Exasperated sigh

[Kylara]

Poor pony had a bit of an accident earlier in the week. Obviously rolled and got his leg stuck in a rug strap (done it before and usually just hops and eats until it gets fixed) but got himself into a bit of a state and someone trashed his turnout rug. Ripped on both sides, one belly strap and one leg strap torn off. I'm happy the rug broke but he came in all upset and sweaty as he'd obviously got very worked up about it. Very clingy for about half an hour once in his stable but no damage done to him and he cheered up after he got his swede.

He's been in for a few days as his only other turnout is a no fill sheet and he's fully clipped and makes a hell of a fuss if he doesn't want to be out in the cold so he's managed a couple of hours here and there when we've had warmer not wet moments.

He went on the walker last night and got all overexcited and kept trying to overtake the paddle. So today I finally had time around teaching to take his rug to the shop and see if they could fix it (yes but pricey) and had a look at new turnouts for him so he can go out again. I struggle with rugs for him as he has big shoulders but is only 14hh so can get drowned in rugs that still rub the shoulders. Bought a BW for him, left hit MT one to be washed and repaired (only 2 months old!) and set him free in the field.

Since then he has stood at the fence admiring the view. Shouted a lot. Stood some more. Shouted some more. Screamed every time I have appeared from the barn and stood at the fence by the gate. I have seen him eat for about 5 minutes but he has spent most of the day stood sulking and admiring the view between shouting. It is raining but that doesn't usually phase him. There's grass and friends next door but he very obviously doesn't want to be out.

He has spent most of the week inside and I thought he'd be grateful to be out with the grass. But he hasn't even rolled in the brand new rug. He had a strop on Wednesday because he didn't like his hay (very dusty bale that the others didn't really like either but the tiny pony happily munches on) so he's had a new bale, been picky over it this morning and then I chucked him out. I feel very unappreciated by him at the minute and he is still just standing in the field admiring the view and not eating the damn grass!

He's Welsh, so I'm blaming that for his contrary behaviour. I think he's hoping if he looks suitably sad I'll bring him in out of the rain.

 

[HandBR]

Ignore him! He's better out in the fresh air even if thinks he'd rather be in. I'm a bit of an advocate of tough love when it comes to turning out reluctant horses.

 

[Kylara]

Haha yup, he did stay out. They only come in if they start charging about and trashing the field or themselves! He's pretty good and just stands looking all pathetic and shouting to high heaven. He did eat a bit every now and then when I snuck a look but has spent most of the time just standing looking sorry for himself.
Typical horses really, want to be in when they're out and out when they're in!
He better eat his hay when he comes in later, I'm not opening another fresh bale just for him.

New rug neck doesn't seem as large as trashed rug though so his front may be a bit wet. Not sure how I'll feel about that, I can see his neck/chest area so it obviously isn't covered, but maybe his other rug is just very generous. Poor naked pony haha

 

[Apercrumbie]

As HandBR said - ignore him unless he's likely to hurt himself tearing around the field. He will soon settle again.

ETA - it seems like he's out by himself from your post? If so, he will take far longer to settle.

 

[Kylara]

He's on individual turnout but next to other fields with horses in (he gets clingy and liable to get separation anxiety if not turned out on his own). He is settled, he's just not happy about the rain or the fact he isn't in his stable like he has been for the last few days apart from his few hours here and there in his sheet when it was warmer. He shouts all the time anyway,hes that sort of horse. A few shout back but soon get bored and he stops. His best trick is to shout when people go past in the hope he gets brought in usually but it never works.
He just loves people and would rather be near people in the barn than out in the rain!

He's a silly little horse, was totally expecting some jumping around party behaviour having been in for the better part of a week but he was his usual walking around mooching self. And then the rain started.

He's on day turnout because the neighbours horses go in and they are the only visible horses on his side of my hedge and he can't go out with my mare overnight on the other side.

I think he got a bit used to being a stable kept pony this week, with pets and fuss and swedes and hay on tap! Bit of a shock to get dumped in his field in the rain!

 

[Apercrumbie]

Horses tend to 'shout' for other horses.

 

[Kylara]

He shouts for everything. Riding or stable or field. He's a very shouty boy. He's much better than when he first arrived but whenever a horse walks past he says hello and then goodbye. It's a bit of a nightmare in warmups and when next door run camps as he says hi to every horse in the group.

He doesn't seem to get anxious about it, he just notices and chats. It's just annoying as his voice is at that high, goes right through you pitch.

Today he and a racehorse had a long chat over lunch.

 

[oldie48]

Not wishing to be controversial but I do wonder if horses that are kept in individual paddocks ever really relax. I do understand that for lots of owners there's no option but my horses shout for each other and wait by the gate but as soon as their friend is in the field with them they happily do their own thing but they do drift back and forth to each other, have a scratch and generally hang out together. Both will separate quite happily, I can leave the old TB on his own for days when Mr B and I go off for training and he's quite content but he's always very pleased to see Mr B come home. When I bought the old TB many years ago I was told not to turn him out with other horses as he'd be a pig to catch, yes at first he was tricky but we sorted that and he's just a much happier horse being in company.

 

[Kylara]

He's on individual purely to manage his clinging tendency and he's quite a chilled submissive boy and I think he's liable to get picked on and very attached. He's happy in his little field next to others. I did try him in the big field with my mare and he freaked out and insisted on going back so his individual padlock (and he loves my mare). He was practically climbing the gate, heavy breathing, even started sweating and actually started pacing up and down the gate which is very unlike him. So he's one that individual works well for - has his own safe space and knows what is what.

Today was amusing because he was lovely and interested in going to the field and seemed happy as anything to be out and then spent most of the day standing looking at the view instead of scoffing all the grass as usual. I put it down to the rain and how he's been in all week as a pampered boy.

My mare is good in a one or a two, but I prefer her to be on her own next to others with all but one horse simply because of the injury risk and tbh she's the sort of horse that doesn't really care and is happy to be in a field with a gelding separated by a bit of leccy tape.

I think herd turnout is great but it just doesn't work for some horses. I really disagree with putting horses out alone. So mine on individual turnout are always out next to another horse. They may not be sharing a field, but they are 'together'.

 

[SusieT]

Sounds like he's anxious and wants friends tbh, very insecure and time might be well spent finding him a stable few companions to go out with - I find horses out in a stable group of several horses aren't as prone to separation anxiety as they don't have to worry about being separated. I doubt he is shouting to come in - horses logic is company and food! I wouldn't find my horse amusing if he was so anxious he wasn't eating.

 

[catroo]

He gets attached to a friend so your resolution is not to let him have any friends?

 

[oldie48]

Horses are herd animals, they are not supposed to have us a BFF. I'm not a complete "let them live as naturally as possible" sort but it does make me very sad to think of a horse not having a proper friend of his own sort and to do normal horsey things with. Why don't you have another go at putting him in with your mare, they might hooley around at first but I bet they just settle down quite quickly and be so much happier.

 

[Ceriann]

My mares are very attached, I had one backed and they were separated then and whilst they called a bit they settled. I was advised to keep them separately when I got the backed one home - I did for a few days but it didn't feel right so I allowed them to paddock together. Since then I've worked on them being separated and both are fine being separated to ride, lead etc but they love being together, in the field they follow each other etc. I wouldn't keep a horse alone - I know lots don't have a choice and I know there are worse things that can happen but I would always want company.

 

[honetpot]

I find if you have a stable group but mix and match they get used to being friends with everyone and less dependant on one companion, so when one goes off or you take a couple out of the group they soon settle.

 

[Kylara]

I agree generally with the idea of herd turnout. And try to do groups as much as possible but this boy in particular is tricky. He is clingy for people and is a big fan of everything. He was eating in the field but not a lot, he wasn't stress standing just relaxed and looking at the view. He has plenty of friends and is in a field right next to one. He likes being in his stable right in the centre of the barn and enjoys watching everything go on. He does call for people attention and will walk to the gate (away from his neighbours) and call you if he wants to come in. He's not the sort that hooks around or paces or makes a massive fuss. Anything getting into a state is brought in, which a couple do regularly.
He doesn't like the rain which was part of the problem I think.
He loves my mare but got so anxious and upset in her field he had to be removed. She wandered off and he wouldn't leave the gate, started pacing, screaming and being genuinely upset and stressed. He likes his own space so individual turnout works for him. He loves his field and usually doesn't hang near the fences with horses on the other side.
His clingy nature (people and horses) is manageable, but still problematic at times so pairing him up with something would create a massive issue when it came to separating time.

In regards to his calling, he whinneys at absolutely everything. There can be 4 horses in our arena and every one gets a hello and goodbye, any passing horses get the same, any that use the arena next to ours etc. Not constant calling but a definite hello when they arrive and a goodbye when they leave. He generally gets no response from any of them. It's something we work through and it is getting better, and only usually happens rarely in the field and only when he sees someone.

He gets a bit difficult with mares when he's in the field so gets turned out after they are brought in and at least a couple of trainers have mentioned that he may have been cut late which could explain a lot of his behaviour.

He did start eating when the rain eased up later in the afternoon and obviously I wasn't watching him constantly so he was no doubt nibbling grass here and there in between watching the world go by.

I'm 100% not putting him out with the racehorse groups as they come in injured a lot and mess about at 100 miles an hour which is not something I want him doing. He was on individual turnout at his previous home as well, so it's not something I've suddenly subjected him to. His owner also prefers him to be on individual due to injury risk, as I said he is a very submissive type who would be liable to get picked on in a herd.

 

[FfionWinnie]

If you bring them in for "getting in a state" you are training them not to stay out in a field and be a horse.

Secondly it's far better that a horse learns it has friends whom it has to leave and they leave it, than keeping it alone.

I thought you produced horses for other people. I wouldn't be impressed if I sent you one of mine and it continually got caught in a rug (take the leg straps off!), couldn't be turned out because it didn't have a rug and many of the other odd comments you've made in this thread!

 

[Kylara]

I share a yard. The ones that get in a state and get brought in aren't on my yard and are very expensive horses prone to being idiots and injuring themselves so if a couple of hours is all they can manage that's all they can manage. Horse has got stuck in rug twice. First time got fixed about 5 minutes after he did it and he didn't seem at all fussed and second time he obviously got stressed which is understandable and trashed his rug. He got brought in as soon as possible after we heard him in distress. All his rugs have leg straps and he's never had a problem with any of them other than those two occasions.

He is fully clipped and it has been cold and wet here this week (very windy) and his only other turnout was a sheet. So he went out in that when it was suitable for a couple of hours and went on the walker more as well as being ridden. He doesn't keep warm well and enjoys being in so reduced turnout for a few days until he got a new rug was fine. I wasn't going to put him out in a shower proof sheet in torrential rain over a fresh full clip so he'd get cold and wet and potentially a chill.

He doesn't go out alone. He is on indivual turnout next to fields with other horses on individual turnout. The one time I tried putting him in a pair he flipped out and had to be removed (left them for about half an hour and no change) as soon as he went back into his individual field he relaxed back into his usual self.

Hardly any odd comments. The main post was simply, as the thread was titled, an exasperated sigh, as I fully expected a bit of a charge around and grass scoffing but he barely cropped the grass, looked sad about the rain and seemed to be staring at the view. He's absolutely fine out at the minute eating grass (it's not raining) and he came in perfectly happy yesterday afternoon and ate all his hay. I have put it down to the weather.

 

[MrsMozart]

I've known a few horses who can't be out with others - two because they attack anything with four legs and don't stop (one would go for anything with two legs as well, made for interesting times); and two (or might be three, can't remember), because they're always at the bottom of the pecking order and come in battered when turned out with others. It's horses for courses.

As for your lad - never work with animals or children He sounds like quite a character.