bad stall behavior

Question
horse at stable has totally ruined stall kicks, eats boards all around stall. owner of horse says never before. goes to outside pasture everday for most of day. please help won't have stall left soon.

Answer
Rick Gore:  Horses get bored and will develop bad habits when stalled.

Hi Tammy, the more turn out time the better.  Chewing can be helped by tacking chicken wire over boards.  Stall kicking is normally related to other horses working things out.  If he is new, he could be stressed and still trying to adjust to his new home.  He has not found his place yet with the other horses, so he is trying to establish dominance in his herd or horses next to him.  If his stall buddies have been around for a while, they may be testing him to see if he should be higher or lower.  The horse is nervous, insecure and has not found his place or been allowed in the herd yet.  More turn out time, less grain, less alfalfa and a few chew balls or toys may held.  Free choice hay will help, tell the owner to get some grass hay and slowly add more hay, so the horse can eat longer instead of wolfing down his flake and then have nothing to do until the next feeding.  Horses graze about 21 hours a day in the wild, that is a lot of time being busy, in a stall we disrupt all of this and then blame the horse when he tries to mentally feel that void.

Hope this helps,

Rick