Horse won't settle in the field and is driving me to distraction

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Jesstickle

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We moved about six weeks ago. My horse will not settle in the field and paces the fence incessantly.

She has a friend over the fence most of the time and other horses she can see. If she has food ( in a bucket or her ball) she is fine but she won't eat haylage out there.

She was basically ok until it snowed and we got out of routine but now I can't get her back out.

I am stuck as my only options are in all day or out all day and I don't really trust her to be out all day and not do herself a mischief belting about but equally having her in means her legs swell and she is spooky and horrible to ride.

How the hell do I convince her that it is nicer in the field?! ( It isn't, I understand it is cold and there is no grass but I can't magic those things away unfortunately). Normally she hates her stable with a passion and would rather be out and she doesn't usually care for other horses a whole deal either :confused:

OH keeps saying she'll be fine when it warms up and the grass comes but who knows when that will be. In the mean time she really is going to have to go out by hook or by crook.
 
I think horses settle in the field a lot better with at least one other, ours generally run in threes, and it's a lot nicer for them not to be out by themselves.
 
I am trying. No one will buddy up with me that I have asked so far though so I guess we're going to have to move again. To God only knows where mind you.

ETS: I really blimming hate being at livery. It's starting to wear me down a bit now :(
 
amymay said:
Surely the YO allocates fields, and that results in horses being together?
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No, it's individual turnout unless you choose to buddy up. Which I would definitely choose but no one else wants to.

She's been on individual before and never really cared so I didn't think it would be a huge problem. More fool me. Nothing is ever how you expect with horses is it?
 
I have a serial field pacer. She has to be on individual turnout, because she has lousy equine social skills and is a danger to herself and others when out with other horses.

I have had to work out what sets her off and try to mitigate it as much as I can. Such things include:

The weather; she hates horizontal rain (can't control this, unfortunately)

Randomly changing routine. So if you start bringing her in early because of crap weather, this makes it worse, because it makes her routine more unpredictable.

Random changes of routine for other horses. i.e. if other owners bring theirs in at different times (not for riding), or horses are frequently being moved to different fields.

Being in a small field while neighbouring herd is in a big one and can go out of sight.
 
Jesstickle said:
No, it's individual turnout unless you choose to buddy up. Which I would definitely choose but no one else wants to.

She's been on individual before and never really cared so I didn't think it would be a huge problem. More fool me. Nothing is ever how you expect with horses is it?
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I sypathise - I did livery whilst I was at uni and had so much trouble with turnout/ my "buddy" being a lazy, bad tempered mare who would never manage to get up to the stables before 11, by which point her horse had been out for four hours.

At least when ours boot eachother I can only argue with myself about it! Could you not get her a companion - pony/sheep/someone's field ornament?
 
Jesstickle said:
No, it's individual turnout unless you choose to buddy up. Which I would definitely choose but no one else wants to.
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This is the problem I had :( mine always seemed ok on her own with others over the fence but I could tell she wasn't really happy with it. No one wanted to buddy up as they like their horses being on their own. Then I got given my brown pony and all 3 of us are happy :) Double livery is a bit of a killer though but I prefer having two horses. That doesn't really help you though :( would she cope with a sheep or something? Do sheep chew tails? Otherwise I kind of agree with you that maybe moving is the only option unless the flipping weather changes and the grass comes through - what about a big round bale of hay for the field as a temporary measure? Cheaper than double livery and less hassle than a sheep.....
 
I'm completely out of the loop - have you sold BH then?

I hope you find the key to keeping your mare happy, calm and serene soon. When you do, please let me know as I'm still searching for it. ;)
 
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