[Cowgirl By Choice]

Hey ya'll,

I hope someone here can help, give some tips, something, because I am about at the end of my rope. (No pun intended) LOL My colt has been a caster since the day he arrived. I thought with a lil age on him he would stop this, but it's actually only gotten worse ! (he's now a yearling) I have done everything I can think of. Finally yesterday evening I decided to keep him tied all night (safety measures used, of course). Lo and behold when I went out last night before going to bed to check on him, he had actually layed down ! He had his neck all stretched out and looked like a giraff ! So I untied him because I was afraid I would go out this morning and find he had hung himself. I have never had a colt/horse that cast ALL THE TIME...day and night ! He is excersised everyday, he is given "horsey" time...groomed, wormed, etc. etc. So...is he just lazy ????? He is sending me into states of total panic. I have to keep ropes right in front of his padock so that they will be handy to turn him over with, but this is back breaking...not to mention my nerves are shot. Not only did I want to tie him at night so he couldn't cast, but so he wouldn't lay in his "poop" and "pee". It's like he's attracted to it ! LOL

Anyway, I apologise for such a long post, but I am truly at my wits end. The next step is hanging him from the rafters in the barn !! (kidding).

Hope someone can help.....thanks in advance.
~ T ~
P.S. This situation also is making for very little sleep, considering I am going to the barn 4 & 5 times during the night to check on him. I have 3 older studs in the same barn and a weanling I just put next to him that I thought would keep him entertained. NOT.

[Dawn]

You could get a anit-cast roller thingy. I'm not sure that that's what they're called. Let me look. It prevents them from rolling all the way over. Another option would be to install this stuff along the base of his stall walls. I'm not sure of the name of it either, but they can't lay all the way against the wall. Not sure how effective it is.

Okay Dover doesnt' have a picture of the roller on the web, but the one they carry is Beval Anti Cast Roller, and it costs $69.90.

[Blistering Winds]

I don't think I quite understand what you are saying. Does he lay down a lot or does he actually get STUCK when he lays down?

If he gets STUCK, how big is your stall you put him in? Might be time to get a bigger stall.

Plus, if you pad up the sides of the stall, with more shavings to the walls than in the middle, if he decides to lay down, it can discourage him from laying on it since it's uneven up by the walls.

IF he's just laying down a lot, horses will do that. Some more than others. Mine is ALWAYS laying down. People call me who are new to the barn saying my horse is colicing. Cause he won't get up if you open his door. He'll just lay there till you kick the bottom of his feet, then he gets up like..OH man mom...I was sleepin!! Mine is 5 and STILL prefers to sun himself all day and night if he could. Which can be a good thing because then you know they get plenty of rest. I read an article somewhere that performance horses are prone to Gastric Ulcers. I went searching on the internet, and I'll have to find the link, but those horses that know how to calm down and enjoy life, laying down and rest, can help NOT get the ulcers. Guess it is true cause those Humans that can't separate themselves from work and relaxation get ulcers more than those of us who know how to just sleep after a bad day and just throw the problems to the side.

Anyways, if he's just laying down a lot, let him. YEah it can be messy, but make sure he's got enough room to lay down and do his business. Sometimes they will learn not to, but geldings and stallions don't believe in "bathroom areas" like mares do.

[PoochtheMighty]

BW took the words out of my mouth! Piling the shavings on the sides discourages casting, but perhaps you could try full-time pasture boarding with an open shed w/ shavings in so he CAN'T get cast. IMHO opinion, there is no advantage that a stall horse has over a pasture horse (except they run a lower risk of rabies), so give it a go...

[Blistering Winds]

yeah..they are going to get dirty regardless of what you do to them...lol

[Cowgirl By Choice]

First, thank ya'll for replying. What I mean by casting (sorry this is all I have ever heard it called) is when they lie down and roll over placing their feet against the side of the stall wall, door, ect. to the point that they CAN NOT get up without assistance. He does lay down a lot which like Winds said is a good thing, but he will cast against his stall dern near every time he lies down. I have seen horses (thank God not in my barn) but others where the horses will give up, be on their backs and literally drown in their own fluid. This is why I panic. Thank goodness he's only got to that stage once and literally had to have CPR done on him!

Dawn, if you can give me a URL to that site, I would really appreciate it. I have never heard of Dover.

The stalls in the barn are all 12x12, plywood 4' high. As far as the studs being worse about being "messy", this young colt is the only stud that I have like that.

I look forward to hearing back from ya'll. Thanks again for the help.

~ T ~

[Blistering Winds]

Well, messiness is their "nature". Like dogs, Stallions can and will mark their territory by pee'in and poop'in in places. I never knew it till the other day. Now I know why my gelding is ten times more messy than everyone else in the barn.

OK..that is called Casting, what you described.

I wouldn't tie him up. He can roll and get that rope tangled up and strangle himself. I have heard of it being done. If they want to roll, they will roll.

Try getting him into a bigger stall. A 12x12 should be big enough, but horses can be particular and some just HAVE to be in one bigger. Your's might be.

That and the rollers as Dawn said should help.

I really wish you luck.

[Cowgirl By Choice]

BW....he's been in stalls that were 24 x 24...didn't matter, he still cast. It's like there is something bout the walls that draws him to them !! LOL and I can't remember who said something about the tieing, but I tigh him "short", so no tangling in rope.

I have tried the "piling" of bedding, that didn't help either. Maybe if we all put our heads together we can come up with something. I have looked in all my "horsey" supply catalogs and can't find a thing.

I would HATE to do this, but before I let him kill himself, I thought about a low voltage hot wire run about a foot away from the stall walls. I swear ya'll..I have no idea what to do.
(Please no hateful responses to the hot wire thingy).

Waiting on more replies...and thanks for the suggestions.

Oh yea,....he was "pastured"...and he would do the same thing. If it wasn't against panels in the pasture to get his feet and legs under then it was some other type of fencing material.

~ T ~

[Dawn]

Dover Saddlery

I'm sure other places have them, but that was the only one I can find. It sort of goes on like a surcingle, but it has these bars on the top of it that keep them from rolling all the way over.

[Blistering Winds]

hmm...i really don't know what to tell you. Maybe see what he does when he is casted. Can he right himself at all? Or do ya'll have to help him every time? I know of some horses who are intelligent enough to manuver themselves out of most situations.

I know mine can, he rocks himself till he can stand up. He's gotten caught up in the fences before, but usually stays away for a while.

As for the hot wire, he might get caught up in the wire itself if he's rolling into the wall. Then you'll end up with a really freaked out horse.

I'll ask my prof on Tuesday to see if they have any ideas for ya.