Weanling/almost yearling wants to hurt herself

[Sparrowette]

This is still my first foray into baby-raising and it’s always something.

My ASB filly is officially, on paper, a yearling but will actually be a yearling in late April. She keeps fiddling with the gate latch of her “mare motel” type stall and is scratching her head (there’s a small sort of almost gash where her star is) and rubbing hair off her face. This is not her actual stall gate, but it’s the same type of set-up/latch:

She sticks her nose/head through the gate and tries to reach and move the bottom handle. She won’t get anywhere because of the chain, but she’s scratching her head and rubbing her hair off. Instead of just having the safety chain run just around the main uprights, I and BO wrap it so that it prevents the bottom handle from being slid out and lifted too far up, but she keeps trying.

“Nevertheless, she persisted!”

I’m afraid that at some point, real damage might happen.

What can I do with this sort of set-up to prevent her from really hurting herself? I know I need to put something on there, but what? Preferably inexpensive?

All help appreciated.

[fivestrideline]

Pool noodle or foam taped around it? If you don’t need to open this part it’ll be easier. I’m not a fan of this type of fencing for the babies. Maybe sheets of plywood attached to the inside of the fence would keep her off it (and keep her legs out of the gaps).

[4horses]

Mine is even worse than that. He has tried to jump through my fencing. I’m putting electric fencing up all over. If you really want to stop the behavior, you need electric. Everything goes in his mouth and I mean everything. He ripped up my rain coat, has stolen rugs off the porch, has stolen my shoes, lead ropes, halters. If it’s not nailed down, it disappears into the pasture.

What did he do this morning? Slip on the wet grass and fall head over heels. I look up to see my 2 year old, trying not to crash into him. She very clumsily climbed over him. He gets up and goes running after her.

Trying to keep them alive at this age can be challenging.

Every night between 6-10 pm, he likes to go for a gallop, and spin, buck, and slide to a stop. He likes to spin around the trees like they are barrels. Honestly it’s a bit scary watching him tear around the pasture. I’m certain he is having a blast. The 2 year old runs around, but she’s a lot more sensible.

[Texarkana]

@fivestrideline

Pool noodle or foam taped around it? If you don’t need to open this part it’ll be easier. I’m not a fan of this type of fencing for the babies. Maybe sheets of plywood attached to the inside of the fence would keep her off it (and keep her legs out of the gaps).

There’s an 87% chance she will eat the pool noodle. Ask me how I know!

I vote plywood. I had to use plywood to cover the back door of my baby’s stall because she was equally unintelligent around it.

[OverandOnward]

Is this a latch problem, or is it really a scratching problem?

There is a strategy of providing animals a firmly-staged giant brush that they can rub against at will. It addresses a desire to harmlessly rub and scratch. It’s also something to do for bored animals.

There are some crazy-expensive ones. But maybe you could test the theory by mounting something brush-scratchy onto something firm and see if she responds.

[Sparrowette]

I wish it were just a need to scratch, but I’ve seen that little nose try to move the handle. She really works at it.

[OverandOnward]

Smart horses - the fun ones, but not the easy ones, are they.

She needs interesting things to do. More engaging than the latch.

But yeah, you gotta keep her off the latch, too.

[bingbingbing]

She is a baby. Does she have turn out? Friends? She is a curious baby.

[clanter]

@4horses

I’m putting electric fencing up all over. If you really want to stop the behavior, you need electric

our weanling while being lead to the barn reached over biting the electric fence tape, needless to say he quickly learn to respect the fence

We were keeping him in our round pen until he started playing with gate latches, so put him into the pasture with an older horse who is teaching him about life as a horse

[4horses]

Young horses need toys. I need to go to the thrift store and load up on stuffed toys- ones without limbs that young horses can rip apart. Preferably large dog toys if I can find some. Maybe another soccer ball since the first one is almost deflated.

[clanter]

@4horses

Young horses need toys.

yes, ours has a four foot inflatable ball… the ball attacked the colt after the colt punched the ball it bounce up hitting him in the muzzle … he jumped back, spun around kicking the ball out of the round pen winning that round of attack the ball

[Bluey]

We had one smaller pasture with two yearlings and a four year old to babysit them.
There were some tree limbs around and one was about 5’ and just right to pick up and play keep away or tug of war between yearlings.
When the four year old came to help, one would pick the stick by himself and chase him away, hitting him with the stick wherever he could get to as the older one was scrambling away.
The weanlings got very good at handling the stick, it was hilarious.

[Sparrowette]

She has a ball toy in her stall, and I gave them each one of “Uncle Jimmy’s Balls” around Christmas. Mom Loved hers but the kid worked on hers much more slowly.

She gets turnout with some older mares and more recently geldings, and they are teaching her herd manners. There are a number of horses up and down the aisle she can see easily. This is a boarding barn. I don’t think I’d get away with any electric.

I think that each time the gate is opened, she sees a human grab that handle. So “out” has to do with that thing.

So it looks like plywood. What thickness would be best? 1/2"? I already have a bunch of ties that will do about 40lb each.

[George_T_Mule]

Get some toys for your baby, Sparrowette. There are dog toys, I think some of the Kong ones, that are very sturdy, and can be filled with horse cookies or grain to provide motivation and amusement. You might also try one of the HayPlay balls; fill 'em with loose hay, toss 'em in the stall, and watch the fun. All of our Equines (ranging from ~3yo to 23yo) just love 'em. Our local Murdochs store carries them, sometimes BigR, too.
https://www.valleyvet.com/ct_detail.html?pgguid=fa774bc3-0eb9-4655-9bc5-da0fc2685176

[luvmyhackney]

ASB babies are super busy babies and curious about everything. You need more toys in the stall and to rotate them. Food puzzles work great, as much turnout as possible.

Kong dog toys, frozen ice cubes, traffic cones, clicker training all keep the mind busy.

[Phaedra1]

We have a couple of baby’s who try to get in trouble. I find these keep them busy for a little bit, If you can find them cheap!
Or just get another safe latch and put it away from the door so she can play with it.

[Djones]

You can certainly start with 1/2" and further discurage her with no chew stuff on the edges.

Maybe you can lure her off of it with a length of cotton lead rope or other rope to fiddle with on that section of her pen. I hear you that she has toys in her stall, but she might enjoy something outside, too.

BABIES!

[Sparrowette]

Thank you everyone. I’ve already started my “toy-buying-bonanza”! A rubber chicken is on its way to us.

I’ll need to hit Home Depot this weekend for the plywood.

[Sparrowette]

In that picture, in the background the solid fence is the round pen. My little gal jumped out of it when she was 28 days old.

[clanter]

@Sparrowette

In that picture, in the background the solid fence is the round pen. My little gal jumped out of it when she was 28 days old

without her Cape? oh my.

Once they learn something at that age its appears it is embedded for life