My horse kicks the stable door

Question
HI there

My horse has ringbone and the vet has advised that he should stay in at night and go out in the day, normally my horse spends summer out 24 hours a day and winter he is just in at night.  He has now started to kick the door at all hours of the day and is waking the owner of the yard up. He has been at his current yard for 6 yrs and then I moved him about 7 wks ago to somewhere else but a week ago I moved him back to his old yard of 6 years but he is in a different stable. I have tried thinking of all things that could set him off and its just not making sense. I've tried putting padding on his door and he has now worked that out and is kicking the rest of the stable walls. He goes out in the day until about 2pm and then comes in eats his haynet and then starts banging as soon as he sees people. The yard has over 30 horses so u can imagine there are lots of owners that come up. I can't just give him more hay as I've been told to keep his weight down coz if he gets fat its more pressure on his ringbone.
I'm lost of things to do now, I'm going to get him a toy to play with but unless its got food in he's not bothered. Have u come across this before and if so have u any suggestion? some people have said just give him time to settle in but I'm worried that by kicking the door he is setting off his ringbone.

Answer
Well, good news is the banging the door shouldn't bother his ringbone.  It's spoiled brat behavior.  He doesn't like being kept in the stall when he was used to 24 hr. turnout. Maybe you could get them to bring him in later?  He simply doesn't want to be confined to a 12x12 stall and 2 pm. is really early to bring them in.  He wants attention, interaction with others, hence the banging for attention.  Putting him in solitary confinement for less time would most likely help. I have to assume that when he came in at night before it was later in the day and that he didn't kick the door then.  If the rest of the horses are still out he's simply unhappy with being separated from them.  

I don't know of any sure fire cure for this behavior.  Bringing him in later maybe break up his hay ration to spread out the time he has food to keep him occupied might help.  But I think your best bet is to try to shorten his time of stall confinement.    You can also try putting a dropperful of Rescue Remedy, a homeopathic substance you can get at health food stores and over the 'Net, to help with the separation anxiety.