Weaving horse - a bad idea?

[RedTurtle]

Hi guys, I’m writing yet again about a horse I’m considering to buy.
Wonderful horse, just the right size, 6 years old but isn’t educated appropriately, which isn’t a huge problem, as I can educate him myself(with the help of a trainer ofc). He was just my kind of horse, temperament, looks and all. But as I talk to the seller after riding him, she reveals that he weaves.
I thought that wasn’t a very huge problem, but after reading a lot about it, I ended up writing the seller and saying that I just couldn’t buy a horse that weaves. I tried to forget him, but I can’t, I compare every possible other horse to him and I keep thinking about him.
A little more info about him and the weaving:
The seller said that after he was moved to a new stable, about two weeks went by before anyone saw him weaving, which means he probably doesn’t weave during dinner or turn-out time. Makes me wonder if he weaves out of boredom, as he’s 6 and according to the seller he’s only been ridden a total of 50 times in his life. His hooves and legs are healthy, and when meeting him he seemed like a calm horse, no trace of a nervous temperament.
He really wants to work and loves being ridden.

So I guess my question is, would you buy this horse? Why/why not?

[Showbizz]

My Mom purchased a weaver, and it was a pain for a while. But she put the mare out 24/7 with a buddy and eventually it went away. It does still pop up every once in a while, like once a year or something, but for the most part, it’s gone. Had she not changed the mare’s environment, I doubt it would have gone away.

[WildLittleWren]

Is there a way you can keep him on 24/7 turnout? Most horses I have known who weave mostly do it in their stalls or at feeding time. Just a thought.

[longlanefarm]

I’ve never owned a horse that weaves. I also keep my horses out 24/7 for the most part. If I were you and I loved everything about this horse, I would not let the weaving affect the sale. I would change his environment (more turnout or 24/7 if possible) and hope for the best.

[Hulk]

My first thoughts were throw him out on pasture, and then leave him there as much as possible. I would not decline to buy a weaver but I would change the environment. But then my horses are here at home and I can change environments accordingly. If you board you may need to discuss with the BO/BM.

[Simkie]

How are you planning on housing him?

If you’d like to put him in a stall, in a busy boarding barn, this is probably not the horse for you.

If you’re planning on turning him out, preferably with some friend, and keeping him stalled rarely, then weaving shouldn’t be much of a problem.

[RedgateFarm]

We took in a 29 yr old mare that was an incessant weaver and put her in a similar situation as previous posters and all weaving stopped. Our setup is such that we have two stalls in the barn that open up to the arena which opens up the the pasture. They had 24 hr access to arena and 12-24 hr access to the pasture and she stopped weaving within the first few weeks. I think that if you could offer a horse that kind of setup you should have success. Frankly, I was shocked at how quickly she stopped and that she stopped at all due to her age but having the freedom to move around did it.

[Redlei44]

Agree with all of the above, the only way I personally would do it is if the horse could have 24x7 turnout. Partly because of the physical stress on and anxiety of the horse, and partly because a weaving horse in a stall is just a disaster to take care of and watch in the barn. The weavers I’ve been exposed to have almost always come from a background of living outside and being broke late and then put in a stall for training, and they wove in the stall. No/little weaving when returned to 24x7 turnout even when staying in training.

[RedTurtle]

Thanks for the replies!
My current plan is having him at the barn I work at in the winter months, fairly quiet, 20 or less other horses. They get hay and feed three times a day, and the stalls have bars between the horses, so they can see and smell each other.
The weekends I work there, it’s only the owner of the stables who comes and rides her horses. This would be smart, since there’s a nice riding hall there, I can’t seem to find a way to give him more pasture time than about 5-6 hours a day during winter, and only 2 of those will be while the other horses are out, as the owner of the stables(for some stupid reason) only takes the horses back in herself, if they’re out for the standard 2 hours.
I plan to move him to a smaller stables in the area during the summer months(I’m thinking march-october), 24/7 pasture with several other horses. I can’t do this year round, as much as I’d like to, as it gets dark early in winter, and I’ll have to ride alone 15 minutes in complete darkness, through a forest to get to the riding hall, and that is simply too unsafe. I will think more about it, but so far this seems like a decent plan.

[Bogie]

I own a die-hard weaver (OTTB). He’s out 24/7 now and weaves occasionally at meal time or when stressed but he’s fine as long as he’s not in a stall. I’ve owned him 15 years and living out has made him a much happier horse.

[sherian]

have one that weaves if she is short changed on turnout, a slow feeder net when they are stuck in helps a lot, then she only weaves for a couple minuits when grain is being fed. Also had one that if he shared a stall with a buddy it eliminated most of it. Would rather have a weaver than a cribber to be honest - cribber will destroy your barn.

[Simkie]

@RedTurtle

Thanks for the replies!
My current plan is having him at the barn I work at in the winter months, fairly quiet, 20 or less other horses. They get hay and feed three times a day, and the stalls have bars between the horses, so they can see and smell each other.

That sounds like a really tough environment for a weaver. Little turnout, no personal space, 20 horses is quite a lot of action.

At the very least, can you lease him for a month to see how he’d do in that environment?

[pAin_t_Misbehavin]

No, not in your situation, I wouldn’t. He will be at a busy barn with little turnout. Weavers are hard on themselves and hard on the facilities. He’ll be better off with someone who can turn him out 24/7.
I know how you feel. I once fell in love with a cribber. BO said not just no but hell, no. Which turned out to be just as well.
Have you asked your current BO/stable manager whomever how she feels about a weaver?

[RedTurtle]

I haven’t asked BO about having a weaver, but most of her own horses are cribbers, so yeah.

[peedin]

I bought a 15 year old cribber. She cribs outside. She cribs inside. She is turned out 24/7 during non-winter months and cribs. She used to weave also, but apparently that has stopped. If you can deal with the weaving, buy the horse. Sometimes I look at my girl and just want to shout STOP CRIBBING but it’s part of her makeup.

[PeteyPie]

@RedTurtle

I haven’t asked BO about having a weaver, but most of her own horses are cribbers, so yeah.

That’s weird. I would be alarmed that the BO is not keeping her horses happy if MOST of them are cribbers. That just doesn’t sound right and it sounds like she has a bunch of stressed out horses in her care. Be wary of boarding there.

[merrygoround]

Yes! It’s a bad idea. These horses are also difficult to keep weight on. They wear holes in the stall floor. So, unless you can rethink her winter turn out. Pass!

[clint]

I bought a mare years ago and it wasn’t disclosed she was a weaver. I didn’t know until I took her to a show, and she was stalled. She weaved the entire time she was stalled, but she was fine when turned out. The other horse was a boarder. He was turned out, but if he got stressed, or missed a buddy taken from the field, he would weave at the gate. In your situation, I wouldn’t take this horse. Being confined all winter will likely lead to your horse weaving constantly. The horse I boarded who would weave at the gate could leave a six inch deep groove in no time, so I’m guessing a stall could get damaged too.

[lifeishorsesarelove]

If your only boarding option for half the year is 5-6 hours turnout, its not a bad idea. Its a TERRIBLE idea. Thats pretty well the worst set up for a weaver, short of no turnout at all.

They burn a ton of extra calories stressing and weaving, wear down stall floors, and I’m sure it isn’t good for their neck musculature either.

I would NOT buy this horse and stick it in a stall for 18 hrs a day. Find a different turnout/boarding arrangement or don’t buy the horse. You’d be doing him a disservice.

[WildLittleWren]

If you can’t offer more turnout, I would pass for the horse’s sake.