Horse standing alone

[Carbonel]

I have two ponies that were previously at livery and I've recently moved them home (in the last couple of months). Both seem happy and have adapted well, however this week one of them is running away with the feed bucket after eating and then running to the other end of the field to stand by himself. Previously he'd always hang around for a bit of a fuss, but now it's eat and run. He seems to be staring up at the paddock behind their field. I don't know if I've over thinking it, but he seems a bit grumpy, there was some pawing of the ground prior to eating, and today I noticed he'd emptied most of his feed onto the floor before running off.

Both of them were together before moving home, and nothing has changed except the location - they are out just as much, and feed is the same. We still have some grass and they both actually have a little more space than they previously had - although I guess I couldn't see them all the time, so perhaps this is just how he always is? Should I be worried, or is this nothing to worry about?

 

[Birker2020]

II don't know if I've over thinking it, but he seems a bit grumpy, there was some pawing of the ground prior to eating, and today I noticed he'd emptied most of his feed onto the floor before running off.

This bit of your post resonates with me. Lari has arthritis in his neck and when he had an accident where he panicked pulling back and the blasted twine didn't break, he pulled his neck muscles. I insisted on x-raying the neck as he was very ataxic and I'd had a wobbler horse previously and was concerned he had undiagnosed wobblers syndrome which had become acute due to the accident. His x-rays showed arthritis in a number of vetebrae in his neck. Vet told me that pulling back had caused the arthritic changes even though it was only 11 days prior to x-rays which is total BS I know!

I think I'd noticed his feeding issues before his accident, but became more aware after. When a rubber feed bucket was placed on the floor of his stable he would paw aggressively at it, swish his tail madly, grab a mouthful of feed and then lift his head up, chew, swallow and repeat and would often knock the bucket flying or 'paw' it towards him or away from him. He would never keep his head down to the ground whilst eating.

I started using an old manager I'd found that hangs over the stable door and immediately he kept his head in the manger, didn't keep coming up with his head to chew as he had done when it was on the floor, didn't paw or kick at the door, nor swish his tail. Incidentally for some reason (I have no idea why) Lari shows no signs of discomfort eating grass with his head down in the field. He does shake his head when I rug him which I have put down to it possibly pulling on his neck a little.

It might be worth getting your horses neck checked out with a physio to see if he's maybe fallen and banged it and he has a sore neck. Its a long shot, but it might be due to that.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Are there other horses over the hill? I used to have a mare who was fixated on another horse in another field and would rush back to keep an eye on the other horse.She didn't like the fact that the other horse was on its own.