I’ve just started searching for a new horse and came across one that ticks most of the boxes. I’m not looking for a fancy competition horse, just a nice all around horse to do some very low level basic dressage and hack around/trails. I haven’t seen the horse, but the seller disclosed in conversation that he weaves in his stall. I’ve never dealt with a weaver so looking for some insight. Obviously sounds like he would be best kept outdoors 24/7. But is there anything else you can do? Is it like cribbing where once it’s established, it doesn’t go away? Any other solutions to help in a stall?
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Go see him. It’s a “wart” I guess. It probably won’t go away. But if you like the horse, and he works out to be a great horse for you, you may find that you can overlook this slight flaw. Horses can have worse flaws. There may be different options for keeping him (perhaps out with other horses, not in a stall- or even just in a low key, quiet barn) where he is able to relax more. Would you marry a spouse who chewed their fingernails?
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I’ve known some horses that weaved…usually a habit developed because they were kept in a stall for the majority of the time (truly…a couple were in 24/7, which is so sad). The only way those kept indoors all the time would stop was either if they had hay to munch or were tied. I think I’ve seen some that will still sort of weave even when tied.
It wouldn’t be a deal-breaker for me, but I’d definitely strive to give such a horse a life with as close to 24/7 turnout as I could, preferably with friends. Obviously, stalling is necessary at times (feeding, illness/injury recovery, etc.) and the weaving may show up at such a time, but that’s a bridge I’d cross if/when I came to it.
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I knew one, an OTTB war horse who ceased weaving when he was moved to pasture board. A WB mare I knew quit stall weaving when her wooden stall door was replaced with one of metal mesh. So it’s not a lost cause.
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My late Arab weaved so was kept outside 24/7. In his late teens we moved to a barn where he was stalled at night; he must have outgrown the habit because he rarely weaved again unless very agitated.
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I have come across one that weaved even turned out, so you may want to ask the seller when the weaving happens (or observe the horse in turnout).
My horse’s stall neighbour will weave more if his stall door is open (with a stall guard). If the door is closed but the stall window is open, it’s much better.
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Generally speaking, if this horse ticks all your boxes and passes the PPE, this is likely manageable.
But (isn’t there always a but), weaving in a small space can put extra wear on their joints/legs and not being able to stall them without them weaving might complicate any need to confine them for medical rehab reasons.
Just things to think about.
I would likely discuss management very carefully with the current owner to see if you can determine if this horse would be comfortable living a different way or if there is something treatable that might lower their stress level (like ulcers or such). Can this horse do group turnout and are they happy like that? Does the horse only weave when it has no food? Does it weave more if it is not in regular work?
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Are you keeping the horse at home or boarding? Consider carefully because I’ve seen stereotypies become a nightmare in certain set-ups, and if you can’t change it…
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Weaving would not be a dealbreaker to me. I’ve picked up a few TBs from the track that were disclosed as weavers. All stopped with time and turnout. 
The was one that had a suspensory injury years down the road, and the weaving resurfaced, interfering with his stall rest / ability to heal. After a long talk with the vet, we put him on Dr Green (24/7 turnout) - at the time this was devastating because the prognosis was so poor for recovery, however, I’m convinced this is the only reason he returned to his former level of work and then exceeded it for over a decade (Novice packer). Just offering that as he presented as a management challenge for a while.
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Weaving is like cribbing in that it’s a stereotypie that some horses develop as a result of some trigger. Serious weaving, with hours and hours in a stall a day, can lead to soundness issues. Minor weaving (mild, or very little time each day) doesn’t tend to, and yes, unlike cribbing, weavers tend to not weave when out, but they may still do it, especially at gates if they’re anxious about coming in.
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My last OTTB weaved a LOT when stalled. He rarely weaved in turnout except when stressed but he never stopped when stalled. He was happiest out 24/7 with a run-in. I can’t imagine how that horse survived on the track.
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My first horse was a weaver, not disclosed off the track. He weaved whenever he got worked up or felt left out. He always got used to the schedule at new barns, but those first couple weeks when things where changing and he was learning the schedule he would weave. He would weave if he wasn’t the first horse turned out & at the change of seasons when we changed from day to night turnout. But as long as his schedule stayed mostly consistent, he was happy.
I tried to get him in 24/7 turnout, but that didn’t always happen, or they would come in for a storm and he would start weaving again. I caught him weaving in the pasture once when we where bringing in and he got behind a XC jump and couldnt’t figure out how to go around & thought he was left out.
I was worried if he got a major injury how I would deal with stall rest, and I think Mr Green would have been my only choice. I had decided there wasn’t a surgical colic option due to the weaving & I don’t think the recovery would be good for him, thankfully I never had to make that decision. I would own a weaver again as long as turnout was an option. He did weave once in the tight fitting slant load trailer while we where unloading other horses behind him, so tieing him would not have helped him.
At shows I did get a lot of suggestions on how to stop him weaving (favorite was “if you give him hay he will stop”, uhm, he is weaving on top of the loose hay currently & has a hay bag as well, no hay will not stop him). I think having to explain him to everyone at shows was one of my least favorite parts because I couldn’t change him.
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I think, too, there are degrees of weaving. I have one now that really hardly moves his feet, but he head bobs in and out of his stall when he’s anxious to be fed, etc. He doesn’t do it all the time, and he’s good while turned out, but around feed time he may come to the gate and bob his head/neck. More work is best for this particular horse. The more work he gets, the less he bobs/weaves. Some days he doesn’t do it at all.
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I have a mare who weaves. With me she lives out 24/7 but when she has to be in I have to make sure she has some tasty hay in front of her the whole time she is in. Surprisingly, she didn’t weave when she was in with her foal but I think that she was so enamored by her filly that she didn’t get bored.
Weaving not a deal breaker depending on the severity of the weaving.
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I did ask this because I knew of a lesson barn that purchased a weaver and unknown to them he did it outside as well, all the time. The seller said he does it just in a stall.
He would be boarded where my previous guy was.
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This is kind of funny and kind of not, poor guy!
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Thank you everyone for your comments and sharing your experiences. It’s not a deal breaker for me, I was more curious about how others have managed this.
If I do get this horse, he has the option of outdoor board or stall at night. From April/May to November/December, most of the horses are out 24/7 anyway, unless there’s extreme weather conditions. In the winter, horses are out 12 hrs/day.
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I’ll be the odd one out and say weaving is a deal breaker for me. I had a Craigslist rescue that had a few screws loose. I was told she’d weave a little maybe if she was upset. Turns out she would weave all the time and anywhere. Including out with a herd in a big turnout, in a smaller turnout out with a friend, in a smaller turnout alone, or in a stall. Having hay out made no difference. The weaving sometimes became pacing if she had a longer fence line to work with. She would pull her front shoes by stepping on them, but if she was barefoot she’d wear her feet down until they hurt and then weave because they hurt. We tried a bunch of things to manage her and make her happy, unfortunately they all ended up being temporary fixes as something would eventually set her off again. I ended up giving her to someone that liked her bloodlines and wanted her as a babysitter in a big green pasture.
I’m glad other people have had better luck with weavers, it’s still not something I’d want to take on again.
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The funny part is that he definitely could jump the jump, he had before (it was maybee BN, he had jumped Prelim…), but once he got in the weaving headspace, he couldn’t figure it out. Also could have gone around too, but nope, the only option was he was stuck and other horses where being let in and he is being left out so need to weave.
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