Claustrophobic? Doorway Anxiety!

[tipzythegreat]

Has anyone had experience with a horse that appears to be claustrophobic? Over the few years I’ve owned my gelding, he has inconsistently had issues with:

• Going in and out of his stall
• Going through a narrow hallway with a low ceiling. This is the one that’s worst of all
• Coming in and out of the barn
• Grooming stalls. These are converted stalls. I can back him into these without drama however
• He doesn’t trailer much but prefers to not go in the trailer, as you might imagine.

It’s like all of a sudden the problem seems to happen. Sometimes it won’t happen again for half a year, other times it haunts us for weeks.

His response varies as well. Sometimes he’ll go right in/out without blinking. Other times he’ll walk up to the door, kinda hesitate and go right in. Other times he kind of throws his head, and then goes right in. Sometimes he’ll take a step backwards and then go in with an encouraging tug. Sometimes he’ll plant his feet. Sometimes he’ll stand nicely and then stare at the doorway and be a giraffe. Sometimes he throws his head and drops his butt and scoots away in terror. Sometimes he’ll also run in or out.

Things I have tried with varying success:
Treats
Lots and lots of praise when he is good
Talking encouragingly to him before the door and through the door
Backing him up when he plants his feet and appears to be naughty
Walking through doorway with him confidently
Standing inside the doorway and letting him come in on his own time with a lax lead
Trainer assistance
Other people leading him

His breeder said his mother was ‘quirky and claustrophobic’ so I’m wondering if he just is claustrophobic!

He’s been out of work and the behavior just isn’t going away. He is barely getting any grain due to not being in work, so he isn’t all hyped up on grain.

He will walk around floppy lipped and then all of a sudden size up the doorway and scoot backwards. His four shoes on the pavement never fail to garner stares and questions. Literally his neck and head is so far down and his lip FLOPS so you can see the inside pink as we approach the door way.

YES sometimes I am nervous walking him through the door. But I swear when my heart is beating out of my chest is when he behaves best. It’s like when I’m confident and not expecting it that it happens…

YES he has BASHED his head on the door way so I’m sure that’s part of it.

He is often worse for people that are not me as well. So it’s not just me!

I’m desperate! Anyone know what I can? It’s so unpredictable and different. He’s also totally fine once we’re through the doorway, and isn’t the spooky sort.

[JB]

Ever had his eyes thoroughly evaluated?

Have you noticed any difference depending on the amount of light, and the direction it’s coming from?

[NancyM]

A friend had one like this. A show hunter who was quite successful, but quirky. They sent her to a trainer who did “ground work”, and he schooled the horse to go into the stall FIRST, without the human going into the stall leading in the normal fashion. The trainer also included a “head down” cue with the invitation for the horse to enter the stall. The handler would stand beside the doorway of the stall, out of the horse’s way, and indicate with pressure behind the horse that the horse should continue into the stall. Early in the training almost like “lunging” the horse into the stall. After the training was installed, the handler simply indicated with a hand motion that the horse was to enter the stall, and stood back, away from the stall entrance to allow the horse to do so. This calmed the horse, made her more relaxed about going into the stall by doing it without the human being in the stall first. No one ever knew why the horse felt this way, but it worked. The human could enter the stall once the horse was in. The horse was not afraid of humans, just didn’t want to enter the stall when the human was in there first.

[JB]

I did that with my OTTB mare when we got the barn built. She would RUN into the stall, and RUN back out. I mean, OTTB, she had a LOT of in and out stall time!

I put a 12’ lead rope on, taught her basic “point and go that way”, and then we did that over and over with the stall. I stood on the outside for both in and out. I asked her once to come out, or go in, and as long as she was facing the right way and actively thinking about it, I ignored her. But if she backed up, or turned her head, I didn’t reprimand her, I just asked again.

It took a few days, of dozens of ins and outs, for her to start walking out reliably, even if it was still in a worried and hurried manner. A few more days and she was totally quiet about it, and it’s never been a problem since.

But the “point and shoot” needs to be solid before you add an obstacle to it, because whatever level of solid training you have for a given thing, expect some degree of training “loss” when you introduce something new.

[tipzythegreat]

I DO suspect his eyes @JB !

The problem seems to flare up around daylight savings time in the spring and fall. I also noticed late in the evening when the barn was dark and it was bright outside that he had an issue as well. usually going INTO the dark is scarier than going into the light, but I’ve seen it both ways. However he definitely sees me and watches things. I know they take longer to adjust to light vs dark than us.

I thought I’d ask my vet to check his eyes out when she’s out for his (unrelated) ultrasound next month. But, I know there isn’t anything that can be done about it… right?

There are times where I can halterless get him into the stall without issue.Other times I have to beg him to get into his stall for 5 minutes. I have stood outside the stall and gestured for him to go in. He sometimes balks then too.

When you have him go in, do you hang onto a long lead rope? My concern is if he does balk, he may take off. But I’m also concerned he’ll hang himself up on the rope and MAKE IT WORSE!!! AHHH!!

Perhaps I can work on getting him to “lead me” into his round pen turnout. That’s generally much less scary than the dark stall. To me @NancyM my horse really seems to ‘prefer’ if I go with him. He gets this worried look on his face and looks at the doorway then me then the doorway and he sort of rocks back and forth for a minute. I can see his little brain fighting with his flight instinct.

I appreciate the feedback! I was so nervous to post this. But I want this to be better – for both him and me. It shouldn’t be so stressful!!!

[JB]

@tipzythegreat

I thought I’d ask my vet to check his eyes out when she’s out for his (unrelated) ultrasound next month. But, I know there isn’t anything that can be done about it… right?

It depends, but probably not.

When you have him go in, do you hang onto a long lead rope? My concern is if he does balk, he may take off. But I’m also concerned he’ll hang himself up on the rope and MAKE IT WORSE!!! AHHH!!

Absolutely hang onto the rope, because he can’t be allowed to practice running off. If it needs to be a lunge line to have better control, then do that. But make sure you also work very hard on giving to pressure, so they have a soft head and neck turn when they feel that line on the halter. That should be part of the “point and go” lessons as well - never release pressure while they are bracing, release instantly once they let go, and then ask for more and more softness.

This method is also how I teach self-loading onto the trailer.

Perhaps I can work on getting him to “lead me” into his round pen turnout. That’s generally much less scary than the dark stall.

Every opportunity you have to have him “lead” into or through or over something, take it :yes:

I appreciate the feedback! I was so nervous to post this. But I want this to be better – for both him and me. It shouldn’t be so stressful!!!

:yes: