Calm Horse Walks/Paces the Fence Line

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HazuraJane

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My 11 y.o. gelding is a fairly calm boy.

He has access to a lovely turn-out area where 8 horses are around him, separated by light fencing. Horses can and do groom one another over the fence.
My gelding mouths the grass for a few minutes, then begins pacing the fence line.
Sometimes he goes full galloping display which is awesome to behold but he's clearly distressed.

He's worked 5 days a week, some weeks it's 6 days.
His feed is grass hay 3X/day. Evenings, he gets a ration balance, timothy pellets/rice bran (1 metal scoop, so not much) and a 'Smart Gut' pelleted supplement, plus a probiotic.
He lives in a 12X12 stall with an outdoor window in a barn with 16 horses.

I'm looking for small, baby-steps I can take daily to help him manage whatever is stressing him so that he can eventually return to turn-out for his 4-5 hours each day.
Last week he was worked quite thoroughly, then turned out - and he was tearing up and down the fence line within fifteen minutes.
I'll be hand-grazing him in the turn-out today.
Is this a case where he should just have to 'tough it out' until he quits fence walking?

Sorry so long.

Thanks.
 
How long have you owned him? Have you moved yards or has anything changed in his routine/environment? Having the company of other horses nearby is not the same as being turned out in the same field with others and if this is what he has been used to previously it could explain why he is anxious on his own.
 
I know a mare who does this, I believe out of habit more than anything now.
She is TB, generally quite stressy in nature and if anything upsets her routine she will take to this.

Having another horse in the field definitely helps though!
 
You say you want to build him up to 4-5 hours turnout a day? How much is getting now? And what size of individual turnout pen is he in?

Unless turnout is restricted for health reasons (assuming not as he in full work) I would not be happy for my horses to have >20 hours in a stable and then individual turnout.
 
Here's my routine for dealing with fencewalkers:

Have a nervous breakdown.

Try reasoning with horse. "Why are doing this? I do so much for you!"

Cry a lot.

Drink some whisky (I recommend half a bottle).

Turn out in a herd if possible.

If not possible, drink another half bottle of whisky.

Change fields.

Change yards.
 
Agreed re trying company in with him, rather than just next too him.....

Fence walking is a very sad, but equally annoying habit, and some see it as a 'vice' as even when the underlying cause is found, some may still continue. It is not good for the horse anatomically, and come winter you will not be popular with your YM when he ploughs up the fenceline.

Have you asked his previous owner if he was like this with them and how they managed him?
 
Kamikaze said:
He needs a buddy in the same field as him. For some horses it is not enough to just have them over the fence.
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Okay. I'll look for a buddy among the other horses. As this is a barn filled with show horses, I find there is resistance to the idea of turning out with other horses as the possibility of injury will disrupt training and showing. Thank you for the suggestion and I will talk to some of the more mellow/experienced owners to see if they'll be open to a shared turn-out.
 
L&M said:
Agreed re trying company in with him, rather than just next too him.....

Fence walking is a very sad, but equally annoying habit, and some see it as a 'vice' as even when the underlying cause is found, some may still continue. It is not good for the horse anatomically, and come winter you will not be popular with your YM when he ploughs up the fenceline.

Have you asked his previous owner if he was like this with them and how they managed him?
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Not sure that information is something I can get, but I will dig around and push for answers.
I do have concerns for what it will do to him physically, as you mentioned.
 
Lois Lame said:
I think the thing that is stressing him is that he doesn't live with other horses, just near other horses.

Is there another place he could go?
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There aren't a lot of options. I'm not going to find a barn with 24/7 turnout here; price per acre on property in my area is a deterrent to that kind of arrangement for horses - unless I'm willing to retire him to a far-flung corner of the county for permanent retirement. I'm going to pursue the buddy system suggestion and see if that works.
 
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