Field Situation- Am I being silly?

Kokopelli

Kokopelli

Well-Known Member
Joined
12 July 2010
Messages
7,170
Location
Gloucester
Visit site
I'm pretty sure Andy hates his field friends. There are four more horses out there one is 13.2 (but with small man syndrome) and the others are 15.2 plus and built like tanks and they are all quite bolshy.

Andy being timid doesn't get in fights with them but it is obvious he is scared of them, if we turn him out he will avoid them and just go and graze, he will always be seperate from the group and if they are near the gate he is to scared to walk past them. But if he is ever on his own (very rare) he does get upset.

The problem is we can't move fields, the other main field has even nastier and bigger horses. There are also various small fields but the only one free is the one which Koko died from, so obviously we will not put him out there. I'm on the waiting list for a couple of yards but until a space comes up at either we are unable to move him, and we are not sure how long that will be as we are far down on the list.

I'm worried that not only is he going to get kicked that he is unhappy- or am I just babying him too much and tell him to man up?

Any guidance on what I can do would be much appreciated.


On a plus point we put him Blue Chip about 2 weeks ago and he looks better, he had a shiny coat anyway but he looks like he's got a bit more covering and you can see 3 ribs when stretched out but when he is relaxed you can't see any :D
 
Do you know if he was a loner in his previous home ? - I had a gelding who never took to life with other horses and always grazed alone, although also never liked to actually be left by himself, he too would always be last in the line for the gate standing well back from the others, turns out when I spoke to previous owner that he had always grazed in an individual paddock but with others in their paddocks around him, never seemed to bother him though, he just kept himself to himself.
 
He was kept on his own in his old home, or with my old pony (who we also bought off them) but he was probably more submissive then him but they got on very well. The yard we want to move to has individual turnout.
I just feel sorry for him as he isn't enjoying being out there, but in the mornings when I turn him out he has a good gallop down the field but will always eat away from the others.
 
I had a TB on livery who was always a bit of a loner. He acted concerned when other horses came too close and always seemed to keep as eye on them as he grazed. His owner ended up moving him to a yard down the road. She rode him to new yard. NINE months later he managed to escape the new yard and came home, neighing and prancing like a fool up the middle of a B road :eek: ! ... Owner decided to move him back to us - he greeted all his old field mates like long lost friends (with more interaction than I'd ever seen before) ... then went back to grazing in his corner on his own with that slightly anxious look!

Sorry for the essay, but it taught me that horses have different ways of expressing their emotions and it's all too easy to be anthropomorphic when we're observing them, as humans ;)
 
Totally agree - we put too many emotions into our horses. I know it's difficult not to, if he has been turned out with this group for sometime without kicks and bites I would be inclined to leave well alone - especially if grazing is good. What was wrong with the field where horse died?:confused:
 
I would leave him be, he's obviously not stressing if he's off eating and minding his own and I assume he's not losing weight of anything like that? Some horses are just loners and we really shouldn't worry. My old pony always kept out of trouble but he liked his field mates, i guess it gives them security but they don't necessarily have to be playful, interactive souls.

Also, remember you have not had him that long - it takes a long time to horses to sort themselves out in a pecking order and to find a closer field 'buddy'. Christ I didn't put my new baby horse in with our whole herd until I'd had him nearly 6 weeks - mainly because one horse in particular (my other one!) actually wanted to kill him!!! I think the fact that they have accepted him in this time is very good - it may be he is not 'allowed' within the group quite yet anyway. An established herd will keep a new one on the outside of their invisible boundary for a good while.

Honestly, do not worry about it, it sounds like a normal social situation to me and I'd much prefer to have horses together and have them choose to stay apart than not give them a choice by putting them in individual paddocks.
 
monikirk said:
Totally agree - we put too many emotions into our horses. I know it's difficult not to, if he has been turned out with this group for sometime without kicks and bites I would be inclined to leave well alone - especially if grazing is good. What was wrong with the field where horse died?:confused:
Click to expand...

He died of EAM, so I gather the land is potentially "infected" and best to be avoided until the dry season.
 
we have a horse in our field that never grazes with rest always moves if another comes to them but fretted when moved t another field - ok he may seem thats is off on his own but there is a herd near to him and hes grazing so giv him time - horses dont think and act like us and sometimes we need to take a step back breath and say hes a horse not human - give it time hun :) x
 
ladyt25 said:
I would leave him be, he's obviously not stressing if he's off eating and minding his own and I assume he's not losing weight of anything like that? Some horses are just loners and we really shouldn't worry. My old pony always kept out of trouble but he liked his field mates, i guess it gives them security but they don't necessarily have to be playful, interactive souls.

Also, remember you have not had him that long - it takes a long time to horses to sort themselves out in a pecking order and to find a closer field 'buddy'. Christ I didn't put my new baby horse in with our whole herd until I'd had him nearly 6 weeks - mainly because one horse in particular (my other one!) actually wanted to kill him!!! I think the fact that they have accepted him in this time is very good - it may be he is not 'allowed' within the group quite yet anyway. An established herd will keep a new one on the outside of their invisible boundary for a good while.


Honestly, do not worry about it, it sounds like a normal social situation to me and I'd much prefer to have horses together and have them choose to stay apart than not give them a choice by putting them in individual paddocks.
Click to expand...


Agree, my young horse acted terrified of the others in the field when he was first with them, he was a complete woos, it was so worrying. I even caught my old boy (who is not usually aggressive) giving him both barrels and charging down the field at him :(:( it was heartbreaking and went on for ages. I had never had such a submissive horse! Now they all love him, he is not high on the pecking order but they are kind to him, like old friends. Just give it time but I know how you feel. xxx
 
Thanks for the suggestions.
Monikirk- as misstyc said the field is potentially infected with what ever toxin causes EAM so there would be no way I would ever turn a horse out there.

As for pecking order though, the 13.2 with little man syndrom hasn't been out there long either as he moved a while after Koko died (he was Koko's field buddy) so has probably been out in that field about a week longer then Andy. I'm worried they will never accept him, or worse he will come in with a kick but he seems to be smart enough to keep out that situation.
 
Sorry to see your horse died from myopathy - we have sadly had 2 horses die from that too. If any help to you my horse grazes that land as do the others. Vet and research says that it tends to be a prob with young horses that have had a bad start in life and. I give my horse a supplement of selenium and vit e in the autumn and spring. :(
 
monikirk said:
Sorry to see your horse died from myopathy - we have sadly had 2 horses die from that too. If any help to you my horse grazes that land as do the others. Vet and research says that it tends to be a prob with young horses that have had a bad start in life and. I give my horse a supplement of selenium and vit e in the autumn and spring. :(
Click to expand...

Sorry to hear you lost 2 to it aswell, such a horrible disease!

Its more for our peace of mind that we won't put a horse out there even though I know at this time of year its unlikely he will get it. But if he did I would never forgive myself for allowing it to happen.

How do you feed your vit E supplements? We were looking into it but we found them to be quite expensive and was wondering if theres a cheaper way fo doing it.
 
I have a 3 yr old Sec D out in the young guns paddock and he prefers to stand on his own.
He wont share a hay feeder, there are 2 between 4 of them, so i make up a net just for him.
When the young guns were out in the 15 acre field, he was also on his own, up the hill, at least 500ft away from the herd.
If i were you, I'd let him get on with it TBH.
He's reletively new to his surroundings too, so give him room to find his feet.
 
Cappy will happily graze all day in a field and not interact with other horses. He will graze alone in his own field as well. Only time I have really seen him interact is when he is babysitting, then he hoons round with them.
FDC
 
Thanks everyone, I'll see how he goes perhaps he is just a loner. He doesn't seem bothered too much just a bit frightened of the bigger ones sometimes. Though I'd rather he be a bit timid like he is then get kicked.
 
In a word - yes. If he has come to no harm in the field so far, I'm not sure what you are worrying about. In the field, a horse's primary concern is eating Your horse is spending his time eating. They don't stand around gossiping. Sometimes some horses do a little mutual grooming but they really don't spend much time doing this. Most horses prefer to be in a field with companions - why do you think that he would prefer individual turnout?
 
If he's intimidated by the other horses then he will keep his distance from them.

The important thing is to ensure that he's not being bullied. As long as he isn't then you don't have anything really to worry about, and I would leave him where he is.

The issue I can foresee is if they feed hay in the field - does he manage to get any without being bullied off???
 
He sounds like a couple of little mares we have.

They are both perfectly happy, they just keep themselves to themselves. They also both run past a bit if the big girls are around the gate, but they never bother them otherwise. The big girls are sort of just in what they seem to think is their 'main herd' and pay no attention to the others.
Our girls best friend sometimes get's left with one of the litt'luns when I've took her in, and she'll stand there calling and having a bit of a hissy fit because she see's herself as 'on her own'.

I'd obviously watch for any aggressive behaviour, but it seems like he's just happy grazing away on his own. :)

When you love them so much it's so hard to just think 'leave them to it'. But it's for the best. :)

x
 
I feed Vitamin E Selenium Lysine by Naf I think it's about £15 a tub. There are other variations that some have caused probs in usa with over doses. I'll just use a tub in spring and again in the autumn as soon as frosts start, just to top up immune system. Unfortunately both horses that died were very young, 4 ish and had been neglected in their early years. A horrid time but cases just seem to pop up with no reason at all.
 
Not sure on the field situation - mine just tend to get on with it, although now I think about it my little old man is loner....doesn't really mingle with the herd (5 other boys) and seems happy to keep himself to himself! Anti social little mite!

Great news about the blue chip - I personally think its a great food and worth every penny for poor doer! I found it improved my boys attitude as well, a lot stressy and therefore he wasnt quite so wizzy, be interesting to see if Andy slows down a bit in his jumping for you whilst on it!
 
monikirk- Will have a look into it thanks, anything to put my mind at rest.

lilyhead- He has all of a sudden clamed down a lot but I haven't put this down to him just settling in or the food, but I do love Blue Chip :) I hacked him the other day on a loose rein :eek: so something is definatly calming him down.

Thanks for suggestions, and I suppose I am being a bit silly but I am so worried something awful will happen to him (I never used to be like this.) We're still moving yards though as that is another story but with field situation I guess I just need to 'man up' a bit. :p
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top