horse fence walking and trashing field, what to do?

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tillyd

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hi all, looking for suggestions or opinions.

Got a young mare, has always fence walked a bit at current yard but seems to have escalated recently so she will only stay out for half an hour or so before doing it. Yard owner is (completely understandably) getting hacked off, and is getting close to banning her from going out.

Feeling like best option might be to find somewhere with a straw barn that she can be turned away in till spring, and then start afresh in spring and hope she's forgotten about doing it.

What do you think? any experiences? I don't think I can keep her in work if she's not going out - she'll be too sharp for me to cope with - hence why thinking turn away till spring.

She has company at current yard, and it's very stable/in a routine so nothing to spark her doing it. It certainly isn't the yard's fault or doing. Any ideas?
 
I feel your pain. My horse does that when she is pi$$ed off about something. It took me ages to figure out all the things that set it off, and even so, there isn't always a lot I can do about it.

Triggers I have identified include:

Her not being in a routine in terms of turning out/bringing in time.

Others not being in a routine in terms of turning out/bringing in time. (so no DIY yards for us, unfortunately)

The owner of the horse in the neighboring paddock, who virtually never rides, deciding once in a blue moon to ride (if she rode all the time, my horse would be fine with it).

Rain and wind. Helped, but not cured by a full neck rug.

Being at a yard where she was in a field by herself (she always is; doesn't play nice with others) but the neighboring horses at a huge field and could disappear from view.

Being in season.

And random days where I have no f&(*789cking clue.

When she was going through a really bad phase, I did once consider asking my vet if they give horses Prozac. I know vets can prescribe it to neurotic dogs who engage in these OCD stereotypies. I have no idea if they do or if it would work and never got around to asking, as I dealt with it by moving yard to one with a stricter routine. She does it a bit at current yard, when weather is pants or the horse who's almost never ridden is ridden, but not to the point where I've discussed SSRIs with my vet.

In other words, go through each and every aspect of her management and try to see if you can figure out what sets her off. It can be a real nightmare. You just want to shout at them, "Just. Don't. Pace. It's making YOU miserable. It's making ME miserable. It's making our yard owner angry." But that never works.

And yeah, I did once try an animal communicator (I was feeling pretty desperate). That didn't work, either. She told me that the neighboring horse reminded my horse of her mother. Huh.
 
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If she is turned out on her own, perhaps another horse turned out with her would stop this. If I had my horses turned out in indivdual paddocks, i'm sure they would walk the fence line but I appreciate you might not have a choice.
 
I sent a really good friend on her way from my yard last year.
Her horse was an 18hh s/francais and he comprehensively trashed 2 of my fields, both needing over 18 months to recover.
Horse is now 19 and has done this in various homes since he was 4.

She has now got her own yard and is managing him brilliantly: 5 acres, turned out with 3 others of which only 1 ever goes out (small pony). She does sometimes stable him in really bad weather, but he has a huge box of 24 x 12 and this is facing the field so hencan see everything happening. However, he still weaves dreadfully too.....
 
Caol Ila said:
She told me that the neighboring horse reminded my horse of her mother. Huh.
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Sorry that made me chuckle, despite my deep despair! Thank you, i have actually thought about vet, purely because i wondered about giving her very low dose of sedalin for a few days in attempt to break cycle. Didn't know they prescribed stuff for neurotic/ocd dogs. I think I'm going to have to move and just hope against hope that changing something major helps.
 
Arzada said:
Can you find a yard where she can be out 24/7 and you can still ride rather than turn away?
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Yes, could possibly be an option but i don't know anywhere like that unfortunately. All really heave clay so mostly limited winter turnout. But yes will keep that in mind.
 
Goldenstar said:
What sort of work is so she in ?
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light to medium i'd say - she's worked about 5 times a week - mix of schooling and lunging, maybe 1 x hack a week. i've got limited time so there are always a couple of days a week where other commitments mean i can't exercise. That's why being in 24/7 isn't going to work.
 
One of mine will fence walk/box walk for England. The only thing that stopped him doing this was 24/7 turnout, with no regular timings to being ridden etc, if he anticipates a routine he will fence walk. Companions make no difference unless he's brought in and they are still out then his box walking goes through the roof
 
I posted a similar thread re this - suggestions I got were to try company in the field with him (not something I personally can do at present) or put hay out in the field which I am doing now and seems to have helped - and Ive started giving him a treatball in the field too (thinking its because hes finding the grass not tasty or filling enough). I confess hes also going out for a couple of hours less than I would like but it seems thats his limit for now! Re the state of the field - its so disheartening to find it trashed in minutes after youve spent ages trying to stamp down the worst of the divots and when it gets too poached we move the electric fence over a bit more. Field is about a third fenced off now to try and let it recover/ dry out a bit so we can move fence back again or horse is gradually going to have a smaller and smaller turnout area!
 
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Yeah, 24/7 turnout made my horse crazier and she paced so much she started to drop a lot of weight, so I gave up on that idea. But you got to try different things, see what works for your horse.
 
She's done 24/7 turnout as a youngster, till she was 3, and was fine, but i am a bit worried what she'll do if i try it now. Can't tell until i try and that will mean moving yards which will be hugely stressful. Arrgh, nightmare!!! thanks all for your thoughts
 
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