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Stall kicking - Stall kicking can cause serious injury to the hind legs and especially
the hocks. Some horses kick the walls of their stable for no reason other than just
to kick. Other horses kick the walls of their stable at feeding time to display their
impatience. Some horses only kick at night.
General Procedures for Correcting Vices
1. Place the collar on your horse two days before you begin correcting him.
2. Timing is crucial. Correct your horse as soon as the behavior begins.
3. Consistent corrections are key to success. Correct your horse for the bad habit
as often as possible.
4. Stay out of sight as much as possible. Don’t react and don’t say anything.
5. Start with a low stimulation level, and work your way up if necessary.
6. Correct one vice at a time. If working on more than one bad habit with an
individual horse, only correct one vice at a time to avoid confusing the horse.
Allow 2-3 weeks between working on each vice.
7. Once the behavior has stopped keep the collar on your horse for three weeks.
8. Persistence pays!
Other Vices
Aggression Toward Other Horses or Animals - Fighting is aggressive behavior by
dominant individuals. Once dominance is established, usually the fighting is rare
unless a new horse is introduced to the herd, at which
time the collar can be useful again.
Wood Chewing - Wood chewing is one of the most
common vices. Some horses chew wood every chance
they get due to boredom, while others chew wood only
when the weather changes, especially in wet conditions.
This vice can be dangerous to the horse because it can
swallow, or be punctured by splinters of wood.
Stopping the Hot Walker - This bad habit may
seem like merely a nuisance to horse owners but it
can lead to serious problems. Fortunately it is very
easily corrected. Be careful not to use the collar if
the hot walker is at a lower height. Typically you
will only need the lower intensity levels to cure
this problem.
Stall or Confinement Vices - Stall vices may
cause injury to the horse, may cause poor performance, or may waste energy.
They are often an expression of boredom. These include weaving, stall kicking,
stall walking, pawing, self-mutilation, and eating bedding or dirt. Horses can
mimic each other so stall vices can spread.
Weaving - Weaving is a rhythmical shifting of the weight of the forehand from
one forefoot to the other. This is a nervous habit that takes a tremendous amount
of energy. It results from too much high energy food and/or insufficient exercise.
This vice is rapidly learned by horses that see it being performed.
• Chewing leg wraps or bandages
• Tongue flapping or hanging
• Chewing fly masks
• Teeth grinding
• Blanket chewing
• Chewing wounds
(not for medical reasons)
• Eating dirt or bedding
• Excessive licking or chewing objects
• Noise making