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One of the best ways to stop your horse from playfully kicking in his stall is to change his feed time and exercise routine. Often, horses playfully kick in their stables because they have a lot of pent-up energy. By lowering your horse’s intake of food slightly and providing him with more exercise, your horse may stop kicking on his own.
Is it normal for a horse to kick the stall?
Kicking is part of the socially acceptable play among horses, so stall kicking may begin as a natural behavior but may quickly become an exaggerated and obsessive habit. Like many stable vices, stall kicking may be socially contagious.
How do you stop a horse from kicking?
Kicking chains are short chains attached to cuffs that can either be put just above the horse’s hock or around his fetlock, the idea is that when the horse kicks the chains will hit his leg and this will stop him from kicking. This is the theory and while they do work for many people it’s worth noting that they won’t work for everybody.
What happens if a horse kicks out a wall?
The explosive kicker, however, can wipe out a stall wall in a single kicking bout to say nothing of the damage that can be done to his hind legs. Capped hocks and curbs are often associated with chronic stall kickers; carpitis with stall bangers.
How do you stop a horse from hitting the wall?
Another suggestion to keep the wall intact and prevent the horse from hurting himself was padding the walls with old tires behind stall mats. My horse’s kicks can contact anywhere around the stall. The dents in th
How To Discourage Horses From Kicking
Pictured Above: Hall Of Fame equine veterinarian Hans Castelijns uses rings from 2/3-inch round stock and ties them to a horse’s leg to discourage it from kicking.
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About The Author
Sue M. McDonnell, PhD, is a certified applied animal behaviorist and the founding head of the equine behavior program at the University of Pennsylvania's School of Veterinary Medicine. She is also the author of numerous books and articles about horse behavior and management.
How to stop a horse from kicking?
First, try to identify the cause for the kicking. If your horse dislikes his neighbor, it might be a good idea to move him. Evaluate his turnout situation and make sure he is getting out as much as possible. You should also develop a exercise schedule that allows him to burn off extra energy. And don’t forget to consult a vet and make sure he isn’t suffering from physical pain. If all else fails, it might be time to try various devices. Secured above the hock with a leather band, kicking chains are frequently used to quiet this behavior. Whenever the horse kicks, the chain will hit the lower leg and make him uncomfortable. The Quitkick Stall System senses the vibration of a kick and releases two bouts of water. This system can easily be installed in your horse’s stall. And lastly, some trainers add padding to the walls of a stall. The horses that usually get pleasure in the sound of their kicks will no longer be able to. Work together with your horse to develop a solution! Stall kicking is a nasty vice that should be corrected as soon as it is noticed.
Can a horse break his hoof?
Those with kickers will see extensive damage to their stalls. Depending on the thickness of the wood, he can break it and have his hoof go entirely through. Horse owners must also worry about the damage done to his legs. Capped hocks, chronic inflammation of the joints, and soft tissue injuries are all prevalent among these horses. Damage to the hoof is also possible.
How to protect stall walls?
A more cost-effective method is to use regular old stall mats on the wall. It’s definitely a two person job getting them up there, but the density will save your stall walls. Hanging mats or pads does a few things: soften the blow, absorbs some of the noise, and protects the walls. Wood stalls can splinter and composite walls can dent. Splinters and sharp edges can result, and if you know horses, you know they are drawn by some magical force to sharp, laceration inducing things.
What caused the stall below to be damaged?
The stall below was damaged by a horse that actually managed to punch through the outer layer of the stall way, and into the center wood layer. Of course this a major hazard to horse legs, and also to the structure of the wall itself. Now moisture can get into the interior of the wall, causing more damage.
What does leather cuffs do to horses?
The leather cuffs are attached around the pastern or above the hock and create a stinging sensation when the horse kicks and rattles the chains against himself. I have known a horse that has worn these, and he didn’t even blink when he kicked, as if they were not even on. Perhaps he was tougher than most?
Can stall kicks hurt horses?
First and foremost, it’s important to know that stall kicking can create serious injuries in horses, from the hoof, to the hock, to the stifle to the knees. Some horses like to knee bang. Go figure.
Can you squirt every time a horse kicks?
If you were to replicate this, you would need to camp outside of the stall 24/7/365 and squirt every time a kick happens. You horse will soon learn that when you are gone, he can kick. The QuitKick does this for you, and can often work with a few squirts. Because this system is attached to the stall wall, it's working 24/7/365.
Do stall pads work?
Stall pads may work , or you may find that you want to go thicker and tougher with stall mats.
How to teach a horse to not kick?
Formal leg restraint lessons such as hobbling, scotch-hobbling, cross-hobbling or side-lining can teach a horse he can't and shouldn't kick but such methods are impractical and dangerous to leave on an unattended stalled horse. Affixing horizontal boards on edge around the inside of the stall could prove beneficial. Attaching them at rump height could prevent the horse from getting close enough to the wall to kick; fixing them at hock height would result in the kicker contacting the board with his flexor tendons, thereby discouraging him from kicking at the wall but creating the possibility of him being injured if he is persistent in his habit. A turn-of-the-century remedy suggests hanging a heavy iron object above the area in the stall where the horse customarily kicks. The object should hit the horse on the top of the rump as he raises up his hindquarters to kick.
What does a horse kick do?
The noise brings someone to the stall often with a diversionary flake of hay or a handful of wafers.
What is a stall kicker?
Stall banging, a related habit, is the hitting the stall walls with the front hoof and knee . Some stall kickers stand with the hindquarters near a wall and rhythmically thump the wall with one hind foot while the head bobs in a reciprocating motion as if such behavior brings a sense of contentment. Others may kick or bang whenever someone is in the barn in at attempt to get attention and food. Another style of kicker may rock fore and aft a few times and then let loose with both hinds at once. There can be several such explosive bursts in a row, but because of the energy and balance required, this double-barreled kicker cannot reproduce the characteristic metronome-like thudding of the one-legged kicker. The explosive kicker, however, can wipe out a stall wall in a single kicking bout to say nothing of the damage that can be done to his hind legs. Capped hocks and curbs are often associated with chronic stall kickers; carpitis with stall bangers. Loose, lost, or shifted shoes are common with stall kickers.
Why do horses kick their hooves?
In such cases, some success has been obtained by padding either the stall walls, the hooves or both. If stall kicking is obviously due to boredom or confinement , the horse can be given additional work sessions or turn-out time in a pasture or run. If this is not possible, often a stall toy offers a diversion. When kicking is due to an incompatible neighbor, shifting the horse's position in the barn may help. If kicking is a means of begging for a treat, tying the horse in his stall so that he cannot reach a wall often prevents kicking but may precipitate pawing.
Why do horses lose their shoes?
Certain horses have a predisposition to neurotic breakdown when faced with insufficient exercise, excess feed, or constantly changing neighbors . This tendency may be genetically inherited, formed from early experiences with the dam or training, or may simply develop later in life.
What is an overfed horse?
An overfed, underexercised horse is a prime candidate for developing any of a number of stable vices. As with all undesirable habits, treatment can consist of psychological or physical means. Any treatment is more successful if it is applied before a habit becomes deeply ingrained.
Why should a horse's ration be tailored?
A horse's ration should be tailored to meet his energy needs. Too often a horse's ration is set when he is being regularly ridden but is not adjusted when the riding program is interrupted by an injury, poor weather, or the owner's schedule.
How to stop a horse from kicking in a neighbor's stall?
If the kicking is a result of not liking the horse in the neighboring stall, there is a simple fix. Move the offending horse away from the kicker. In some instances, you may need to rotate the horses in the stalls to keep them from becoming agitated with their neighbor.
Why do horses kick their stalls?
Social interactions may also be the cause of kicking. If your horses are bored within their stalls and are craving any form of social interaction, they may kick their stall walls as a game.
What is Kicking?
When you notice that your horse is using both hind feet to kick, this is called an explosive kick and can cause the most damage. Explosive kicks can be extremely dangerous to humans and other horses.
What are the symptoms of a horse kick?
Your equine veterinarian can refer you to a horse trainer or an animal behaviorist to help you recognize the symptoms and stop the behavior. Aggression. Malicious behavior.
Why rotate horses in stalls?
In some instances, you may need to rotate the horses in the stalls to keep them from becoming agitated with their neighbor. Some aggressive kickers may need formal leg restraints such as hobbling, cross hobbling, scotch hobbling or side lining. These restraints will teach your horse that he is unable to kick.
Why do horses kick?
There are some horses that are naturally predisposed to be much higher strung. They require more exercise and stimulation. Human interaction as well as equine interaction is very important to them. Some of this behavior is genetically inherited and takes much more training to stop the behavior.
What to do if your horse is not physically active?
Your horse will need to be trained to stop the behavior or divert their energy to more positive outlets.
How to stop a horse from kicking when feeding?
If kicking is an issue at feeding time, you need to retrain the proper feeding behavior. Work towards having your horse stand with head into a corner before he gets food. This takes time, and everyone at the barn needs to be involved. Every time the kicking horse gets food after a kick, you need to start over. You may be interested in reading another article on how horses train us, and what we can do about it.
What does it mean when a horse kicks another horse?
One horse “catches” it from another. Often, a kick in the barn will be answered by a neighbor’s kick as a way of carrying on the herd communications.
Why add pads to stall?
The sound is comforting. Often, adding pads to the stall will stop a stall kicker who thrives on the sound.
What causes vices in horses?
Generally speaking, vices can develop from a variety of root causes. With stall kicking, a form of horse communication in the herd gets ingrained and transferred to a stall.
Can a stall kicker damage a barn?
A stall kicker can not only damage the barn, but he can also damage himself. Giant splinters, torn tendons, broken bones, hoof damage, not to mention what happens if he kicks a human.
Do grooms have to protect their horses?
SO – as Grooms and horse owners we have many ways to tackle this behavior. First and foremost, we must try and protect your horse and the stall. You can read another article here on how to protect your stall.
Can horses kick their legs?
Please work on solving this problem. Horses that kick can break legs, tweak shoes, destroy barns, shred ligaments and tendons, cap their hocks, and have permanent joint damage from hoof to hip. Get your team of professionals involved, keep your eyes open, and work towards a solution.
What to do if a horse kicks out?
If the horse kicks out, try to hold the foot up with the rope until he stops. The idea is for the horse to realize that kicking does not get a desirable effect. If you are unable to hold the rope and he gets away from you, it is back to the rail for a few laps, then repeat.
How to teach a horse to stop kicking?
Move the Feet. Teaching a horse to stop kicking requires you to teach the horse to respect you as being higher in the hierarchy of the herd. No, you are not a horse, but to the horse you are still part of his herd.
When Do Horses Kick?
Foals learn to use their legs from the time they can stand and nurse. When her foal gets too pushy and aggressive nursing , the mare responds by lifting her hind leg and gently moving the foal away. This communicates to the foal, “That is bad behavior. Move away from me.”
Why do horses kick each other?
This behavior is crucial in teaching and practicing the use their defense mechanism for survival.
Why do horses want to be at the top?
Why would a horse want to be at the top? They get the best access to feed and water, the first choice of shelter or shade tree, etc. All of these things are necessary for survival.
How many legs do horses have?
Horses can kick with all four legs. Most commonly when we refer to kicking, we are referring to the hind legs. But, all four legs can be used in some form of kicking. The hind legs can kick forward, sideways, and backward. The front feet are used to strike forward and stomp.
How to stop a horse from rubbing?
If he kicks out and jerks away, let him go and ask him to run on the rail. After a few rounds around the circle, ask the horse to stop and face into you. Walk up to the horse, grab the lead, and repeat the rubbing.
