# Horse spooking coming through the door?



## Spirit3106 (10 June 2017)

Hi,
About two months ago, I started fostering my first horse. She's from a rescue sanctuary, but she's lived there since she was a foal. A few people have fostered her already before. She's 17 years old and very gentle.
We're boarding her at a livery, but we do all her chores, we just pay for her stall, paddock, hay etc.
When we brought her to the yard, we were given a stall in a small block. It was used for goats mainly, but other boarders had kept horses there before. The front of the stable was clear, so we could lead her out with ease. Between the stable wall and a pillar to the barn roof was a small gap. My horse seemed jumpy when I lead her through that space, and I didn't see the need to use that exit much anyway.

However, after a few weeks, a trailer was put in front of the open side of the barn. It was fine, we still had plenty of room beside it. Then the yard owners put another horse trailer beside it.
Now, we had only the small side entrance. It seemed not too bad, we asked the owner if he could move a trailer when he had free time, and our horse wasn't too spooky in the door. With time, she became harder to lead in the doorway. She'd get nervous when she came up to the door. The horse trailers were still in the main door.

Eventually, she would refuse to walk when we reached the paddock gate. She'd pull away, bolt, stop, and so on.
We've gotten experienced friends to come check her, we've carried crops for safety, we've tried encouraging her, but she's almost impossible to lead in the door now.
It's so annoying because the horse is so gentle and sweet, and we really enjoy having her. But because of the trailers, she turns into a different horse when we turn her in or out, or move her from her stall at all really.
Sorry for the long post, it was hard to keep short.
Thanks in advance, any advice appreciated!


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## Pearlsasinger (10 June 2017)

Many horses do not like going through small spaces like the one that you describe and forcing them to do so makes matters worse as you have found. You need to insist that the trailers are moved before someone gets seriously hurt.


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## Equi (10 June 2017)

Get the trailer moved. Im not sure why they have not done this already. Surely the safety of the boarders is more important than the parking of a trailer


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## joosie (10 June 2017)

How silly, they should be moved somewhere more sensible. Never a smart idea to obstruct the exit of a barn/stable - with anything, because of the risk of injury to horses coming in and out, but certainly not a vehicle or large object that can't be quickly and easily moved by hand. Very dangerous in a fire or other emergency.
Some horses are claustrophobic and don't like going through small gaps. I also wonder if she might have trouble with her eyesight as this is often a factor, she may be panicking because she can't clearly see/judge the gap she's going through.


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## Spirit3106 (11 June 2017)

Thanks all.
We've asked the yard owner if he could remove even one of the horse boxes twice before. All he did was move one of them up a few feet, basically the same size gap as the other side of the pillar. She hates going through either side. The owner has even seen our horse spooking when she comes up the path.
Today one of the boarders who owns one of the horse trailers was taking one of his horses somewhere, so we had space this morning. We asked him if he could park the box a few feet up when he returns (it's the opposite side of her normal exit, and she was much calmer coming out this new side).
If the two trailers are still in front of the stable tomorrow, we're thinking of telling the owner we're changing to another field/yard elsewhere. If he asks why, we'll be telling him about the trailer issue. We don't want to have to keep asking and asking, so if he doesn't get the hint that we'll leave if there's no change, then we'll find somewhere better to keep her for the rest of our loan.


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