This is more annoying than anything else but - trying to figure out why my horse will just randomly stand there throwing his haunches into the air and kicking out - repeatedly. He only does this in his paddock/stall - not in hand, not under saddle. He is a 20 yo, semi retired OTTB. Lives in a stall/run/private paddock combo, shares a fence line w one neighbor gelding, another OTTB. My guys is a kill pen rescue - formerly starved - so I would understand if he was doing this at feeding time, but he will do it standing alone out in his paddock, sometimes with no neighbor around. What the heck? He looks irritated when he does it. He’s healthy, sound, great weight, gets worked and/or turned out 4 days/week. Any clues?
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Does he have hay in front of him most of the day? If not, can you try that? I’d suspect ulcers (I know it’s the go-to answer around here…just be happy I didn’t say saddle fit :lol: ), or just hunger pangs. Check out this article on persistent gas colic, see if that seems like a fit for what you’re seeing?
Maybe bugs? I know mine tries to run from flies…
Thin skinned breed: flies annoying him?
lives in a stall paddock - how large is the space? What does “turned out” mean in terms of time, space, companionship? 4 days a week to get out of his cell might not be enough… note that your idea of enough space and his idea might not be the same.
My OTTB would go stark raving mad with 4 days a week of work or turnout and the rest of the time in a stall and/or small paddock. When he is confined to a stall and medical paddock for more than a couple of days he kicks. Sometimes he kicks at the wall, sometimes at the fence, sometimes at thin air. He is only kept confined if he is injured, and then his injury better be a fast healing one! Even with “better living through chemistry” he becomes a danger to himself and to any handler.
Boredom. He’s making life more interesting for himself. A bit like the way prisoners walk their cells, or make repetitive noise, or push ups obsessively.
