Dear Horse: Please stop driving me mad

Caol Ila

Caol Ila

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A few years ago, I moved horse from Barn A because she was relentlessly fence walking and nothing (within certain boundaries) barn owner or I did could stop her. We tried bringing her in when she started. Didn't work. Tried leaving her out and ignoring it. Didn't work. So I moved yards to Barn B and she seemed more settled, at least for a little while. But then after eight or so months, the relentless pacing started again. As above, we tried bringing her in whenever she started; tried leaving her out. Made no difference. I then moved her to Barn C and the fencewalking vanished. No sign of it. The horse would happily graze and chill out all day. The main difference between Barn C and Barns A and B is that C has no DIYs doing their own thing and all horses are kept on a strict feed and turnout schedule. I therefore concluded that the cause of the pacing must be lack of a stable routine. She has been at this yard for over a year and a half and has shown no sign of this pacing until yesterday and today.

Now it seems to be back. Fantastic. Nothing about the yard has changed between last week and now. If I knew why she's doing it, I'd make a million pounds as a horse psychic. Yesterday (Sunday) a lot of horses were in because quite a few liveries came up to ride, so I surmised that she found this upsetting, although she never has before and it's not as if it was the only weekend day a lot of people have shown up to ride. Today, however, all the horses were out until the usual bringing in time. Still, she started pacing in the afternoon. I have thought about blaming the weather, as I know she hates the rain/wind Scottish blend. But really, I haven't a bloody clue. It's going to drive me mad. It's got to a stage where as soon as I catch her pacing, I get more wound up than she is, which isn't terribly useful.

Anyone know of any good horsey psychiatrists?

Several addenda:

She has only been doing this for two days and I might be overreacting at this point, but I think she has a history which justifies me overreacting. Besides, it's my prerogrative to be more neurotic than the damned horse! I wish she'd get that memo.

She's on individual turnout and pretty much has to be, as she's a danger to herself and others when in a herd. No chance of getting her a friend unless I win the lottery and can buy (and maintain) her a pony of her own to terrorize.

She has been looked at by two different vets, who hadn't a clue why she behaved in this way. Neither is my current vet, so I suppose I could call the current vet. Third time's the charm.

She acts perfectly fine once in the stable or ridden. She's not in any way herdbound or stressed when under saddle, be it in the arena or out on a hack.

I don't know if anyone can advise, although any thoughts are of course welcome and I will consider it. But if it were easy to answer on the internet, I feel that I would have figured out an answer by now. I guess I was just really wanting a rant. It's the most frustrating thing in the world. Give me a training problem any day. Them I can usually figure out.
 
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I have a video of a horse doing this to extremes. It can get VERY nasty and dangerous. I am most definititely no accusing you of doing the same but we know why this other horse did it. Owner used to appear to bring in and feed and then stand and gossip for an hour or more; she was also very inconsistent about when she arrived. He couldn't be the last one out either. Once all that was sorted out he stopped. He used to begin by walking the fence line, then it would increase to a trot and finally he would trot and buck or lash out every time he turned, or rear. The danger was he would work himself into a sort of frenzy and not know what he was doing any more, he, over time, lashed out and got tangled in the electric fence and also lashed out and lamed himself on the post and rails. The time he tangled himself in the electic tape my OH went to help him and nearly got his head kicked off. Horse wasn't nasty at all, he was in such a state he didn't notice OH was there even though he was talking to him.

And the thing that has changed for your mare is that the clocks have gone back! I wouldn't mind betting that everyone brought their horses in earlier this week because it is so much darker suddenly.
 
What time is he coming in daily what is the yard routine. I suspect it is to do with clock and weather changes. Ours want to come in alot earlier than they did a few weeks ago. Its best to lwt them tell you when they are ready if they are the stressy type :)x
 
my horse was terrible with other horses, he bit anything he could get his teeth into, For that reason he was on his own .
he had a path worn down along the electric fence and if the battery ran out he was straight into the next field.
The last time he got into the next field i got a phone call at work telling me to come and sort him out, it was stressfull for me, the horse and the land owner. Luckily the neighbouring farmer had a field of clydesdales and had been telling me for a while that they would be able to cope with his antics. I left work, caught him and threw him straight into the field with the clydesdales. Although he was still dominant, he assumed alpha immediately he spent about two months with no friends, they did nt tolerate his behaviour and he was sent to coventry. gradually he learnt social graces from them and now he asserts his authority with flat ears and by showing his teeth,rather than actually biting.
In his case I think his lack of social skills may have been due to no having company before i got him.
I am only speaking from my own experience..my horse has 24 hour turnout and about 15 acres with his four pals. The diffference in him is unbelievable. I do realise however that what i have got for him is hard to find, Thefarmer is very laid back, but he never ever doubted for a minute that my horse would settle and behave himself.
The farmer is happy with the arrangement... i make sure i pay early every month and respect his experience..he is a god send!
 
She doesn't go bananas and run through fences. She just walks, up and down, sometimes for hours. Or has done. As I said, she only started doing it at our current yard two days ago. I never thought about the clock change being a thing, but of course it makes sense. There is, of course, no way that a horse knows about the clocks changing.

The yard owner puts the horses out at around eight am and starts bringing them in between half three and four pm. So I suppose there has been a change in routine -- a new four pm. The weather has been worse this week as well and as I said, she doesn't like the rain. Still, I don't understand why she was fine last year at this time, at the same yard. I don't think it would suit the horse (or the yard owners) to bring her in early and I know from previous experience that if you start dicking about with her routine and rescuing her when she starts pacing, the pacing only gets worse.
 
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