[ako]

So my mare gets to move just across the aisle into a larger stall. She's a big girl and could use a larger stall. Sadly, she doesn't really buy into this logic.

I moved her over today just before grain. I removed the manure first, but didn't change the shavings or feed bin. So she got her grain in the other mare's feed bin.

She had a meltdown!! She was shaking even though I stayed in the stall with her. She kept listening to her new neighbors eating, clearly fearful. And she stopped eating her grain!!

I had to move her back and gave her Banamine.

I think part of the problem is that she's pretty submissive and she knew she was in another mare's stall.

So, how to move her without creating undue stress??

[Equibrit]

Clean the new stall REALLY well, and if necessary put the shavings from her old stall in the new one.

[SLW]

Put Vicks vapor rub in her nose. I do this if a horse is sniffy about something they should ignore.

[LauraKY]

Strip the stall, clean the feed bin. Then let her deal with it. Why did you give her banamine?

[candysgirl]

Maybe I'm mean, but I'd strip the stall, put new shavings in, move the mare and expect her to deal.

[Pennywell Bay]

Vicks in the nose, make her deal. Banamine? Really?

[quarterhorse4me]

My horses love to sneak in each others stalls if they get a chance. At my trainer's barn he rotates stalls from time to time and simply expects the guests to deal with it during their stay.

I would sit in there with her and do what I could to help ease her but I agree with some of the other posters that it is a "deal with it" kind of issue.

[enjoytheride]

How is she going to survive going to shows and lessons? Move her into her new stall and tell her to deal with it.

The first couple times I took my horses to shows or lessons the climbed the walls and wouldn't eat. After a few times they looked for hay then took a nap.

[LauraKY]

Most of my horses have been in every stall in the barn, depending on the situation and new horses coming in/going out or an injury or illness. They deal.

[kookicat]

Strip it, put her bedding in there and give her her usual feed tub. Then give her plenty of hay and let her get on with it.

By swooping in, you're only re-enforcing the 'OMG I'm gonna die!' thing she has going on.

[ako]

She's just fine going to lessons and shows, thankfully! She's been in other horse's stalls before without problems. I think it was all about being in an alpha mare's stall, with fresh pee in it that I didn't clean well. And then eating grain in there.

She seemed to have a belly ache after I moved her back, so I gave her a little Banamine. Maybe she was stressed before, too. It was a busy day with a lot of the horses moving out (a trainer leaving, no care issues).

The stall was cleaned well (not stripped) and lots of fresh shavings on top now.

[ako]

Strip it, put her bedding in there and give her her usual feed tub. Then give her plenty of hay and let her get on with it.

By swooping in, you're only re-enforcing the 'OMG I'm gonna die!' thing she has going on.

Yeah. I can see that. OK.

[GaitedGloryRider]

I'm guessing you board right?

Maybe it would be easier for all involved if you just have the barn staff handle the "big" move.

[kookicat]

Yeah. I can see that. OK.

Horses, eh?

Try switching her over on a quiet day, when she's calm. (A bit tired wouldn't hurt either!)

[ako]

Thanks, all! Maybe I'll get lucky and the guys will have moved her and she'll be fine when I get there. Maybe...

I probably did overreact. She just reacted so much stronger than usual and I got worried.

[ako]

She's fine in her new stall.
It went smoothly. Put the hay in and she walked in and started eating.
I think yesterday just went wrong because there was such fresh evidence of the very territorial alpha mare and it got her worked up. No such issues today.