Tri-Tronics^®, Inc.

P. O. Box 17660

Tucson, AZ  85731

support@tthorse.com

1-800-808-8423

ARTICLES & EDUCATION

Stall Kicking

Stall kicking occurs at all hours of the day and night. Horses may kick the stall walls in anticipation of receiving feed. They may kick the walls out of frustration, excitement or boredom. They may kick the walls trying to reach a neighboring horse. Others have been trained that when they kick the walls, they receive some form of attention when a human comes to check on them. Although it may seem like only a noisy, annoying habit, many talented individuals have had their competitive days ended by injuries sustained while kicking a wall. Common injuries associated with stall kicking depend a lot on the material the stall is made of. Solid concrete or stone walls see a high incidence of fractured coffin bones, fractured sesamoids, capped hocks and bruised tendons. Wood or metal stalls that the horse may manage to kick through can have any of the above injuries with the addition of lacerations. In the worst case scenario all of the above injuries can be career or life threatening. In the best case scenario they require extensive lay up time and substantial veterinary expense. In the past the only way to deter stall kicking was to hobble the hind legs or to attach kicking chains. Hobbles make it difficult for a horse to lie down or get up comfortably and can put great strain on the stifles. Kicking chains work by snapping back and hitting the horse in the legs when he kicks, leaving bruises and marks, and are often not effective.

The ViceBreaker^® is a very safe and effective way to stop this problem. It eliminates the horses that kick for attention as they are corrected without seeing a human. It also safely stops horses that kick for other reasons without any uncomfortable, potentially damaging straps or chains.

Remember, as with many bad habits, stall kicking may be the symptom that your horse is unhappy with his lifestyle. Please refer to our Factors page to understand what makes a horse perform many bad habits and also to our Tips page for suggestions on how to improve your horse's living conditions.