Horses that jump out of fields! Help! Anyone ?

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TinyTrigger

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My cob has always been a bit keen to jump out of fields but it's not been a problem (hugely) before now - but he's now doing it regularly and taking risks that are frightening me!

He had to be retrieved from a neighbours' field a couple of days ago. This doesn't sound too bad but the field he had jumped into is the other side of a river. River is roughly 7-12ft across (depending where he jumped) and deep banked - not something easily crossed (I thought!)

He is in a large 5 acre field with plenty of grazing, a river for water and 2 pony companions who he gets along with very well.

This jumping out business is starting to worry me - thankfully the road boundary of the field is a huge hedgerow at the top of a bank so very uninviting to jump! The river will be fenced off asap to stop him doing that again. Our fencing between fields is 4ft wooden posts with 3 strands of electric tape and a high-output energiser (designed for big livestock - has a pic of a Buffalo/Boar on it!)

Any ideas on why he's jumping out / how to discourage this ? I am worried he's going to hurt himself.

*I should add that he isn't being ridden atm as I am sick and won't be ridden until I am better - prob December and he has prev only had form for jumping out of field onto the yard to come in out of what he considers inclement weather :rolleyes: - he simply goes into his stable/barn and eats/naps.
 
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Well if your fencing it off, i can't really offer any advise, except mabe finding someone who could ride him for you, has he hunted before? maybe he's just bored.
 
This is a difficult one: personally I'd try a change of routine if you can, put him out in a different field perhaps. He's obviously bored to death and doesn't know what to do with himself, and the problem is that the other horses might start to follow him out. This happened to my old horse - he followed a little pony out of the field (it was always getting out), went down a 10ft bank and landed in the road; and had to be PTS. For gawds sake sort this before it happens to someone else's horse. A horse that's a confirmed breaker-out is nothing but a worry, not just to the owner but to other horses' owners who are out with it.
 
Hmm. difficult, I agree it might be a good idea to try and find someone to ride him for you. You could extend the height of your fencing by attaching some plastic posts somehow to your wooden posts and adding extra strands of tape?
 
My horse used to be turned out with a clever jumper who could get out of pretty much anything. We managed to attach poly posts to the top of the existing fence and put clearly visible wide electric tape in 3 strands along the top of it. That stopped the horse immediately.

Good luck :)
 
Agree with raising the height of the fence. But also possibly putting a highly visible seperate electric fence 2 or so feet in from the main fence. Make it too wide for him to clear, but not so wide he can jump in and manage a standing leap over the main fence. That managed to put my lad off. Until he learned to wiggle under the fence!
 
I was at a yard years ago with a horse that did this. We tied electric fence posts onto the top of the wooden posts and put a tape around the top. It wasn't electrified, but it solved the problem. We even had a strand over the top of the gate and to this day my mare won't step over a bit of tape on the ground, but will happily walk under tape if I hold it up for her!
 
Hello! *waves* :)

Your boy is a real character!! Not sure of what advice to offer but do agree with what others have said about raising the height of the fence.

Sometimes they just don't know what to be at! As an ex-owner of a pony who used to jump out of fields/paddocks everyday, you have my complete sympathy, it's a real pain :(.

Sam xx
 
My four year old did this out of boredom. I went for the raising the height of the fence option. Unfortunately he still jumped out only this time did not make the height of the fence and ended up impaling himself through the chest on the fence post
 
Thanks for the ideas :)

I'm going to get my OH to put another line of fencing about 3ft infront of the 'main' fence and see if that discourages him. If not we'll have to try to make it higher (although height is not an issue for him usually - happily clears 1.40m!) but will give it a go if needs be.

Luckily there are only my own horses (they are at home) in the field - the 2 ponies are Shetlands and although fiesty are home bugs and don't care if the cob jumps out/leaves the field etc.

He's not able to move fields just yet as I don't want them on the Winter fields until I'm able to supervise the ponies muzzling and grass intake (not until at least the week after next :()

There is no-one to ride him atm and OH is too busy holding the fort/minding baby while I am poorly to even lunge :( I don't think it's boredom though - he is a bit of a naughty boy for jumping things he shouldn't even when he is in hard enough work!

Dynasty / MiJods - how very sad about your horses :(
 
Samantha_jo said:
Hello! *waves* :)

Your boy is a real character!! Not sure of what advice to offer but do agree with what others have said about raising the height of the fence.

Sometimes they just don't know what to be at! As an ex-owner of a pony who used to jump out of fields/paddocks everyday, you have my complete sympathy, it's a real pain :(.

Sam xx
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Hey *waves*

Character is one thing he has in spades!

I think he just enjoys giving me a crisis to worry about every day!
 
I cannot offer a solution but i can offer sympathy....My boy is similar but he does not jump, he leans till they give way, even tape. I was at work one day and the police called me, they were stood holding him while he grazed happily at the side of an extremely busy road near where he was kept!! I moved him the next day to a friends, wasnt long before he was walking through everything in his path, i now have my own land, 5 acres in the middle of nowhere. He has company but prefers his own lol i saw him tonight walk through a fence and my yearling followed, lordy i hope he isnt going to be the same lol! Even though he sounds like a tank, he is a 14hh new forest!! I just give up now, i have tape on for my other 2 as they wont go near but other than that i know at least my boy cannot get on the road, he is 4 fields away from my lane hahaha!
 
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