Managing a Head-Banging Horse

My gelding has started banging his head against the trailer wall. Do you have any suggestions for why he does this and how to stop it?
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Managing a Head-Banging Horse
As difficult as it might be, one should ignore unwanted attention-seeking behaviors. Even intermittently rewarding unwanted behaviors makes a horse try harder or more frequently until it is eventually extinguished. | Photo: Erica Larson/The Horse

Q: My gelding used to just paw in the trailer when it wasn’t moving. However, now he’s started also banging his head against the trailer wall. It reminds me of how some children with autism will bang their head against the wall or floor to soothe themselves, which is something I saw as a certified therapeutic riding instructor. I’m afraid my horse is going to damage the trailer, or worse yet, hurt himself. Do you have any suggestions for why he does this and how to stop it?

A: This is a bit of a tough one to answer as I haven’t seen a horse do quite as you describe. I have a number of questions and considerations that might help get to the underlying issue.

I have seen horses do something similar when they are tied and get frightened or panic. They seem to reverberate between the end of their tether and whatever solid thing they are tied to, hitting their heads repeatedly. Though the head-banging always seemed like more of a physical consequence of being tied, rather than an intentional action, and is generally an isolated incident. So after I read your question, I wondered: Is this horse fearful or panicked? Is he used to being tied, confined, and alone? Could there be an element of fear or discomfort related to the trailer ride itself? Are you a skilled driver? Does he do anything else that suggests he’s fearful of getting into the trailer or being in the trailer at rest or in motion?
 
Then I wondered if this could this be a learned attention-seeking behavior? When he pawed, did you do anything that could be considered rewarding? Even yelling at him to stop could be a reward to him. Maybe he got extra hay, or you went into the trailer to talk to him or pet him? If you tried to ignore the pawing, it wouldn’t take much for him to learn that banging his head would surely get your attention again.
 
Then I wondered could this be like a stereotypy? At home is he a weaver, stall-walker, or head-nodder? Could he be weaving in the trailer and hitting his head as a consequence? Does he do any other self-injurious behaviors at home? It’s possible this is a form of self-mutilation, which is more commonly manifested as biting at the chest, legs, or flanks, but can be seen in more severe form like banging part of the body against a wall. It’s also more common in, but not limited to, stallions. And since self-mutilation, as well as head-shaking, are often associated with an underlying painful condition, I also have to consider:
  • Does your horse have some medical problem?
  • Does the head-banging seem to focus on a particular part of his head, such as the poll, ear, eye, forehead, or nose?
Head banging is also possibly a displacement activity or intention movement. In short, these behaviors are out of context or abbreviated forms of normal behavior seen when a horse is frustrated or thwarted from performing natural activities. But head-banging would be a pretty extreme and unusual manifestation of this.
 
I hope these questions and considerations can lead you toward better understanding and maybe solving your horse’s problem. I do have some practical ideas that might address these possible causes, and many are good for any horse that goes for frequent trailer rides. Consider taking a buddy along with him. A safe mirror might also help, as it does with some weavers in the stable. A stock trailer, or one that can be opened up into a stall space, so the horse can be left untied, will allow him to move around and adopt the most comfortable position at rest and when in motion. Providing hay or other forage might help, too.
 
When you do get to your destination, could he be tied outside the trailer or left in a temporary pen set-up?
 
As difficult as it might be, one should ignore unwanted attention-seeking behaviors. Even intermittently rewarding unwanted behaviors makes a horse try harder or more frequently until it is eventually extinguished. When you are not actually going anywhere, you could condition your horse to find the trailer a pleasant place to be by feeding and grooming him in there.

Finally, as a short- or long-term safety measure, you can pad the interior of the trailer and provide your horse with a head bumper. They make some fairly large ones now, though they might well be very hot to wear in summer months.   Of course, if anything suggests that your horse has a painful condition, he should have a thorough veterinary exam

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Prior to attending veterinary school, Dr. Nancy Diehl completed a master’s degree in animal science while studying stallion sexual behavior. Later, she completed a residency in large animal internal medicine at the University of Pennsylvania’s New Bolton Center and worked in equine practices in Missouri and Pennsylvania. Diehl also spent six years on faculty at Penn State, where she taught equine science and behavior courses and advised graduate students completing equine behavior research. Additionally, Diehl has co-authored scientific papers on stallion behavior, early intensive handling of foals, and feral horse contraception. Currently she is a practicing veterinarian in central Pennsylvania.

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