Stereotypies in the stable

Hello!

Training away a stereotypy, such as the box-walking your horse has developed, is difficult and can take a long time. Sometimes it does not disappear completely, and the behaviour can flare up again if the horse becomes stressed or feels some kind of discomfort that triggers it.

🥕 Chewing and eating are key here. It is great that he is calm when he eats hay, and a real plus that the company of another horse helps 👍

🥕 Try to make sure he has that company and access to forage, hay or straw, to chew on.

🥕 Start with short spells and build up gradually. As far as possible, avoid leaving him without company and without forage until you find that he stands completely calmly and relaxes in the stable.

🥕 Where you can, avoid bringing him in when he is at his hungriest, and do not give only hard feed in the stable. He will eat it quickly and most likely just grow more stressed once the hard feed is gone and he is standing in on his own.

🥕 Could you review his ration and increase the forage and cut the hard feed, so there is more forage and more chance to chew for longer?

Have patience, and a little more patience. Good luck! 🦄🐴🦄