Horse wont settle when turn out in morning

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buzzman

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hi guys,

my horse is doing my head in lol.. i love him to bits! but when i turn him out early morning he just wont settle.. he runs up and down eyeing up fences and ends up getting very sweaty!
Once the sun comes up or another horse goes out he does settle and hes fine, but then if it starts getting dark or other horses start going in he goes crazy again.

In the summer hes turned out 24 7 and fine, its just winter i have issues with.

Thing is, ive bought a youngster that also goes out with him (not in same field but can see each other) and this does not settle my horse... my horse will only settle if hes got the mare in the paddock next door.

The mare and my horse(gelding) was stabled next to each other but i moved him further down the barn to get away from her in hope they wouldnt be as close and give my youngster and himchance to bond. but at the minute its not working as when i put him out, he doent care about my youngster being out.. he wants the mare!

im so worried hes gonna hurt himself by running about or jumping out..
Ive recently put him on Magic Calmer too to see if that would help..

Hes fine to ride and stable.. its just the paddock , any advice?

i work full time so i cant wait till daylight to turn out.. and then i have to bring him in when i finish and by that time the mare is already in which means by gelding is going mad and is soaked in sweat by the time i get there.

thanks
 
i had the same problem with my mare so i arranged with the other owner to put my horse out and bring her in could you not put the mare out for the owner and she bring them in i expect you have explored all these options but it was the only way i could get round it good luck
 
Once the sun comes up or another horse goes out he does settle and hes fine, but then if it starts getting dark or other horses start going in he goes crazy again.
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There's your answer. Turn him out with company, and ensure he's brought in when the others are.
 
It is no wonder the poor boy is reacting like he is. Too often we humans try to enforce a friendship with another equine of our choosing when horses like to choose who they want to be with! How would we like it if someone told us who to be friends with and separated us from our nearest and dearest? Your horse feels he has no control over his world whatsoever, and it is resulting in him being in a constant state of anxiety, and fear of being alone. I would return him to his old stable and have a talk with the mares owner so that you could turn both of them out in the morning and she could bring both of them in in the evening. I hope you get things sorted.
 
There's a horse at our yard who is very similar. She isn't too bad in the mornings but as soon as it gets to three o clock when most of the other horse owners bring there horses in then she just goes mental. Our field is sooooo churned up. The mud is ridiculous! She won't settle down until she's bought in and if she isn't then she will break through the fencing and be in a right sweaty state. My horse stays out until seven most nights so it's not like she doesn't have another horse in the field with her but she has it in her head that thats the time she wants to come in. If I go up earlier and she's still out then I will bring her in because she won't be left by herself and even then she's sweaty and as high as a kite.

As others have suggested, perhaps someone else could bring her in for you. If you feel bad about asking then you could offer to pay them a small amount.
 
one of my mares is just the same iof she gets turned out without her pals. Even though the feidls around have horses in, she is not happy unless there is another horse actually in her field.
I have struck up a bargain with a girl whose horse goes out with mine, that when she brings hers in at 3pm, she'll bring Luna in too...then when i come up in theevening (after 6pm) I do the evening feeding for her. Works well.
 
thanks guys,

yeah im going to ask if i can turn that mare out..
thing is.. thats fine but what gets me... he knows she will be out soon enough as its routine... he also knows that i will come get him in, i have never left him out on his own for long.. hes 15 yrs old and he used to live on his own with sheep for 3 years before i got him.

I no hes not human and horses will be horses but surely if hes being turned out with other horses ... just because that mare isnt out at that time doesnt mean he can act the way he does!?!? theres no need for it? but i have no choice in putting her out otherwise im going to have a poorly horse

If i didnt have work.. he would go out at certain times to suit him.. but i do work full time so its hard to make sure hes in at 3pm when everyone else brings theres in esp when theres my other horse out.. im confused on why he acts that way xx
 
that's horses for you!!!

Contrary buggers!!! lol

Maybe he has slight seperation anxiety resulting from when he used to live on his own. He'll obviously prefer being with other horses now, and maybe he panics thinking of when he used to be on his own. They have loooonnnng memories :-)
 
buzzman said:
thanks guys,

yeah im going to ask if i can turn that mare out..
thing is.. thats fine but what gets me... he knows she will be out soon enough as its routine... he also knows that i will come get him in, i have never left him out on his own for long.. hes 15 yrs old and he used to live on his own with sheep for 3 years before i got him.

Therein lies the source of his insecurity. He is terrified of being alone again. Sheep are not adequate company for a horse. This period of his life will have left him scarred, I'm afraid.

I no hes not human and horses will be horses but surely if hes being turned out with other horses ... just because that mare isnt out at that time doesnt mean he can act the way he does!?!? theres no need for it? but i have no choice in putting her out otherwise im going to have a poorly horse

No, he doesn't KNOW these things. Horses don't have the capacity to think ahead. They live in the 'now'. He behaves like he does, and eventually she comes out to join him, thus reinforcing the behaviour. He thinks his tantrums actually cause her to be brought out to him. It's all stimulus/response.

If i didnt have work.. he would go out at certain times to suit him.. but i do work full time so its hard to make sure hes in at 3pm when everyone else brings theres in esp when theres my other horse out.. im confused on why he acts that way xx
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I hope that you manage to get things sorted to suit the both of you. :)
 
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