# Horse refusing to go through a door way



## ilovehorses<3 (7 May 2011)

Hi, i have just got a new horse, we unloaded her off the trailer and put her into the field, i thought i should try putting her into her stable, to access her stable she has to go through a door way, which is about 2 metres wide, she point blank refused to go through even with food on the other side.Is it because she's nervous or just a bit stubborn? Any tips?


----------



## ChestnutHunter (7 May 2011)

My horse had a stable exactly the same, but alot of horses are quite claustrophobic and if they think they cant escape they wont do it! But we used to just gently pull her and get somebody to push her bum, with the obvious food bribe! and lots of pats when we got her in!
She did get better but occasionally she would decide it was scary and wouldnt go through, but in general it worked, just try to be persistent


----------



## Kelly Marks (7 May 2011)

She's probably hit her hip at some stage so thinks she has to rush through, food bribes are pretty good in this case as any kind of force could cause her to rush and hit herself again.  Building a little obstacle course and practising ground work could help her a lot.

Kelly


----------



## flowerlady (7 May 2011)

Well our horse that we have had for 7 years never had a problem with stabling.  I waited for 4 months before joining OH down south while he sorted him a stable out new entrance but does have to go up a step into the stable.

Sent him on with a transporter everything fine.  Refuses to go into the stable said OH.  So when I arrived tried everything thenI just stood inside the stable with him on the lead rope (loose) and he walked in but as soon as the doors shut he panicks.  So we have a nice lovely warm stable already with rubber mats and thick shaving that will probably remain nice and clean as he will not stay in it  So he will be living out 24/7 if he will not go in this winter.  I have tried staying in with him and grooming and just giving feed in there but he just grabs a mouth full and barges at the door and being a large 16.1 ID he will push the door in I am sure and could just not leave him in their as I don't want him to injure himself.


----------



## Elsbells (7 May 2011)

Bring him up every day and tie a haynet next to the doorway for him. Feed and groom him there. If other horses and people go in and out while he's stood there having a nice time, all the better. Don't try to force him and eventally he'll forget that it's an issue.


----------



## JanetGeorge (7 May 2011)

IHK said:



			She's probably hit her hip at some stage so thinks she has to rush through, food bribes are pretty good in this case as any kind of force could cause her to rush and hit herself again.  Building a little obstacle course and practising ground work could help her a lot.

Kelly
		
Click to expand...

This!  Last year I bought back a mare I'd sold at rising 4!  Two years later, a new owner (not the person I sold her to) claimed she was 'claustrophobic' - to the point where she wouldn't hack down narrow lanes, wouldn't load on a trailer, wouldn't walk into her stable etc etc etc!! 

I found an old scab right on her hip bone - a combination of patience and bribes solved the stable problem.  She walked into my trailer without a partition in with no problem.  The hacking took longer to sort - it was nothing to do with claustrophobia - she had become afraid of hacking (having been the easiest hack on my place at 3 and a half!) because the owner was so afraid of hacking - she'd lost faith in the rider.

The IMPORTANT thing with the stable door is NOT to try and pull (or push) her in.  Walk in yourself with her behind you on a long lead - when she stops, just start munching an apple, moving food around, etc. etc.  As long as she doesn't try to move away from the door, leave the rope loose and apply NO pressure.  Be prepared to wait an hour - or two!  It HAS to be her choice.

Even in humans, claustrophobia can inevitably be tracked back to an 'incident' which the person may well have forgotten (4 year old gets accidentally locked in the loo and can't get out, for example.)  In horses, I am convinced that it is ALWAYS a behaviour based in fear due to an incident at an earlier stage.

With the horse that won't stay in the stable, the only way to solve this is to shut him in the stable.  He HAS to find out the roof doesn't cave in!  A grill over the door will stop him trying to jump out.  Refusing to be stabled is not a sensible option - what if he was ill - or had an injury that made box rest mandatory!  IDs can be bargey sods if they haven't been taught better - but they tend NOT to be suicidal!


----------



## Haniki (7 May 2011)

We took a mare to stud and she refused to go through a door way into a stable. The stallion owner turned her round and made her go in backwards!


----------



## ilovehorses<3 (7 May 2011)

thanks, i will take all these things in mind, its quite a wide door way, but the stable inside probably looks quite daunting, i havent even had her for one day now and dont want to start off on the wrong foot!


----------



## Booboos (7 May 2011)

I wouldn't pull her and I certainly wouldn't push her in (worst case she'll kick you!). 

Start by doing some groundwork with her in another area where you are unlikely to encounter problems and also spend some time grooming her to get her a bit used to you. Remember you and the yard are all completely new to her. Try leading another horse into the stable so that she can see it's no big deal. Use food, but encourage every step she takes towards the stable rather than expect her to go in in one go. Most of all remain relaxed and take your time, nothing to get stressed about here, just a horse adjusting to a new yard!


----------



## 1stclassalan (8 May 2011)

I'm all in favour of the softly softly approach - the feeding hay near the troublesome door etc., however, I had a pony that did this regularly and later we found an electric fence cable leaking to earth so he was trying to tell us something!


----------



## 3CVA (8 May 2011)

My horses have to go through a door to get to their stable . Both geldings walk in fine no problem but my mare has the odd funny 5 mins where she'd rather stay out! She does try it on if someone different tries to lead her in! (She can be funny to catch for different people ) just take 5 mins then decides actually she does want a nice warm stable. It just takes lots of patients.


----------



## RolyPolyPony (8 May 2011)

I had the exact same problem with my lad when i got him. i started doing groundwork with him.  I placed 2 oil drums about 4m apart and worked on getting him though these.  Walk confidently infront of your horse looking ahead and not turning to look at horse.  If horse stops carry on walking until you reach the end of the leadrope.  put some gentle pressure on rope - but dont pull!  If this doesnt work you need to 'unstick' your horses feet  Once going through nicely.  gently pull the rope from side to side so the horse has to move its head and feet.  hopefully then the horse will walk forward.  Once going through this gap make it slightly smaller and repeat.  I now have my horse putting himself into his stables


----------

