Horse not settling

[chaps89]

I moved my boy at the start of April and in the field he's happy as larry, completely settled.
I know it's still early days so I'm not expecting him to be totally chilled yet.
To start with he was fine to bring in, feed, groom etc. But in the last week or so I've had a nightmare getting him in- he starts to pull back at the field gate (we just have a grassy enclosed area for bringing in, it's grass livery) and once out of the field won't settle unless there's another horse in with him.
He's still in sight of the other horses. He doesn't seem to be stressed, just uptight and very fidgety so I either have him on a long line and move around him or tie him to a tree but he just trots round and round, and he is jsut not very spacially aware so will send you flying if you don't watch out!
Normally and up until now he's a chilled out kind of horse unless somethings actually upset him. But now he just isn't.
This time last year I had real problems with him in the morning as he was so desperate for grass when he went out (stabled overnight, out in the day) that we did nothing with him in the mornings, but as he's out 24/7 now I don't have much choice. I've had him 6 years and last year and this are the only times I've only had problems with him when the grass comes through.
I'm trying to go up at similar times each day but work shifts so it's not always possible.
Anything I can do to get him to relax? At the moment he's so uptight he barely touches his feed or hay so goes back out as hungry as he came in!

 

[ThePony]

With the new grass just coming through, I wonder if a magnesium deficiency is adding to his stressyness?
Are you bringing him in to ride or to give him feed and hay? If just to feed him then I wonder if this is necessary? The grass is really coming through, and if it just stresses him out you might just be better off leaving him out. If you are riding him then I would just bring him in, ride and then turn him back out again so he spends minimal time just standing around.

 

[DuckToller]

It can take several months for a horse to settle, especially if he was happy or had a particular friend at the old yard.

Has he got a new best friend that he is anxious not to leave? My daughter's cob formed a complete obsession with my horse when we first bought him, and would panic if my horse went out of sight. He is the calmest, most sensible cob, but the obsession lasted quite a few weeks and he dragged me and daughter back across the yard, trashing a new bridle in the process, because he was so anxious to get back to the field and my horse. For a while we brought them both in together, as it was less stressful for all of us (and cheaper!).

Also if your grass is growing well, maybe he doesn't need the hay or feed so much, and he would prefer to get back to the field and eat the juicy grass? Maybe it's the grass more than the other horses he is after?

Unless he is losing too much weight, I would not worry too much about him not eating. I think keep bringing him even though you can't stick to a rigid routine is a good idea still, as he has to get used to his new home and stables.

 

[chaps89]

Nope, he's not settled enough to even contemplate riding him (which would also involve going even further away from the field- think he'd have a breakdown if I tried that right now!) so only coming in for feed and (supposedly!) a groom
He has to have feed as he's on bute & joint supplements and only gets a nominal amount of hay- as he is definitely hungry when he comes in. The field looks greener but is very bare so I'm not worried about him getting fat as he's trim at the moment and if he does relax, scoffs his hay down (he's the kind of horse is he's not hungry he doesn't tend to eat for the sake of it)
He seems to have got on well with all the horses and has a few that follow him around from time to time but no particular friend- so it doesn't seem to matter who's in if he comes in but it helps settle him a little.