CONTINUED>>SHOULDER TROUBLE...Turning the pony out to grass (SORRY!!)

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Gracie21

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I have restarted physio *groan* at a local hospital so hopefully on the mend!

I need some advice...
My dad has some lovely land adjacent to his house 6 miles or so from me. I already have my two little NF yearlings there, with a nice new field shelter (thanks daddy ;) ).

Should I move my 3yo there? I know people think I'm mad that I haven't already! There is 5 acres with a stream, some of it is forest.

So many bonuses (mainly that it would be free and I really need to start a savings account!), but also there are some negatives that really play on my mind.

Is there a cheap way of creating a round pen so that I have somewhere to lunge etc?

How easily would he adjust to living out? He has been stabled at night ever since he was a baby. He's Arab x Welsh B. Should he be in with the fillies or separate?? He likes to play so maybe in with them?

Maybe I am trying to wrap him up in cotton wool too much??!!

The thought of not getting up on a sunday morning is AMAZING!

Suggestions please? Anyway I can improve the place to make it more 'my own'??
 
Wow, well I would move in a flash!

You can easily get round pens to lunge in - compared to the cost of livery I'm sure you could save up for one fairly quickly. Must admit though, esp given the age of your horses, that when the time comes, I would be inclined to just put in long lines and make all sorts of nice shapes without being constrained by a pen. Even if you just split the land in half (so the non-working ones don't come along to 'play' too!) then you easily have a work area.

Assuming your 3yo is gelded? In which case, after careful introductions, I would turnout together.

I would have thought you would need to section off some of that land come spring to avoid too much new grass, but some elec fence and an energiser would sort you for that.

If it were me then I would also get a membrane down and dump as many tonnes of pea gravel down as you can afford so that they always have somewhere dry to stand, also useful as a place to put water and hay.
 
Firstly imo you should move immediately!

The horse will adjust to living out with a warm dry rug, but if he is inclined to play and might damage himself maybe you should get some electric fencing and just keep him seperate for a little while. It might be that after a couple of weeks he will realised that eating grass is much better than playing and will be able to join in with the herd. My two only play when they don't have enough to eat!

I would not look at a round pen. People try to put their horses in arenas and enclosures because it makes them feel safer. IMO I would much rather have a horse that has learned to work in an open environment. This way (IMO...) the horse is unlikely to learn how to drop a shoulder and run as soon as you get somewhere like a field!
 
Yep he's gelded but does love to play (as they girls do!) so would like him in with the ladies eventually!

Some of the land is already fenced off into three nice little paddocks with post & rail & electric tape along the inside. The next lot is coming along nicely but with the weather and work and rain our progress has been a little slow! You can see the fencing in the background...:)
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Yes I see what you are saying, I hate it when I get a horse than has is brains blown when I try to school it in a field at a comp or likewise! Oh well, that will save me some money :D

We do have some gravel a small amount of hard-standing. Although everywhere is still a mess (bar the fields :D) so there is lots of clearing up to do!

Can anybody recommend decent rugs that have a small-ish fitting front? He is too big for foal rugs but too small for normal rugs and they all rub him! If he is going to be out 24/7 I'd like a couple of decent ones that won't rub (He is going to be grey, where the rug has rubbed he it has grown back grey so he is roan with two white patches appearing!! :O
 
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