Weaving: Are Mirrors the Answer?

Are stall mirrors recommended for horses that weave, and where could I find one that is safe and economical?
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Q: My 9-year-old off-track Thoroughbred is a weaver. His prior trainer said the habit has subsided quite a bit since his retirement, that it isn’t dangerous, and to ignore it, and that’s what I’ve been doing. He needed to be kept inside for several days on vet’s orders and, not surprisingly, the weaving became more frequent and he began holding his mouth open/stretching his jaw during/between his weaving episodes. I’ve been careful about not interrupting the weaving to give him attention, except when I’ve needed to tend to something in his stall. I’ve also resisted the urge to scratch on him when he gets in his “zone” and begins to sway.

As he is now off stall confinement, he will be spending only the evenings in the barn (his pasture doesn’t offer shelter), so his stall time will be reduced significantly, and I hope that will help. (To be honest, I don’t know if he weaves in the paddock—I am just getting to know him.) But still, one cold evening I noticed that the hoof of the forelimb that he leads with and its diagonal match are slightly warm to touch while the other hooves are cool, so I imagine the activity is stressing his body a bit and I’d like to minimize it. I’ve heard that some people install a mirror in the stall with some success in reducing this behavior. I haven’t seen much written about that lately and was wondering if that’s still a recommendation and/or where I can find a mirror that will be both safe and economical. Also, do you recommend ignoring his behavior? Really, it doesn’t bother me too much unless I inadvertently get in his weave “path” or I begin worrying about his stress level and taking it personally and feeling like a bad mom.

Sarah, via e-mail

A: Stall mirrors are helpful for some horses and not for others. They are not expensive, so I find it worth a try. “Stall Buddy” is an acrylic mirror designed for this purpose that is available in the United States. There might be others, but that is one I use regularly for this purpose

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Sue M. McDonnell, PhD, is a certified applied animal behaviorist and the founding head of the equine behavior program at the University of Pennsylvania’s School of Veterinary Medicine. She is also the author of numerous books and articles about horse behavior and management.

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