Baffling field behaviour

[Cobonthejob]

My horse is a 6yo Connemara Mare who is a real foodie and normally very laid back. She has been going out at the same time of day in the same field for the past four months. Four days ago I had a call to say she had bolted from the top of the field and jumped out over a barbed wire fence and bombed all the way to the yard where she was stopping for nobody. People who saw it happen said she was right at the top of her 14 acre field and her head just suddenly shot up and she came full pelt down the field. She was out with about 8 other mares at the time, none of whom followed her or showed any sign of fear.

Now she will not go out in the field, every time I walk her down there (tried it on her own and with others leading their horses in front) she is trying to spin and run back to her stable. Once she gets in to the field she immediately tries to run back out of the gate or runs straight in to the bottom corner (the one she jumped out of) and stands there for hours refusing to graze, head up high just staring at the top of the field. The other mares are completely unaffected by this and are all still grazing at the top but she won't go up there at all. I can only think that something (either real or perceived) has scared her witless at the top of the field, however it was four days ago now and she has remembered it every single day. I have been putting her out in the field since for a few hours and then going to get her in at lunch time but I am worried sick, I work so I can't just leave at any time.

She has always loved going out and is a very social horse, there haven't been any conflicts that I have seen and she has a few horses she normally loves being out with. I don't want her to try jumping again and injure herself but equally she shouldn't be in a stable all day.

I can't find anything about this online! Does anyone have any advice/similar experience?

 

[paddi22]

could there be an electrical cable or anything that would have given her a shock? I've seent hat happen before with horses if they stand on a 'live' piece of ground if the wiring is faulty

 

[Goldenstar]

Has someone started to keep pigs with a mile or so of the top of the field .
I am dealing with something similar but not as extreme ATM .
A farm about a mile from us started keeping pigs lots of them close housed in sheds they are noisy and sound angry stressed and unhappy .
Tatts discovered them out hacking about a week ago and was horrified we are now pretty sure he is listening for them and can hear them at times he stands looking towards the farm and shakes his head and stamps his feet .
Have you had a good look up at the top of the field ?
It's likely something spooked her and she headed home I would just build up time out gradually but I agree it's not very relaxing .
I suppose at least you know she heads home when in trouble !

 

[Cobonthejob]

There is electric fence but not at the top of the field. To be honest she has no fear of electric fence and has been known to walk right under it at times. The fence she jumped had barbed wire with electric wire at the top and she is hanging around by it all the time so she doesn't seem scared of the fence, in fact is hanging close to the fence line in the corner of the field. I wonder if maybe she saw a deer or something of that ilk and it has just scared her witless? She literally looks like she has seen a ghost, won't graze or move from that corner and isn't interested in grazing near the others. Really stressing myself out as she looks so worried when I put her out

 

[Cobonthejob]

Thank you that is a good thought actually, perhaps something that she is not used to but the others are? I will walk up there tonight and see if I can see anything. There is a field of cows quite near by but she hacks past cows fine. Haha yes she does at least run up to her stable! Not sure YO is that impressed though with the broken fence x

 

[Equi]

Not had any nasty hornets or something in the area no? I know a few were found somewhere in england - and i suspect they would hurt like a bitch. If i was you i would leave her in for a few days to settle and get a bit bored, then take her into the field and hand graze for a while and lunge in the field if allowed to take her mind off the hill.

 

[Cobonthejob]

Not had any nasty hornets or something in the area no? I know a few were found somewhere in england - and i suspect they would hurt like a bitch. If i was you i would leave her in for a few days to settle and get a bit bored, then take her into the field and hand graze for a while and lunge in the field if allowed to take her mind off the hill.

That could be a point, perhaps there is a nest or something- I will do some work with her in hand in there and see if that settles her x Thank you

 

[Shay]

One of our herd did almost exactly this. Turned out - sadly - he had been shot with an air rifle. The Pellet had buried itself in the skin and wasn't spotted (not my horse) until it formed an abscess.

Not saying your mare has been shot or shot at - but something like that which has hurt her and not the others. try going over her literally a finger tip at a time and see if you can find something?

 

[Cobonthejob]

One of our herd did almost exactly this. Turned out - sadly - he had been shot with an air rifle. The Pellet had buried itself in the skin and wasn't spotted (not my horse) until it formed an abscess.

Not saying your mare has been shot or shot at - but something like that which has hurt her and not the others. try going over her literally a finger tip at a time and see if you can find something?

Oh wow hadn't thought of this but I will give her a good check over. Just feel so bad every time she is put out as she looks petrified.

 

[Tnavas]

Any chance that you have an adder living in that area of the paddock? Snakes can make horses behave very strangely.

 

[Cobonthejob]

Any chance that you have an adder living in that area of the paddock? Snakes can make horses behave very strangely.

It could be possible. Would this be something that would only spook her though? Would they all not have sped off? I am about to go and see if she has moved out of her corner since 7 am! x