Field/herd problems!

[ohdearme]

Hi!

Have recently got a new loan horse, and am having problems getting her in from the field! I feel like such an idiot, as have been catching horses in from fields for years and am confident around them, but at this new yard I always seem to have to get help!

It is a field of around 8 mares, incredibly muddy - especially at the gate - and all of them seem to want to come in desperately. Last week when I went to get mine in (by myself), they saw me coming with a headcollar & all started barging/kicking each other, pacing, and basically all madly fighting to get to the gate. Mine happens to be the lowest in the pecking order, so just got kicked/barged the furthest away from the gate. I went in to try to shoo them all off, but no luck - they just kept crowding the gate. In the end, someone else arrived & had to bring them all in, before I could get mine in!

Not sure how to deal with this, as need to be able to get my own horse in from the field without help really (it is a small yard, and not always guaranteed someone else will be there at the same time I am) but don't want to put myself, or the horses at risk? May be that when some grass starts growing in there, none of them will want to come in! But until then, am at a bit of a loss! Any tips?

 

[Shay]

I've got a "bottom of the order" one too - although a gelding. Are you able to bring the others in before your mare? I know I've had to resort to doing that a time or two recently. Bring everybody in, bring yours in and then if necessary turn them all back out again! Time consuming; but safe.

Once she trusts you you may be able to use a short whip or the end of a lead rope to give yourself enough space - but you can't do that unless you know she is going to hide behind you rather than run off in panic! With all the mud at the moment it is all too easy to get stuck for the split second and get kicked, fall or get trampled.

My lad will hand target so I can sometimes bring him in without a head collar simply by asking him to walk with his nose on my hand (if he is in the mood it looks like a great piece of horse whispering - if he isn't I look a twit...). But it avoids the head collar problem which the others can be drawn to. But it takes time to teach and a compliant horse.

And it may sound obvious - but don't go in with a treat to catch her. Learned that one the hard way.....

 

[wench]

I'd be wondering why they are all wanting to come in? Is there enough hay in the field? Enough space?

 

[oldie48]

I had my daughter's first pony on a yard like this and it was a nightmare. I couldn't let my, very keen, daughter go in to catch her pony, it was too dangerous. i was very nearly kicked when i went in to catch the pony as the herd had been upset by a recently introduced pony (ended up face down in a pile of poo!) I managed to persuade the YO to put my daughter's pony in with a couple of other horses belonging to a friend on the yard and I never had a problem after that. I'd move yards, as I don't think anyone can offer you an answer.

 

[Palindrome]

they need hay out, but otherwise take a lunge whip with you, put the headcollar on your mare away from the gate and then calmely ask the horses near the gate to move away using the lunge whip to encourage them to move to a safe distance (it is basically like an extra long arm), then take your mare through gate. If at any time another mare try to go towards you/your horse stop and calmly move her away. If you use voice aid (shoo, back, etc..) they'll soon learn them. Don't let the others get within kicking/biting range of your mare once she has the headcollar on, she needs to know you will protect her.

ETA: also ask the horses to move away from the gate before you come in as it's not safe for you if one decides to kick another one.

 

[oldie48]

Good ideas here but OP says the field is "incredibly muddy especially in the gateway" I think this may pose the real problem and she can really only use the lunge whip once she's caught her pony and having a herd milling round her whilst she slithers around in deep mud is not only challenging it's downright dangerous. her YO needs to stone the gateways and make them safe.

they need hay out, but otherwise take a lunge whip with you, put the headcollar on your mare away from the gate and then calmely ask the horses near the gate to move away using the lunge whip to encourage them to move to a safe distance (it is basically like an extra long arm), then take your mare through gate. If at any time another mare try to go towards you/your horse stop and calmly move her away. If you use voice aid (shoo, back, etc..) they'll soon learn them. Don't let the others get within kicking/biting range of your mare once she has the headcollar on, she needs to know you will protect her.

ETA: also ask the horses to move away from the gate before you come in as it's not safe for you if one decides to kick another one.