Christsam
Well-Known Member
My 4 year old WB boy has started fence walking. He has mostly lived on his own and at his old yard he had hedges around and whilst he could see other horses he never bothered with them as there was the hedge between. He was on his own for the first 3 years of his life and was happy to be on his own and I never had any problem. He then had to move yards last year where he spent his first 8 months with a companion in a hedged field, again no problem. Unfortunately he then moved to the winter field where there are horses all around and fenced just with electric tape and this is where the problem started. He would run like a lunatic when his companion was with him but if he was in and other horses were around then he would walk. Whilst I do not like moving him, unfortunately the yard was sold and he has now come home to my partners land behind the house. He has wirefence between him and a shetland but fence walked the two fences sides that badly that we have fenced a bit further away from the shetland. I have tried to make a zig zag line and using random poles and tape to stop him walking a straight line but he either just walks a zig zag trail or walks in a square in a space he can find big enough. The last few days though he has just walked right through some of the fence. He is going away to be broken in September (he is a very young 4.5 year old in body maturity and mind). He was being worked regularly but has been home with us for two weeks and I will be starting to work him again now. Does anyone have any ideas to help break this habit? A lot of advice says to get a pony companion but I only really want to do this as a last resort as I worry that will make the anxiety worse if I want to take him anywhere or take a pony anywhere. The grass is good so he is only on grass at the moment but I am off to get some haylage later in the hope that a haynet will occupy him for a time. He is not a particularly good doer and i also worry that the constant walking (or in the evening the mindless trotting and cantering up and down) will just take the weight back off him again.