- 1). Give your horse plenty of turn out. The primary cause of stable vices is lack of turnout. If there is one thing horse owners and barn managers can do to help their horses, it should be daily turnout in the pasture. Horses that are out are able to move about freely, as they would in the wild. This increases a horse's happiness, offers him a way to exercise and time to play with his companions. Turnout also allows the horse to graze, which is something that a he needs to do in order to stay healthy.
- 2). Provide hay. If your horse cannot be turned out daily, or if she has limited turnout, be sure to provide plenty of hay in her stall. Munching hay while in the stall mimics what your horse would do in the pasture. It also keeps her busy along with providing plenty of roughage in her diet.
- 3). Put a toy in the stall. Horses that play with their tongues, or tongue-lolling, do well when provided with toys in their stalls. While tongue behaviors are not a serious vice, it is not a natural behavior. If the horse has a toy to lick or play with, it can discourage him from tongue-lolling.
- 4). Consult the veterinarian. Go over your feeding management with the vet. Make sure that you are providing proper nutrition to all the horses. Every horse is different, just like humans. Every age and stage has different nutritional needs, so take that into consideration when feeding your horses. The 20-year-old gelding needs a different type of feed from a yearling colt. The vet can also help to balance the nutritional needs of horses with vices. Often changing a feed can reduce vices. Be sure to feed at the same time every day and break feedings in to several small ones, rather than one or two large feedings per day. Always feed the horses with locomotive vices (stall weaving, kicking or pawing) first.
- 5). Offer companionship. Horses are herd animals. They enjoy the friendship of other equines, and most do not fare well by themselves. If you horse is left in the barn while everyone else is in the pasture, she is more likely to develop locomotive and oral vices. This is because she is stressed by being left alone. If your horse is on stall rest or for some reason cannot go out with the others, leave another horse in a stall next door to her. This will decrease her stress levels and settle her down.
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