# Horse wanting to rush out of the stall



## MyBoyPuck (Mar 27, 2009)

To quote Clinton Anderson, "Make the right thing easy and the wrong thing hard". If you have a good size space somewhere near her stall, let her bolt out as usual and then work her *** off with circles, changes of direction, etc. Anything that keeps her moving. After a good 10 minutes, put her back in her stall and let her rest. After she's caught her breath, do it again. Open the door and give her the opportunity to make the mistake of bolting past you. If she does, she works again and then goes back to her stall to rest. Once she realizes that all she'll get by busting out of her stall is to work, she'll change her tune. Once she comes out calmly, proceed onto wherever she's going like she never had the bad habit in the first place. You may need to work on it for a week or so, but once she gets it, the behavior will most likely stop. Good luck.


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## MIEventer (Feb 15, 2009)

She sounds scared. I would assume that she is bolting because she feels confined and trapped.

Great post MyBoyPuck.


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## Reiterin (Mar 28, 2010)

sandy2u1 said:


> So I was thinking maybe I need to open the door with a riding crop and back her up out of the doorway, then make her stand and get her halter on. What do you guys think?


I personally would try that first. see if that helps.


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## sandy2u1 (May 7, 2008)

Myboybuck, thanks for the reply. It sounds like a good idea...the tough part of that is that there isn't really enough room to lunge in circles in the barn isle. I could borrow the end stall, but there would still be a good 7-10 feet for her to go to get in an area where she can lunge. I'm afraid she won't make the connection between the two. 

MIEventer, thank you for posting, that could very well be the case. I know at the place we got her from she was kept in a paddock, and when they got her she was living in a pasture. She didn't mind being in the trailer though, and it was a two horse with a divider. A lot tighter space than a stall. She is at a new barn, has new humans taking care of her and is around horses she doesn't know yet. I don't think she is a bad horse or anything, she is having to get used to a lot. However, I don't want to post on here a month from now, well she started out bolting out of the stall, then she got to where she'd push people out of the way, and then she ran over the top of someone...what should I do....I want to nip it in the bud now. 

I should also point out that she has yet to actually get past me. I stopped her with the stall door...then leaned in with both hands and put all my weight into her chest. She did back up into the stall, and although it took everything I had to get her to do it...she did do it. Luckily for me I still had a hold of the stall door, cause had it been wide open she would have just ran right past me. Also, lucky for me, she didn't push through me. The whole point of that long spill lol:sorry y'all, I'm long winded) was that I don't want to actually let her get past me if I can help it. 

One more thing I should tell ya, then I will shut up. She doesn't live in the stall...she only goes in for feedings (although today she stayed in there about 2 hours). My horse Major stayed in his stall too though, so she wasn't alone.


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## 5cuetrain (Dec 11, 2009)

Protein does not add weight but it sure will make any horse hot and full of adrenaline.

4 scoops a day for a horse that stands in a stall all day is like giving a 5 year old boy 24 snickers and wondering why he is wound up like a cheap watch!!

If you don't know how to effectively manage her weight get some advice from a vet.

Me thinks that once you reduce the protein--by a bunch-- you will find that she calms down substantially.


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## Ktibb (Mar 24, 2010)

5cuetrain said:


> Protein does not add weight but it sure will make any horse hot and full of adrenaline.
> 
> 4 scoops a day for a horse that stands in a stall all day is like giving a 5 year old boy 24 snickers and wondering why he is wound up like a cheap watch!!
> 
> ...


My thoughts as well. What kind of feed are you giving her? 

Also, if you don't have room to lunge her, just try making her back up. she needs to wait for your "okay" to come out of the stall. I would take a step back and establish (or re-establish) your role as her leader. 

Does she respect you once she is out of the stall? Is she pushy at all or does she try to drag you around? If so work on that first outside of the stall and once you get her respectful outside, the rushing the stall door should be easy to fix, if it still showes up at all.

You're doing the right thing by nipping it in the bud! Good luck.


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## kevinshorses (Aug 15, 2009)

Change her feed first and walk her back and forth through the door untill she is thoroughly bored with it. Then do it some more.


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## romargrey (Apr 11, 2010)

need more info: 
lets get some height to weight tape ratios and give us the % of protein, fat and fiber/carbs for this gal... she sounds like she is cranked up and rearing to go.
how is she when you go up to her in her pasture?
how does she handle when you go into her stall when you aren't letting her out and what do you do with her in her stall? 
is her stall too small for the size horse ? can she lay down if she wanted too or is she not relaxed enough to do that?
does she pace or is she neurotic with tendency to gnaw on wood, pace, sway?


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

kevinshorses said:


> Change her feed first and *walk her back and forth through the door untill she is thoroughly bored with it. Then do it some more.*




Sounds like, if I understood correctly, that she is not kept in a stall, but only fed her feed in the stall. 

T had the same set up at the barn that I bought her from. While normally a very well mannered horse, she would rush the stall door every time. Call it anxiety or what ever, not exceptble. I did just what Kevin suggested. Worked like a charm. Eventually I could get her to take one step at a time without the halter and lead on . 

Good luck.


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## rissaxbmth (Feb 2, 2010)

"She does have a tremendous amount of energy...that may be partly because we are giving her four scoops of feed a day (she really needs it because she has lots and lots of weight to gain)."


My boy has the same problem but stop giving her so much. She needs lots of grass and hay and she should gain pounds quick. My boy was so hard to handle and now we stopped giving him so much he is settling down.


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Sandy, if you already posted this info, than excuse me for asking, but what "feed" are you giving this horse to gain weight.

I ask because my gelding Walka is a hard keeper and I have found that adding Hay Stretcher to his regular feed has worked wonders without the added hotness they can get from grains.

I've actually switched his feeding completely, over time, to just oats, hay stretcher and vitamins/minerals and cocoasoya oil. Lots of hay of course. Working well and maintaining weight nicely . Just thought I'd share for what its worth.


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## kmdstar (Nov 17, 2009)

rissaxbmth said:


> My boy has the same problem but *stop giving her so much*. She needs *lots of grass and hay* and she should gain pounds quick. My boy was so hard to handle and now we stopped giving him so much he is settling down.


Agree ^^

IMO you should give a horse that is a hard keeper, or any horse for that matter freechoice hay with not alot of grain. See how they do on that, THEN go about upping the grain - but not too much. Depending on your size scoop, 4 scoops is probably way too much and it also depends on what kind of feed it is. 

If you CAN, cut back her grain and give her more hay if she isn't already getting freechoice hay.


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## PechosGoldenChance (Aug 23, 2009)

Agreed^^. 4 scoops of grain seems like soooo much grain!! I'd do as the above said...cut back the grain and get her out on the grass and give her some hay. Lots and lots of hay. Good luck!!


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## caseymyhorserocks (Apr 5, 2010)

does she bolt when you open the door? if so thats sounds like fear to me. If she bolts after you have the halter on her choose ONE of these tips-choose the other if the other one doesnt work:

-When you get the halter on her IMMEDIATELY TURN HER AROUND AND BACK HER OUT OF THE STALL!! 
Or:
-Get a dressage whip and/or a stud chain (alternative bridle if you do not have a stud chain) and lead her out of the door-if she tenses up tap her chest with the whip and back her back into the stall and do again- if you are using stud chain/bridle give a light shank and back into stall and do again. You may want a experienced horse friend to say when she is tensing up so you are not looking at her! on the second time give wack her harder on the chest, if you are using stud chain/bridle give a harder shank. This tip requires good eyes for noticing tensing up so i prefer the other one!! 

Hope the is helps


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## sandy2u1 (May 7, 2008)

The reason for all the feed is that she is a senior horse that we once believed couldn't eat hay. She doesn't seem to have a problem eating it though, so we will cut her back some. 
That being said however, I think I just didn't give her enough time to settle in. She has calmed down a lot and the stall issue has dissipated. We are opening our pastures everyday for two hours now, so I think I will back her off to just 2 scoops (as long as she keeps gaining weight).
Thank you all so much for your help and advice.


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