Change of yard... completely different horse???

[Bri101]

Hi all, hoping someone is able to help me out here with a bit of advice/reassure me with their experience!

Apologies in advance for the very long post!


So last month I moved my pony half way up the country with me, it wasn't a decision I took lightly and it caused a lot of arguments between me and my partner. After months of trying to find a yard for him I finally found one, great yard with amazing facilities and lovely people. However, just over a month of being up here, and I'm starting to regret my decision.

My once very chilled out pony has turned into an absolute arse! He was once very lazy but now he bolts off, bucks, spins and goes whichever direction he wants. He threw me off over the fence the other day, I got back on and next thing I know he's on his front knees about to roll, luckily I managed to get off in time. He's an arse to handle too, charges off, will barge past you and out of the stable.

I'm at a complete loss and I'm heartbroken. Before he moved he was out 24/7 however the yard he is now at brings them in overnight during winter. Could this small detail be so vital???
I have however had a lovely offer from some old neighbors down south who have a bit of land, do I send him back down to them and I follow suit when possible?? Or do I wait it out??


P.s if you managed to get this far give yourself a glass of wine!!

 

[splashgirl45]

the answer to your question is yes. being in at night seems to affect some horses more than others. my old mare was much more difficult when she was in at night but my current mare is exactly the same even if she is kept in when they are hunting in our area...also are the yard feeding him differently? is he having haylage as that can sharpen some horses up...maybe cut out all hard feed and just give him hay to see if that helps before moving back...

 

[Bri101]

I made sure he was kept on the same feed (1/2 a scoop of thunderbrooks chaff and a bit of speedibeet once a day) I suggested to yard manager to cut out the feed and she isn't happy with this because she fears he will then be difficult in the mornings when other horses have had a feed and he hasn't. Only on hay currently

 

[splashgirl45]

I made sure he was kept on the same feed (1/2 a scoop of thunderbrooks chaff and a bit of speedibeet once a day) I suggested to yard manager to cut out the feed and she isn't happy with this because she fears he will then be difficult in the mornings when other horses have had a feed and he hasn't. Only on hay currently

looks like you are doing everything right, is this the same feed he had at the other yard? also my old mare was loony if i gave her alot of carrots, might be worth seeing if yard is giving them. i agree with yo re giving him something when the others are fed but it may be worth checking to see what is in thunderbrook chaff to see if there are molasses or sugars in it. i know how hard it is with a horse who is misbehaving, good luck

 

[Shay]

Clearly something at the yard does not agree with him; whether that is the lack of 24/7 turn out, too much feed or not enough exercise. Only you can really make the decision what to do with him. But your initial posts suggests you have already decided something has too change. Can you be sure he isn't getting anything extra feed wise? If the yard instructions are "a bit of speedibeet" that could cover a massive range of amounts which might result in too much feed. Is there any scope for you to exercise him more to compensate for being in? Or find another yard locally where he could have more turnout?

 

[Bri101]

looks like you are doing everything right, is this the same feed he had at the other yard? also my old mare was loony if i gave her alot of carrots, might be worth seeing if yard is giving them. i agree with yo re giving him something when the others are fed but it may be worth checking to see what is in thunderbrook chaff to see if there are molasses or sugars in it. i know how hard it is with a horse who is misbehaving, good luck

Same feed, carrots are a good point as I myself have never given them to him much as he becomes very rude with them, so may have to check on that!
The chaff is free of molasses and is 4% sugar content and he's always been on that so can't see any reason for it to be that
Thank you!

 

[Bri101]

Clearly something at the yard does not agree with him; whether that is the lack of 24/7 turn out, too much feed or not enough exercise. Only you can really make the decision what to do with him. But your initial posts suggests you have already decided something has too change. Can you be sure he isn't getting anything extra feed wise? If the yard instructions are "a bit of speedibeet" that could cover a massive range of amounts which might result in too much feed. Is there any scope for you to exercise him more to compensate for being in? Or find another yard locally where he could have more turnout?

I say a bit of speedibeet just because it's a small plastic cup and I've instructed for him to have a third of that. I'm struggling to find enough time to ride anymore atm and he is being ridden 4 times a week around an hour to an hour and a half each time and not keen on putting a sharer on him while he's behaving like he is. Have tried to find another yard locally but they either have no space or they only want mares :/

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

It could be stress. I moved mine once and if I hadn't already owned him for years, I'd have sworn he must have been doped at the old yard. IME how much stress the yard move causes depends on what the new field companions are like. If the new herd are easy-going the settling in time only takes a week or 2, but if there's anything nasty in the field it can take months. More exercise helps (and sometimes more food to go with that to prevent too much weight loss (horse usually a bit of a fatty so some weight loss is fine by me)).

 

[mandyroberts]

looks like you are doing everything right, is this the same feed he had at the other yard? also my old mare was loony if i gave her alot of carrots, might be worth seeing if yard is giving them. i agree with yo re giving him something when the others are fed but it may be worth checking to see what is in thunderbrook chaff to see if there are molasses or sugars in it. i know how hard it is with a horse who is misbehaving, good luck

Thunderbrook chaff is chopped grass with nothing added

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We had exactly the opposite.

We bought an Appaloosa mare, who was easy and well-mannered when I viewed her. When she arrived at the livery yard where she was to be kept, she was fine for the first 24 hrs, except not happy with the low stable roof, so reluctant to go in. Then she became a stroppy nightmare, she was difficult to lead and more difficult to ride, nappy, opinionated, full of herself. After 6 weeks we decided to move her to a yard which was more conveniently situated. New yard was about 5 miles away, so we decided to lead her there, with all her stuff following in the car. It was an horrendous journey! We seriously considered putting her in one of the fields that we passed on the roadside and giving ourselves a breather. However we persevered and passed the 1/2way point, along a farm track/bridleway.

When we came out of the other end of the track, it was as if we had a different horse with us. The 2nd part of the journey, on paper, should have been worse than the first, crossing a busy main road and going through an industrial estate. She behaved beautifully and as we approached the new yard, it was is if she were going home.
She was always a quirky horse with opinions of her own on most things but she never was as bad again, even when we moved her again. We fed her exactly the same food, there was even a stallion at both yards.
I think they react to things that we are completely unaware of.

 

[Sussexbythesea]

It could be stress. I moved mine once and if I hadn't already owned him for years, I'd have sworn he must have been doped at the old yard.

Same happened to me when I moved yards after 4 years of owning mine. My gelding changed from easy going to a complete a r s e!

Contributing factors:
1)He got very clingy to a mare that he was turned out with and stabled next to. (changed field and stable)
2) He found being in close proximity to other Horses in an indoor barn with bars between the stables very stressful.
3) Yard owner took it upon herself to feed him molassed mix and haylage against instruction. Changed back to hay and unmolassed feed.

1 and 3 could fairly easily be remedied. 3 couldn’t. I left that yard after year as couldn’t trust the YO and he settled into new Yard immediately and returned to his former self.

I think a lot had to do with the YO creating a stressful atmosphere as much as anything. Her dogs were horrible and also barked a lot, on a peaceful Sunday she’d turn up and start hoovering her car out dogs would be unleashed I hated it there.

 

[Leo Walker]

I lasted 4 days at a yard once and 3 of those were frantically trying to find somewhere else to go to! Sometimes they just dont settle, in my case it was for very good reason and I have zero regrets about moving!

 

[Bri101]

Same happened to me when I moved yards after 4 years of owning mine. My gelding changed from easy going to a complete a r s e!

Contributing factors:
1)He got very clingy to a mare that he was turned out with and stabled next to. (changed field and stable)
2) He found being in close proximity to other Horses in an indoor barn with bars between the stables very stressful.
3) Yard owner took it upon herself to feed him molassed mix and haylage against instruction. Changed back to hay and unmolassed feed.

1 and 3 could fairly easily be remedied. 3 couldn’t. I left that yard after year as couldn’t trust the YO and he settled into new Yard immediately and returned to his former self.

I think a lot had to do with the YO creating a stressful atmosphere as much as anything. Her dogs were horrible and also barked a lot, on a peaceful Sunday she’d turn up and start hoovering her car out dogs would be unleashed I hated it there.

The point about mare is a good point actually. He's become very attached to a mare he was stabled opposite and turned out next to. YO moved him a few boxes down and moved him in the field but the mare became very upset about it and he has now been moved back next to her in the field. This is the first time he's been on quite a busy yard, there were only 4 other horses at previous yard, new yard has 40 odd!