gb, she cant be in, she obviously hates it. Find a field and let her out.

It was -8.5 here at 8pm tonight and both my neddies are out. Thats what horses do.....live out.

There is no cure for the box walking, it is anxiety, which is driven by claustrophobia.

If you dont have T/o at your yard, move yard.
 
That's a shame - is there no way you could move to another yard which is less restrictive on the turnout time?

If not, have you tried a stable mirror, trickle feeding, and can she see other horses from her stable? If not is there any way she can be moved into s stable with a better view of others horses and maybe what's going on?

Is there a school she can have some 'out' time during the day?
 
ditto gb, she cant be in, she obviously hates it. Find a field and let her out.

It was -8.5 here at 8pm tonight and both my neddies are out. Thats what horses do.....live out.

There is no cure for the box walking, it is anxiety, which is driven by claustrophobia.

If you dont have T/o at your yard, move yard.

So are you basically saying that if I dont move yards I am screwed?? Thanks. .that was er . .really good advice.
There must be a solution to the problem. I am not talking about what temperature it is. I cant let her out at all unless I let her loose in the arena to let her stretch her legs with other horses in there too.
 
No I havent tried a stable mirror. Whats trickle feeding?? Is that where you feed her like every hour or something?? When am I supposed to sleep?? Lol. She can lots of other horses if she sticks her head out but whenever she does she just tries to jump out and breaks the door.
 
Whats trickle feeding?? Is that where you feed her like every hour or something?? When am I supposed to sleep?? Lol. She can lots of other horses if she sticks her head out but whenever she does she just tries to jump out and breaks the door.

LOL!!

You can either sprinkle some of her feed into the bed and let her root around for it, or buy a specially designed ball that allows you to put the feed in but she has to move it around to get it back out.

She's really not happy though (as I'm sure you know or you wouldn't be posting), I'm not trying to say your only option is to move yards, but is it something you could consider for her sanity?
 
She's really not happy though (as I'm sure you know or you wouldn't be posting), I'm not trying to say your only option is to move yards, but is it something you could consider for her sanity?

I know but the owner wont budge about letting the horses out because he is being so selfish about not wanting the new grass to be destroyed. I am mostly doing ground work with her and letting her have a good canter around the school free schooling because thats the only exercise she gets a day so i want to knock as much energy out of her as I can. The owner is impossible to deal or bargain with. The only other yard which is within 10 miles of where I live is full already so life is starting to become more complicated.
 
That's a shame. Try the trickle feeding and maybe try a stable mirror, as much exercise as you can as you are already doing. And put your name down on the waiting list for the other yard!

Well, that's what I would do anyway.

Good luck.
 
So are you basically saying that if I dont move yards I am screwed?? Thanks. .that was er . .really good advice.
There must be a solution to the problem. I am not talking about what temperature it is. I cant let her out at all unless I let her loose in the arena to let her stretch her legs with other horses in there too.

I think what others are trying to say is that maybe your horse would be better living out or at least having more turn out as she is clearly stressed at being in all the time so the advise given is good advise even if it is not necessarily what you wanted to hear.
I have had to move my boy to a yard that is further form my house and does not have the facilities of my old yard BUT the turn out is a lot better and that is better for my horse:)
 
So are you basically saying that if I dont move yards I am screwed?? Thanks. .that was er . .really good advice.
There must be a solution to the problem. I am not talking about what temperature it is. I cant let her out at all unless I let her loose in the arena to let her stretch her legs with other horses in there too.

Come on now, don't get angry with people. It IS good advice. You tell us your horse hates being in. So the best advice we can give you is to find a way so that she can be out.

If you had said from the start "moving is not an option" and given a good reason for that, then I could see that people saying "move" wouldn't be very helpful.

Anyway... it is our responsibilty to keep our horses happy and healthy and to do something about it when they're not.
You sound more worried about the work it causes you with mucking out than her discomfort.

If the only yard you can find is a little further away maybe you have to consider it for her wellbeing - tough on you for having to travel a bit further but hey, think of the time you'll save mucking out if she's not cooped up boxwalking ;-)

Seriously, if you really really can't move her somewhere with turnout then just turn her out in the school and freeschool her as much as you possibly can, try a mirror, give her a snackball, hang carrots, parsnips etc in her stable, see if she can go in a different stable where she can see/smell/nose-touch another horse across bars if you have any like that at your yard... go and see her at least twice a day and do stuff with her outside her stable, get yourself some good waterproof gloves and pick grass for her every day... unless you can take her for a hand-graze on nice grass every day which would be better... I had a horse on boxrest all through winter last year and I picked grass for him every single day come rain or shine. Good for his tummy and good for his mind.

What's she like tied up on the yard? Do as much as you can outside the stable. Groom her outside, not in the stable, etc. Obviously don't jsut tie her and leave her - occupy her. Scratch her itchy bits, groom her, take her for walks (if safe to do so) etc.
 
Sorry to say this but does sound to me like yes, if you dont move, you are screwed! She is clearly distressed and this yard is not working for her. I know my lot would be climbing the walls if they were in all day. Sorry, but this is not natural for her and she's letting you know that. If your YO wont budge (and is quite happy to see a horse in pretty bad distress) then you have very little option but to move.

Incidentally, cleaning your bed will be the least of your worries if she carries on doing it. This is all putting major strain on her joints and ligaments and you will be putting yourself at risk of a lame horse. The stress could also boil over and start having a negative impact on her riding. She may also start to weave or crib bite.

Sorry as this is clearly not what you want to hear but bottom line, there is NO solution to this other than getting your poor horse out that stable more. If you cant do that where you are then you have to think about alternatives.

Imagine how she feels - she is basically in jail 23 hours a day (with no playstations or flat screen tellys to break the monotony). Have you ever seen animals at a zoo pacing back and forward? Thats what your poor horse is going through. Its hell on earth for her.
 
IS there no manége she could be turned out in, or a cattle yard or similar?
 
Is she stabled 24 hours a day ? Sorry, but your horse is telling you she can't cope.Only options are to move yard or sell her.No horse should be stabled 24 hours a day.
I know its hard and you didn't want to hear that but she needs to be out for her emotional wellbeing.
 
Most box vices come from bordom or stress. It sounds like it could be a bit of both. She obviously doesn't like being in the stable. Have you tried putting up a stable mirror? This way she thinks she has company, and will give her something to focus on. This can also reduce the stress of being in a box as the idea of a friend will help to relax her.

Can she see through to the next stable? Can she put her head over the stable door/weave barrier? If not to either of these, especially if neither, this could be a cause.

I don't think the non-24/7 turn out has much to do with it, as ours are in similar situation. Farmer allows them out 9 - 2 and then if it is really wet - a day in and then obviously not if the ground is very hard (mashed up mud could cause harm when hard). If she is in for a day or so, and you can't ride, let her have a run in the school if you have one, maybe with a friend to play with.

Have you tried a decrahedron (sp?) that you put chopped up carrot in and it falls out at the right angle. Giving her something like this (if she is food motivated) could provide her with a puzzling activity. Even so often she will get a treat, and so will try for more - good entertainment.

My friends horse broke its leg and was on box rest for ages. Try getting a stable chain (like this) so if she is in the stable on the day on no turnout, when you are around the yard (and only when you are around) you can clip this on and she can feel as if the stable is freer and more open.
 
I know but the owner wont budge about letting the horses out because he is being so selfish about not wanting the new grass to be destroyed. I am mostly doing ground work with her and letting her have a good canter around the school free schooling because thats the only exercise she gets a day so i want to knock as much energy out of her as I can. The owner is impossible to deal or bargain with. The only other yard which is within 10 miles of where I live is full already so life is starting to become more complicated.

Try putting her out with a friend.

I would also look into other yards, and weigh up the pro's and con's.
 
My mare doesn't stable. She also is stressy on bigger yards.

I found somewhere quite for us and rent a field that's mine.

At the end of the day if all the distractions and so called toys don't work and she has others that are verm calm stabled near her then you have to face the fact that she doesn't appreciate being trapped in a stable and the fact that she box walks show how damaging that is to her mental health.
 
i think you have had some good advice here so please dont feel like you are being jumped on;)

As skippys mum said about her joints, at 7yo my horse is now lame when stabled. we have paid thousands getting tests and xrays from the vet school, stabling costs, bute etc. He had every form of stable toy, i tried rubber mats to help mucking out, then had to move to a deep bed to help his feet which are poor quality anyway but were getting worse with the walking. ad lib hay, doped up on calmer - which did help but didnt cure him, and this was even when he was turned out during the day and not in 24/7!

Sadly i agree with everyone else and really your only option is to turn out and if that means you have to move then so be it. If this really isnt an option then you may have to sell her for a horse that will accept being boxed 24/7, not that this is the best for any horse but if you are finding your mare difficult to keep then you may have to consider this.

its no ones fault that your horse cant cope being stabled and sadly a box walker can never be fully cured. some of us have to make sacrafices for our horses in order to keep them happy/sane/healthy, others are lucky and their horses can look after themselves. its up to you to decide whether you are prepared to make those sacrifices (its not a crime if your not) or if you would be better off witrh a more managable horse due to time/money/personalities or whatever.
 
somebody said a boxwalker can't be cured but it all depends on why a horse boxwalks.

One of mine on his first yard was brilliant, then YO one day just moved him to a stable where he couldn't see any of the other horses or people, he was all on his own away from the others (YO wanted his old stable for her own new horse) - my poor lad boxwalked for England! He was only in for the night, but it was horrendous.
I moved him away from there asap and he hasn't boxwalked since, not even when he was on boxrest.

OP needs to consider all her options and do what's best for the horse - there may another stable, with physical contact with another horse, on her yard and that MIGHT cure it. Worth a try.
 
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