April 2002

Diffuse That Energy Overload

A horse confined to a stall needs experienced handling to keep him from exploding at his first opportunity and reinjuring himself.

Being able to see activity may make a stall- ûbound horse more anxious.

Whether it’s a prolonged confinement because of an injury or due to weather, pent-up energy gets to be a problem with the stall-bound horse. The temptation is to reach for a tranquilizer, but it’s not the best solution.

Some horses tolerate stall confinement well, but others end up stall walking, weaving, rearing or worse. When an injured horse is on stall confinement, the goal is to minimize stress to the injured area. However, if the horse is carrying on in the stall you may be better off to walk him 10 to 20 minutes inside the barn aisle once or twice a day to take the edge off. Clear this first…