Can you use kicking chains on a horses front legs

[mekm99]

Hi, I have a 8 year old freisian and I am taking him to school with me in the spring, however he has to be in a stall for half the day and he paws/kicks the door and walls with his front feet. I have tried just about everything and and thinking of resorting to kicking chains or a smaller shoe around his front pasterns, however i don't know much about kicking chains or whether you can put them on a horse's front legs or not. Any help would be GREAT!!! Thanks

[lauraSchumann]

Hi...I have been asked to answer your question--- :cheeze: :cheeze:

There are alot of reasons horses resort to this behavior.  Some horses resort to this out of boredom, some resort to it out of inactivity and exercise.  Sometimes it is a nervous habit you only see at feeding times or other times when the animal is anxious about something.
Since you have mentioned that your horse is stalled a half day and this is the time that he exhibits this behavior pattern I would say it is most likely out of boredom or when he sees his "equine buddies" leaving in and out of the barn.
Horses that come into my barn for training that have this problem are given a toy---a Jolly ball or something that they can occupy their time with in the stall, and started on B1 crumbles that have a calming soothing effect on their mind. B1 as an additional to your feed program can be a efficient cheap solution to easing anxiety without being a "drug" per say.  I would also check the fat content of your feed to be assured that you are not overfeeding an animal a high "energy" feed without the proper amount of exercise to go along with it.  A horse that is not in a performance situation can be easily be
maintained on a 5-7% fat feed without any problems and it helps alleviate some "energy" issues as well.
I would  also give your animal as much turn out time as possible and without a doubt if an outside paddock was available which had a covered area for increment weather I would definately give him that on a full time basis.
As far as "kick chains" on the front legs....No that is definately not a solution to your problems.  You will risk immediate injury to the horse if put on his front legs. Think of it as if his hind legs were your own legs and his front legs were your arms.  Your own legs can take much more abuse and bruising than your arms ever could.  You risk damage to his knees, suspensionary tendons, split bones, which could cause irreversable damage to his front end.  This is not an option I would ever attempt.
Try the jolly ball, and more activity out of the stall, maybe an outside paddock and the B1 crumbles and let me know how it goes..... <HI> <HI> <HI>

Laura Schumann
Laura's Ladder to Success Barrel Clinics
"I BELIEVE" TOUR 2009

[mekm99]

Thank you very much for you solutions to my problem. I have tried a Jolly Ball for him, howeverhe never uses it. But I have recently seen a Lik It ad and was thinking that that might work better since he seems to be very food oriented. I am also going to try and start him on the Vitamin B1, however is there a brand that you would recommend getting it from??? I will try to let you know if the ideas work. Thanks for all your help!

[lauraSchumann]

There is no certain brand that I'd recommend, I think just a good quality would be fine....mine do not cost me but about 15 dollars
for a 30 day supply...so very economical...its very slow working---about 3 weeks and you will start seeing slow results...but they will
come.  And I want to add a little trick that starts mine with playing with the Jolly Ball....if they won't play with it, I will take something
"sweet" and smudge on it so they will want to lick it, and that starts them playing with it.  Sometimes that will start them off...and
sometimes they still won't, lol...but its the last resort! 

Good Luck and be sure and let me know how your horse is doing....have a MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!!
Laura Schumann <HI> <HI>