Help with deliquent youngster

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JACQSZOO

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I need some ideas please.
I moved my horses home just over a week ago, am loving it, except the youngster has decided she would far rather stay out in the 30 acres on her own than come into her stable!
I can't fence off a smaller area at the moment, although hopefully the farmer is going to sort something out in the next few weeks before the grass really starts coming through.
She won't be bribed by food and isn't at all bothered about being left alone in the field!
Trying to find a horse in the dark, in 30 acres is not my idea of fun!
Any bright ideas?
 
Does she not come up when you catch your others, does she not stick in heard with them? to enable you to catch her when you catch the others, perhaps rattle a bucket or tip some feed down for them so they get used to all coming up together for some food (so its routine, just for a week) so she gets used to coming up, then catch her first, then the others?
 
Take it there's plenty of grass to eat so can understand why she wouldn't want to be bribed by food. TBH if they don't want to be caught it doesn't matter whether it's a 3 acre field or 30 acres.
Problem with using feed to catch them is your are liable to end up with a kicking match in the field if there are other horses about. Personally I'd ignore her for a few days (obviously check to see she's fit and well) and then if she does start to come up to you fuss her but don't catch her. She'll soon get fed up with being left out of the loop and decide that she wants to be caught.
 
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Trying to find a horse in the dark, in 30 acres is not my idea of fun!

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Try in the light??

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Would love to but I don't get home from work till gone five thirty
 
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Does she not come up when you catch your others, does she not stick in heard with them? to enable you to catch her when you catch the others, perhaps rattle a bucket or tip some feed down for them so they get used to all coming up together for some food (so its routine, just for a week) so she gets used to coming up, then catch her first, then the others?

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Nope she doesn't come up with the others. Shes just not interested. She wont be bribed by food, she very rarely eats her bucket feed, shes just not motivated by it.
 
She has lost her confidence after being moved, she needs to learn to trust again....happened when i moved my mare she stayed out for 2 weeks before i could 'catch' her...i did feed her every night but she wouldnt let me put a halter on...we got there tho just be patient...i was lucky though....my mare did this to me in April so it wasnt that cold!!
 
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She has lost her confidence after being moved, she needs to learn to trust again....happened when i moved my mare she stayed out for 2 weeks before i could 'catch' her...i did feed her every night but she wouldnt let me put a halter on...we got there tho just be patient...i was lucky though....my mare did this to me in April so it wasnt that cold!!

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I'm not convinced thats what it is.

She has never been out on her own, in fact I bought another horse before we moved her ( they has two weeks together at the old yard so they had bonded), simply because I didn't want her to be left on her own if the only other horse (not mine) at the new place was taken out of the field.

She is just simply not bothered. For the first week/10 days she was as good as gold, its only been the last few days shes got worse and worse till now she doesn't even bother coming to see us at all.
I think she's simply not hungry.
I've been sending hubby out during the day (he works shifts) to go and see her and give her a carrot and make a fuss of her (he isnt horsey and wouldn't be able to lead a reluctant youngster over 30 acres to bring her in) but come evening time shes no-where to be found. It took me over an hour to find her in the dark last night!
 
On and off, she's been stabled at times, since she was one. She had a spell of box rest over Christmas and then she went on an in at night routine. Have occassionaly had issues with catching her at the old yard, (during the spring and summer usually) but all she would do was walk off, within 2 minutes I would have caught her
 
I think you two need to build a bond back again which is what i meant, its not easy when you cant catch them! You probably cant find her because she has gone somewhere to keep safe for the night.
 
I think you are right and she simply isn't hungry. We have a 'houdini' youngster who is supposed to live in a herd of 13 but goes walkabout into adjoining fields on his own and just isn't bothered whether we go and see him or not. He is quite happy eating on his own 'personal' grass that the others can't get to or in the next liveries field. She obviously isn't worried about being alone and, as long as you can have her checked in the light I don't really see what more you can do until she is ready or you have a smaller field for her. Our boy started coming in at night (just so we knew where he was) and waited at one of the gates depending where he had ended up through the day, suddenly he decided he didn't want to come in any more and just bogged off to make sure we couldn't find him.
 
Its very frustrating.

I bought another horse specifically to keep her company
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, as I didn't want her to be left alone and panic and this is how the ungrateful little madam repays me.

I've been telling everyone, since before Christmas and she had to go on box rest, and then got stuck in because of the snow and ice, what a star she was. So well behaved, perfect manners and so loving. I have never, ever had a horse on box rest who was so well behaved. Even her first trip in the trailer, when we moved her went without incident. In the last three or four days she has turned into a deliquent.

Have told hubby to give her a talking to when he pays her a visit today, tins of dog food and glue were mentioned!
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Why doesn't hubby try and catch her when he goes to see her during the day?

Why not just let her live out for the time being and try and spend time with her at the weekends when it's daylight and build a bond again? My youngster lives out 24/7.
 
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Why doesn't hubby try and catch her when he goes to see her during the day?

Why not just let her live out for the time being and try and spend time with her at the weekends when it's daylight and build a bond again? My youngster lives out 24/7. [/quote

Hubby is not at all horsey and it wouldn't be fair to ask him to handle a deliquent yougster.

I can't bond if I can't get near her. I don't feel its a bonding issue anyway, its a stroppy well fed youngster thinking she knows better lol.
 
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'I don't feel its a bonding issue anyway, its a stroppy well fed youngster thinking she knows better '

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Post deleted because I can't be bothered.
 
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tried to send you a PM but your inbox is full....Sorry if it sounded harsh but I dont know if you seriously meant what you said!

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well a big clue was the "lol" at the end of my statement that you forgot to quote.

Even so - fact remains that I think thats what the issue is - a well fed stroppy youngster who doesn't want to be caught. What is "a horrible attitude" about that?
 
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what a horrible attitude.

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This youngster may well be abit full of herself and do her own thing, perhaps she is an independent youngster, you do get them
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I don't see how the OP can have a horrible attitude by saying this
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If she is happy to be out, can't you just leave her out ? until possibly the weekend where you can then work with her if your not getting out until after dark ?
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Col x
 
Im not talking about your horses attitude!

I dont even want to get into one of these nasty debates! Your horse probably just needs time to settle in and doesnt seem worried with being left out on her own...I totally understand you wanting to bring her in its freezing...but she must be trying to tell you something...

I have got confused thought you were thinking more about your self than the good of your horse....sorry?
 
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what a horrible attitude.

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This youngster may well be abit full of herself and do her own thing, perhaps she is an independent youngster, you do get them
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I don't see how the OP can have a horrible attitude by saying this
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If she is happy to be out, can't you just leave her out ? until possibly the weekend where you can then work with her if your not getting out until after dark ?
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Col x

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Thats the plan. Rather than spending an hour traipsing round 30 acres in the dark with my horrible attitude looking for a horse who clearly is quite happy where she is, I shall be at home with my feet up in front of the fire!
I have ordered her a fieldsafe headcollar today (assuming that at some point I can catch her to get it on her) and shall spend some time (again) at the weekend appearing and disappearing from her field.

And she is still an ungrateful madam. My best excuse to my hubby for buying a new horse, and the ingrate only goes and blows me out of the water!
 
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Im not talking about your horses attitude!

I dont even want to get into one of these nasty debates! Your horse probably just needs time to settle in and doesnt seem worried with being left out on her own...I totally understand you wanting to bring her in its freezing...but she must be trying to tell you something...

I have got confused thought you were thinking more about your self than the good of your horse....sorry?

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If you dont want a "nasty debate" don't make nasty comments.
 
Hi

Why don't you, at the weekend, go out into his field and sit with a book (you might need a flask, picnic etc) and take carrots, treats etc If you can be in sight but outwardly "not bothered" he might come see you and you can treat him and fuss him then walk off. I know it might sound daft but the more you get upset and stressed about this disapearing act the more he might play up - think teenager attention seeking. Be kind but detached and make it interesting to be with you, then try Sunday and I bet you'll be a better bet than vanishing on his own.

Just a thought. When my boy first came here he wouldn't eat (in high dudgeon) but it all takes time and patience. What do you think? Good luck.
 
does it matter too much ?? If i had enough grass to sustain 24/7 and they wanted to stay out i'd sodding well leave them there! no mucking in the morn's lovely jubbly. sadly i dont have the grass and my 2 Diva's wouldnt put up with it!

doesnt sound like a bonding issue to me if she was fine for a week and then started doing it.... just sounds like she has a mind of her own and seen what her massive field full of grass is like Vs a 12x12 or whatever stable over night !

clearly not a silly mare
 
I don't get stressed or upset by it, it will work out eventually, just thought someone might have some ideas that I hadn't tried yet.
Food isn't a great motivator for this mare. She has only just started eating any hard feed/carrots/apples (I've been trying to give them too her for over a year!) she's still a little wary of them so tempting her with buckets of feed just won't work.
Unfortunately, due to the sheer size of the fields, I think sitting in there with a book would be a complete waste of time lol I used this method with a section a I bought off the welsh hills years ago with great success, she had never had hard feed either so didn't want to know, but she was only on an acre and therefore I was quite interesting!
In 4 fields totalling 30 acres, with lots of hills and hedges I'm about as interesting as watching paint dry lol

Finding her in the dark in such a large area is by far the biggest challenge!
 
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does it matter too much ?? If i had enough grass to sustain 24/7 and they wanted to stay out i'd sodding well leave them there! no mucking in the morn's lovely jubbly. sadly i dont have the grass and my 2 Diva's wouldnt put up with it!

doesnt sound like a bonding issue to me if she was fine for a week and then started doing it.... just sounds like she has a mind of her own and seen what her massive field full of grass is like Vs a 12x12 or whatever stable over night !

clearly not a silly mare

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Its not a bonding thing, of that I'm sure. I've only had the new mare 3 weeks and she quite happily comes over to the gate when I shout as did Jaz until Friday last week.

I don't have a huge issue with her staying out, although I don't think the farmer I rent off will be overjoyed (but hey if I can't catch her I can't catch her lol) but it would be nice to at least check that she is all in one peice, also I am treating her for a splint with splintex, although its much better than it was.

Sod's law is what it is. I moved house end of last year, and my landlord has the farm next door, he has the stables and grazing, but I wouldn't move her cause there was only one other horse on the yard and I was concerned about her being left on her own. So I persuade hubby that I need to buy another horse, do so, move new horse to old yard to give them time to bond before I bring them home. Then I worry that I'm going to get seperation issues. And what happens? Little madam sticks up her front hooves and insists on her independance!
 
She's a mare - what else did you expect?
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The only thing I can suggest is, at the weekend, take the Monty Roberts approach and ride after her on another horse until she gets fed up. This may take you til the early hours of Monday morning (from Friday evening) but it's supposed to 'wear them down'. Or make them very fit and you so fed up you put her on Ebay
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How horribly cruel - 30 acres of grazing and natural shelter. She must not be a proper horse that wants a cosy stable and lots of rugs.


Seriously, unless fatness becomes a problem, leave her be for a bit and see if she comes round. That's about all I can suggest. Oh, wait - when she comes in season, get a stallion round! She'll be there in a flash!

Bloody fabulous life for a horse and probably the exact reason she doesn't see the need to come in!

I'll be watching with interest to see what works...and making notes in case I ever have the luxury grazing that she is currently taking advantage of.
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