Horse doesn't want to go out in field?

[AGAGE]

My very strange old boy does not want to be turned out in field for any longer than 20 minutes. He is stabled with one other horse (my sisters) who he is dominant over and gets turned out with him at 7 am, with rugs etc.. I muck out while he is out and 10 minutes later he weaves by the gate and charges round- appearing very distressed until he comes in. Once in his stable he relaxes. At weekends I've tried to put him out at different times of the day and had the same behaviour.

He has hay and carrots in the field to make it more enjoyable as there is limited grass. He is turned out in about 3 acres. He doesn't eat the hay. His friend happily grazes and ignores his strange behaviour.

I have been getting him in after 20 minutes, as I'm concerned he will cause himself an injury and he is very unhappy, but I am concerned about his reluctance to be a 'horse' and spend time in a field. It's as if he's aggraphobic.

He goes out in summer happily just won't go out in winter. He has been like this since we bought him 6 years ago, although recently it's got worse.

Has anybody else ever experienced this type of behaviour before? I'm starting to think my horse is loosing his mind.

 

[HollyP]

thats very strange, he must feel very insecure out in the field.....never heard of that before!

 

[ladyt25]

Have you actually ever left him and then seen what he does? is there anywhere you can 'spy' on him from without him knowing you're there?

It may be he is only doing this because you are still about and he thinks he's missing something and the grass/hay isn't as appealing as say summer grazing?

 

[Clodagh]

My mare hates being out and if I leave her too long she gallops about until shes in a muck sweat. She too is fine in summer. I think hes just being a wuss and getting stressed when you don't fix it. I just let my mare stay in a lot, we are both happier!

 

[KIMBY]

My mare hates winter weather happy out grazing in the Summer as long as it doesn't pur down with rain but in winter put her out all rugged up and within half an hour standing in her stable. Others stay out but not her. She has access to her stable from the field as it goes directly onto the yard so she just pops in and out as she pleases. More in than out! They all have access to their stable it is amazing always go to their own!

 

[zoegolding]

I know a mare that used to be the same (except as soon as you let her go she did a sort of wall of death run around the edge of her paddock before stopping at the gate and being rooted to the spot until you got her in), apparently once horses get in to a cycle of behaviour like that it will happen every time you put them back in to that situation (ie turning out). You need to take some time to break the cycle - start by leading him round the paddock until he settles then stand with him while he grazes. Eventually you should be able to take his headcollar off and move away from him (a little bit at a time). It takes quite a few sessions of this to get them out of the habit but it does work eventually - perseverance is the key!

 

[AGAGE]

I have tried to spy on him and he does go and graze for a bit but is hypervigilant to any of my family leaving the house.

If he see's my mum or brother he assumes they will get him, and they refuse to as he is very wound up at this point. He is worse with me though, as soon as my car leaves or arrives when he's out he gallops over and gets very distressed.

It breaks my heart to see him like this! I've left himout before like this and he's weaved at the gate for about 20 minutes and then gone to graze. Leaving him out also destroys what grass there is as he charges round. The gate is so muddy it is terrible! I don't mind him coming in but it's not good for his arthritis/COPD to be stabled 24/7. I also spend most of my life mucking him out.

 

[pottamus]

Is he rugged sufficiantly and warm enough?

 

[NeedNewHorse]

He is also possibly a bit in a routine, i,e he goes mad around the field and then gets brought in. If you ignore what he does and bring him in at a set time every day, say 3 or 4 or something, let him work out for himself that this is when he is coming in. So running around will not equal anything... It may take a bit of time, but give it a go and try and stick to it before he gets you to bring him in if you know what I mean!
xx

 

[AGAGE]

He is well rugged, however he gets sweaty by all of his charging round, so don't like to put his thickest rugs on him because of this.

 

[L&M]

I have a livery the same - he goes out for an hour or so then stands and whinnies at the gate to be brought in. We stilll have some grass and his field companions are happily grazing, but when I do try to 'force' him to stay out any longer he gets very wound up, and has even tried to bring himself in on a couple of occasions! As I am around all day it is not a problem to get him in, and the owner does the mucking out anyhow! One advantage is less poo picking, but it is very 'un-horse' like behavious in my mind.
I assume you have no concrete yard or school that you could put him a couple of times a day for a stretch?

 

[AGAGE]

He also goes out at 5.30pm just on concrete yard( in dark) so I can muck out again and he can stretch his legs!

He likes being on the yard but tends to trash the small patch of grass there and he also attempts to climb on the muck heap, attack the horsebox and get into the hay barn.

 

[TallyHo123]

my old horse who was a highly stung 6 year old never wanted to go out.
He would refuse to move & once you got him in every morning without fail he would go have a drink and then walk up an down the fence and after 30mins he would start galloping around and sweating.
I tried loads of things to make him happier but he ended up just going out while i mucked out and then coming back in.

 

[runaway]

Is there any chance you can create a coral (sp?) area which allows your horse to go in and out of his stable? My horse hated winter but I was lucky where we were and had a stable with a small fenced yard so he took himself in and out as he liked. Where he is now we have a field shelter for him and he spends alot of time stood in there eating his hay. He still detests going out in wet windy weather though.

 

[Skippydo]

My big old nutty chestnut was the same when we moved from a busy livery yard to our own place with just him and his companion. I barely had time to muck out before he was galloping up and down and waving at me from the gate begging to come in, as soon as he came in he was as happy as larry.

Someone suggested TopSpec Calmer and within a week he was a different horse (they say to give it 3 weeks for it to take full effect). I gave him it for a couple of months and then bit by bit reduced it in his feed and now he's not on it at all and is as good as gold.

Hope this helps, good luck

 

[AGAGE]

I would try to stay in field with him to help him to settle but his bestfiend would try and kill me. For some reason he is very funny about having humans in his field- he would try and herd me out, he's very nosy and wouldn't leave me alone.

I would like to try and get him to stay out by changing his routine, I work as a psychologist with autistic children and know that behaviourally this is what might work, but I worry that in process of changing his routine he will injury himself- as he has been known to slip over on the wet ground when charging round.

I will discuss with my parents (he's stabled on their land) if he can have access to yard, stable and field if we move lorry, and fence muck heap and grass next to barn (we have spare fencing which we could use). This might work!

 

[AGAGE]

Thanks will try the calmer also. It's a relief to hear that I'm not the only one who has had this problem!