Equine Behaviour - REALLY Need Some Advice (Long Though)

Ya, I can almost hear my old trainer (from the UKs) voice in my head telling me to leave him the hell alone and stop treating him like an idiot. I know she'd tell me that he'll eat when hes hungry enough, instead im sat here stressing that hes going to get colic or something
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I do wonder if im making it worse by running backwards and forwards to see him all the time :/ Im trying to do the right thing but not sure im helping :/
 
Oh and just as an update. I checked him at 12:30. Hes still stood by the bars watching them. He ate a few handfuls of haylage that i hand fed him but hes not really eaten anything thats in there.

Snorting a bit when they stick their noses to him but nothing major. No box walking or freaking when they go near.
 
When I moved my horse last year they had a goat 'Batman'. Batman was free range. She was out in the field when Batman climbed in through the hedge. She stood and stared at him rooted to the spot for a few minutes before chasing him back out. Two days later they were seen grazing nose to nose
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She knew Batman wasn't a horse, but soon came to accept him as a superhero
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Keep going and stop worrying!
 
Stop stressing, your not doing yourself or the horse any good. He may start picking up on your stress as I bet he's not used to someone keep coming in the middle of the night to him. Sometimes you have to check last thing and then shut doors lights off and go to bed. He will get used to it. Like someone said feed him in the field this will also help you to catch him easier. Now I don't know what time it is there but it's time I was in bed. Please keep us updated or pm me I'd really like to know what you decide and how it's working out in the next few days.

Good luck (and go to bed)
 
Well tbh if he didn't want to come in today, I think maybe he wants to stay out? Just leave him to settle and find his own bearings of the place. I think your old trainer is right :3
 
I do see that me sticking my head in all the time aint helping.

Whats worse, the donkeys think its food time whenever i go in... and food time for them means fog horn braying which doesnt help them endeer themselves to jack
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Its 1am and i was going to do another night of full checks on him tbh
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Now i think i might just be making him worse :/
 
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Ya, I can almost hear my old trainer (from the UKs) voice in my head telling me to leave him the hell alone and stop treating him like an idiot. I know she'd tell me that he'll eat when hes hungry enough, instead im sat here stressing that hes going to get colic or something
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I do wonder if im making it worse by running backwards and forwards to see him all the time :/ Im trying to do the right thing but not sure im helping :/

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I'm with your old trainer on that one.
Give him haylage for the night, make sure he has clean water, skip him out. Then switch off the lights and go to bed. You're wearing his nerves out leaving lights on all the time, and hanging around - this will tell him that you believe wolves are indeed nearby.
Try turning him out with the donks tomorrow - you can always separate him if it doesn't work out after a week or two.
Maybe order a stable mirror online in the meantime.
And if all else fails, you could obtain a proper horse/pony companion for him later.
S
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how about giving it a good disinfecting? also donkeys smell different, did they go in his stable before?

i agree with the others, go to bed let him out tomorrow, and change his door.

we all worry about our neds, i picked up a new oone today that has spent the day trotting around the field, and wont eat, what can i do??? nothing, give him time, ive sn him poo and drink and hes safe for the night.... each day that goes by they normally improve, even if its a tiny bit.
 
Ive spent the last four days counting poo
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People think im weird
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Hes not poo'd since i put him in his new stable although he'd done two in before 9pm in his other one
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Could disinfect! Certainly wouldnt do any harm as the place is generally a bit minging :/
 
Youre all right
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Im making things worse
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Hes not getting much time to truely settle down as im popping in and out every couple of hours :*( Whats worse i feel completly drained as ive been doing all the manual work in cleaning up the farm (and stacking 150 bales of straw today :*() while only have a few hours sleep every night cos i keep setting my alarm to check on him and then cant fall asleep again :/

I will for sure get a horse or pony if he wont settle. Dont want people to hink im not prepared to do this! Its no problem if thats what he needs. I just want to be sure this really wont work before i rush into taking on another horse. Hope that makes sense without sounding awful towards jack
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I think im getting dragged down to turn the lights off and go to bed
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(My fiance read the forum to see the replies)
 
LOL, see your not the only one to worry, now go to bed with a list of things to do....

change door, even if its bars across door way

disinfect in side and out and leave for a day to air/dry.

put him out, if your worried about him eating maybe he will eat whilst out in the field (hard food)
 
stop worrying! an outsiders thoughts can often help, and just bashing around ideas is always good,

i dont mean to sound harsh but if he dosnt eat tonight hes not going to die, and theres no reason why you cant give him breakfast and dinner in the field, with the brekkie, he has the whole day to go and eat it, your at least getting more food into him that way.
 
Yea, i know hes had plenty of grass today if nothing else.

You guys have been great tonight. Im a complete nervous wreck atm :/ I had horses on DIY in my teens but for the last 5 years ive been on full livery and my trainer used to stop me fussing too much... where as now hes literally outside, i can just walk down there and its bringing out my OCD issues i think
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Said goodnight to him about ten minutes ago and he promptly poo'd. Heading to bed now and im promising myself that i wont get up in the night to check on him. Lights are out down there too.

You guys have been so great! I cant thank you all enough!
 
Im an hour ahead, its actually 01:40 lol
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Even if i go to bed now (which i am soonish!) it will be 2 hours earlier than the earliest night ive had this week
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Thanks for the help btw!
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ahhh maybe we all need ot stop talking to you (ment nicely)

not long and you can put him out, hes not box walking weaving or sweating up, it could be a lot worse!
 
No he isnt. He stomped around a lot the first night he arrived but when you consider he'd not been turned out properly for a year, i dont think its surprising.

Since going out everyday hes not stomped about at night. Just stared blankly at the doors.

FGS, for all i know he could just hate the colour
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I wish the damn things could talk.

I actually dont think id be quite as stressy if it wasnt for the fact that he had colic just before easter. It was only mild and i think it was a lot to do with the feeding regime at the livery yard (3 hard feeds a day, quite low amount of haylage imo) and despite me warning them i wouldnt be able to work him while organising for the move, they just kept pumping him with food :|
 
was proberley that hes gut wasnt moving enough, but with being out grazing that would get it going, and again the poops are always a good indication of whats going on.

honestley go to bed, leave him alone, and get some sleep
 
Hope you're not still up to read this post! But I do think horses can see donkeys as companions, they can with sheep and goats so donkeys are nearer to being a horse than that.

The overwhelming thing I noticed when I read your first post and the answers where that the horse wants to be in the field! He can't wait to get out, and doesn't want to come back into the barn. You want your horse to be happy and settle in. So why not let him do as he wants and say ok, stay in the field if you want! Rug him up well/accordingly and he'll certainly survive any bad weather just fine.

I think he'd be fine without this bit, but if possible set up yoru farm so that he can get into the barn if he chooses to. You mention leaving the doors open would cause the doors at the other end to rattle, what would happen if you left both ends open? And would the donks be bothered by that? If not I'd let him be out and tie the doors open and his stable door so he has the option.

If this is really not possible, then go to catch him maybe twice in the evening. Offer him the headcollar and "ask" if he wants to come in, they aren't stupid, if he b*ggers off you know he doesn't want to come in, if he lets you put it on then maybe he does. Mark Rashid mentions a similar scenario, try to get hold of his books I think they'd help you to understand behaviour.

Chances are he will choose to stay out. DON'T go back every 2 hours through the night - he will quickly learn that if he wants to come in he'd better take his opportunity.

With regards to the doors, it could be so many things, horses are much more switched on than we are to not just sounds and sights but energy patterns, wind, physical feel, taste, smell... It could be something as simple as the light changes and keeps his attention, or as obscure and seemingly insignificant as "the paint smells the same as the one on the door that I used to be let through to play with the other geldings" ever smelt disinfectant and been reminded of hospital? Horse's links between the senses and memories are much more sensitive than ours. Some will say i'm loopy for this comment, but without an animal communicator you will probably never know exactly what it is he doesn't like, so try covering them, replacing them if you have to etc.

I agree with you and several others, he needs to re-learn how to be a horse and also to relax. You're worrying and constant niggling will not help him to relax, so STOP and if you can't stop remove yourself from being near him. If you still feel the need to check up on him buy a CCTV camera.

Good luck with it all and keep us posted
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Try and relax yourself. He will pick up on your signals especially indoors.
We took in a horse that had been stabled for 3 years with both doors shut most of the time.
He was led out, told wee-wee and put back in. He was not allowed to go to the toilet in his stable!
When i went to see him my first thought was ' You need to learn to be a horse'
We took him in thinking we will stable him and gradually turn him out in a small aea.
He would not go near the stable!
He stayed out, a very worried horse!
I carried on as normal doing my work around him etc.
To cut a long story short he is now a happy horse! A real horse with friends at last.
As he was not used to company other than a Goat he took a while to accept horses.
Try to be more relaxed do your usual things. If you are relaxed your horse will relax and accept his change better.
It will get better, honest.
Good luck.
 
Hi Tierra
I hope you did eventually get to bed and are finding it a little less stressful
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I would leave him next to the donks - like you said, he has to get used to them eventually, so persevere with that stable, and at least its away from the doors. I wouldnt worry too much about the not eating, like you said he has plenty of grass during the day. I do agree with people saying leave him out 24/7, but personally I would build up to that. If you put him out now he may just get even more attached to the horses next door and not bond with the donks at all. When they do go out together I wuld separate them with electric fence as first - yes he is next to them now and his behaviour seems more curious about them than scared , but that doesnt mean he will cope if they both come up to him in the field. But hey, I tend to prefer the cautious approach
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Good luck and try not to worry too much - your conditions now are far more horse-friendly, he just needs some time to adjust.
 
Turn him out with the donkeys in the morning and I bet by evening they'll all be grazing and happily ignoring each other. And you'll have a much happier, more relaxed horse.

Just get on and do it - watch for the first 5 minutes and then walk away and leave them to it. I think you popping up every few minutes (LOL!) is probably quite unsettling in itself.

I think you're intefering too much to be honest (sorry don't mean to be rude) and actually making things worse. You just need to let nature to take its course and allow them to sort things about between themselves and establish a natural hierachy.

The donkeys aren't going to do him any harm - he'll be twice their size I imagine - and they not exactly known to be aggressive!?

I know its easier said than done and you're heart's obviously in the right place - but honestly just turn him out with the donkeys and have done with it!!!!
 
First of all you must stop blaming yourself for this. You have done the best you could in what seems like difficult circumstances re your last yard. It may take time but he will settle eventually.

Echo what others say really, leave him where he is next to the donkeys, turn the lights out and as difficult as it is leave him be. Also I think I would turn out with the donkeys, give them a chance to groom and play - just watch he doesn't bully them if he is a bit unsure!

I hope it all works out for you, I'm a worrier too so know how you are feeling. Best of luck!
 
A general reply to everyone.

He ate at some point over night and he'd poo'd plenty so he seems ok. Hes out again today but again they're in different fields. My OH is away today and i didnt fancy the idea of the stress if things went wrong.

Hes grazing quite happily.

Interestingly, I put him out first and rather than running over to the other horses, he lingered around the gate watching for the donkeys. Hes still snorting at them and staring a bit, but hes lingering closer to the fence by the lane (so the donkeys side) than the other horses side.

I think im going to try fetching him in first today. Im almost wondering if taking the donkeys away is similar to the effect of taking everything out of his own field and panics him.

Id really prefer to avoid leaving him out but i do see that it might be the only option. Im going to give him a few more days before i decide on that.

At least hes out all day now being horsey rather than stood in a box? :|

Oh and to those who say im worrying too much and making it worse - i think you're right and im not offended
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I posted this for advice and thats what ive got and wanted! Its all appreciated, even those who think im making things worse!
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Going to try and get them all out together this week. Perhaps if he can interact with them, he'll start to realise they arent that much different to him?
 
It seems you are heading in th eright direction
I would get him in first.
Try to stop worrying, it can take a horse months to settle in.

Get a routine and stick with it, he will adapt.

Lights off at night, same stable all the time, and keep those night time visits to a minimum. Horses need some quiet time too.
 
Glad you are both feeling better this morning.

My friend's mare was petrified of donkeys - you couldn't get anywhere near her if you had touched a donkey first. However circumstances meant that they had to be turned out together. It took a while - now they are the best of friends
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Oh and said donkey loves rolling on the concrete too
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Good luck.
 
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