horse doesnt want to be in field!!!!

asommerville

asommerville

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My mares been in with foot issuesfor 3 months with walks out and a wee bit hacking. shes allowed out now for an houror so per day. the problem.is she gets put out, rolls then stands at the gate. she does it alone or with comoany, she has grass but she just wants in!!

she will eventually be out 24/7 in the summer but it appears atm.she just likes her stable better! any ideas on what to do to get her abit more settled? its very unlike her!!
 
make sure there is nothing to eat in her stable for the first hr or so she is in, i think many of them just get conditioned into wanting the food they know is in the stable, so coming in and filling there faces becomes routine.

come in no food for a while most soon become keener to stay out
 
Does she kick up a fuss or just stand at the gate?

If she is just standing at the gate looking sorry for herself I would just ignore her, she will soon realise that nothing happens when she does it and go off for a graze.

You could maybe pop some extra hay out there in a couple of piles to make the field a little bit more interesting.
 
she stands and shouts she also marches about next to the gate and looks pretty peeved!! it has not been unknown for her to.jump out of fields so a wee bit worried she jusy says stuff it im off. you could be right about the feed thing as she goes out late afternoon and always come straight in to her tea...
 
I think they are as fed up with the weather as we are, there might look like there is grass, but I think you will find that it's pretty rank, so in her mind, why should she stand in a freezing field eating something that doesn't taste nice when she can be in a nice warm stable, out of the wind eating nice hay!!
Mine today stayed out happily for a whole 2 hours before creating to come back in again. Unfortunately, the wind is creating a jet engine sound as it passes through my yard, via a large ash tree, so we had a few airs above the ground on the way back in, as she was so desperate to be back in the safety of her stable!
I would say that as soon as the weather warms up a bit, and the grass starts to grow properly, your's will be more settled. I hope mine are!!
 
Agree with above. I have moved yards a week ago tb was living out 24/7 at old yard with hay out and seemed happy not loosing weight. Now in at night at New place(actually our old yard) until weather improves end of month prob. He is soo happy to come in at night i actually feel bad i left him living out but its only cause he has realised life is easier in doors with a constant supply of food!
 
I think once the grass comes, there'll be a lot of horses eager to get to the field.

Turning my lad out in the morning is like taking a reluctant child to school. He'd rather stay in bed with a breakfast tray.
 
She'll get used to it, just a change in routine. Have you tried putting a heap of hay (away from the gate) in the field? That might be all she wants. She'll be fine once she's used to it again. My new one lived a life of basically being fully stabled before I got him, its taken me 6 months to slowly increase his time outside and he's now out 24/7 and loving it, he's so chilled out its amazing! But to begin with, he hated it - would gallop around until brought back in!
 
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