Supere
Member
I’ve a pretty old pony, he’s about 12.3, he’s 31 now (almost 32), who’s never really been a fan of being in a stable. However, we moved him to a new yard two months ago, and he seemed to completely settle in his stable, like it was a safe place for him finally. Before, he would barely eat anything when stabled, paw and dig constantly, bang the door to come out. He’s laminitic and has cushings, so it’s a need to keep him away from grass at times. Unfortunately we’ve had to move again, as could not have stayed at the place we initially moved to. The first night we were at this new yard, we attempted to stable him, he’d been shown around the stable and yard met the other horses, but due to the amount of grass in the field, and the fact he’d been stabled for two weeks with no turnout prior to this, we needed him to ideally stay in. We put him in, made no fuss, gave him his dinner and walked away around the corner to give him time to settle. He always banged the door more if someone was about.
He consistently banged the door, we were sat listening for around 15 minutes, and he was just getting extremely stressed, had not even touched his food. He had to be turned out, and we had to gamble it as had no where else to put him at that time without grass.
Thankfully he was fine, and we fenced off a small area in the field for him to go in the day time, then back into the main part of the field with the others at night.
From his stable he can see the field with the other horses in it, some are out 24/7 at the moment, some are in.
I’m just wondering if there’s anything we can do to try and help him settle into this stable? we were quite shocked he didn’t mind being stabled at the other yard, and was infact in two different stables there (as we swapped him with my other) with no problem.
I’m wondering if perhaps the fact there’s so much grass in the field at the moment still is making him uninterested in being in stable too? Where we moved from the fields were overgrazed, so maybe when the grass has gone a bit in this field it might help the mentality of coming into a stable for food and warmth?
Anything anyone can recommend to help him settle again, or stop banging the door as we’re worried he’s going to hurt himself or damage the door.
He may be old, but he’s definitely still going strong, and is a cheeky old soul
He consistently banged the door, we were sat listening for around 15 minutes, and he was just getting extremely stressed, had not even touched his food. He had to be turned out, and we had to gamble it as had no where else to put him at that time without grass.
Thankfully he was fine, and we fenced off a small area in the field for him to go in the day time, then back into the main part of the field with the others at night.
From his stable he can see the field with the other horses in it, some are out 24/7 at the moment, some are in.
I’m just wondering if there’s anything we can do to try and help him settle into this stable? we were quite shocked he didn’t mind being stabled at the other yard, and was infact in two different stables there (as we swapped him with my other) with no problem.
I’m wondering if perhaps the fact there’s so much grass in the field at the moment still is making him uninterested in being in stable too? Where we moved from the fields were overgrazed, so maybe when the grass has gone a bit in this field it might help the mentality of coming into a stable for food and warmth?
Anything anyone can recommend to help him settle again, or stop banging the door as we’re worried he’s going to hurt himself or damage the door.
He may be old, but he’s definitely still going strong, and is a cheeky old soul