Bad habit

[Diana]

OH! I need help and this is the best place to start.

I have a filly that when in her stall kicks the walls a lot. She has done this since she was weaned. I thought she would grow out of it but doesn't seem to be happening. I believe she knows it is wrong as when I yell, stop and clap my hands loud she does stop but I can't be there during the night to do this. She has a salt lick hanging in her stall, soda bottles and a stuff toy also in there. Nothing seems to be helping. Does it a lot when she is eating her grain. She never had to compete for grain with another foal, just her mom when we started her on grain.

Any thought would be greatly appreciated.

 

[Miniv]

We used to have a mare who kicked the wall of her stall too........She only did it when she had a neighbor, though. She just HATED having someone next door and would pin her ears, lunge, and then turn around and kick at the dividing wall. We never could break her of it. But whenever possible we would stall her away from others, which helped.

 

[Diana]

That is a thought. I can move her neighbor and see if that makes a difference.

 

[Reignmaker Miniatures]

I had a saddle horse that did that when I was a kid. We buckled dog collars around his legs above the hocks and hung a chain (sounds barbaric I know) from the collar so that when he kicked out the chain would swing and hit his leg. He stopped kicking in less than a week. There are certain risks involved in trying it tho. You have to select a weight of chain that will be uncomfortable but not so heavy it will do real damage and short enough not to be stepped on and you must be sure there is NOTHING for the collars or chains to hang up on in the stall. That means NO bucket hooks or anything at all that sticks out and could catch (even if you think it won't) We actually had the horses in tie stalls (yikes that was a long time ago lol) so it was safer when we did this.

 

[Laura]

You can also mat the sides of her stall, so when she kicks it doesn't hurt her.

 

[Flaxenacres]

The kick chain worked for my big mare years ago hasnt kicked a wall since.