how to keep horse in the field (jumping out)

[Polos Mum]

Hi - looking for innovative suggestions on how to keep far too clever and talented but elderly and injured horse in his field.

We've been at the current house for 2 years no problem - fields are well fenced with three post and rail - standard full height and metal 5 bar gates.

a week ago in the grim sleet (they had only been out 4 hours in it) my big RETIRED ex eventer jumped out an took himself off back to the yard! nobody saw and no massive marks in the field but gate shut and 2 other horses on the inside and no damage to fence.

Since then he's been out 4 more times, once my OH and fiend caught him put him back - he cantered round the field and popped out again (I'd told this friend I though he'd jumped and but not sure he believed it until he saw it with his own eyes!) the winter fields are coming to the end of the winter - so there's not tonnes of grass (is some and plenty of hay) but my garden looks like you could make hay and clearly much nicer - on this occasion the grass actually is greener on the other side.

what have other people done in this situation? hobbles? leave him stabled until weather dries up enough for summer field (v bad for his arthritis)? some kind of extra height fence all the way around (not really practical)
He will get more injured doing this so I can't just leave him hopping around where ever he feels like it!

 

[Enfys]

I would put him in the garden

Of course that may not be practical at all, I realise that.

Forget hobbles, unless you have time to train him to them, they are more danger than they are worth, and as you say, stabling is not beneficial for his health.

Extra fencing hmmmm. But would he hop over the extra height too?

My first plan would be to put electric fencing up, either inside the existing fencing or actually on top of it by fixing posts to fence posts, doesn't look very pretty but neither does a crippled horse This may also be impractical if you have a lot of fencing to cover.

Is the yard enclosed, can you just leave him to bimble around there perhaps?

 

[windand rain]

We have 6 ft electric fencing inside our post and rails to stop our 13 hh highland 20 year old jumping out. and two rows of normal height electric fence with 4 strands on the inner fence to stop her daughter getting through Fort Knox comes to mind. Before we sorted it she was out daily all is run on the mains.
Prior to stopping her the freezer was the next option

 

[Sugar_and_Spice]

TBH I'd bring him back into work. If he can jump out, which must involve a bit of cantering too, and not pull up on 3 legs then I'm sure he'd be fine to do 20min walking daily, combined with less turnout (3hrs? if 4 is too long) to stop him jumping out. Then hopefully he'd be happy and the arthritis be ok. If the arthritis isn't ok then maybe he could have some bute if he doesn't already get it, just for a few months until the grass comes through again when you could increase turnout and stop the work perhaps? I have a lame horse who would be miserable retired (tried it). Being lame doesn't stop him cantering across the field on turning out, bucking and squealing and occasionally tanking off with me when ridden. So yes he's lame but it clearly doesn't bother him that much! Maybe yours is similar.

 

[Spiritedly]

I have 5ft electric fencing carrying a healthy 'zap' inside my normal fencing and so far have managed to contain my 14hh mare who normally jumps out of everywhere!

 

[JJS]

Would it help if you increased the amount of hay you put in the field, or started putting some out if you don't already? I have a gelding who will happily hop over five foot fencing if the field next door has more grass, and will walk through electric tape without blinking an eye. Although he's in a field that's as secure as Fort Knox, I'm sure he'd still find a way out if the fancy took him, so I make sure that he has a full belly 24/7. That way, the thought of taking himself back to his stable or trying his luck elsewhere doesn't seem to keep popping into his head.

 

[Micropony]

You say he's injured - has anyone told him that? Sounds as though he's making a bid to come out of retirement! He sounds like a real character, love it!
(Sorry, that's not really what you asked though, is it?)

 

[Polos Mum]

Hi thanks all,

electric he has no respect for (and I fear he would try and pop any extra height/ width) - or bounce if too wide

He had a tendon issue - treated to vets recommendation and fixed - then once he came slowly back into work it went again and he's been in field since (clearly sound now!!)
but gentle work might be the way forward

Photo below of his personality and the type of fence he's hopping !

Loads of hay out but it's not as nice a almost spring grass we have !!

 

[fiwen30]

I think that a horse with his jumping experience wouldn't attempt a height if he was over-faced. If you really want him to stop jumping out, the fence needs to be made taller, and possibly a second erected a few feet away from the first (close enough so as not to tempt a bounce!). Taught, high voltage electric tape should do for both.

 

[pansymouse]

I'm in the double fencing camp too; I kept in a retired (due to broken leg) show jumper in that way - posts need to be close and high I found. I was definitely exploring the pie route before I managed to find a solution.

 

[hollyandivy123]

we ended up attaching electric fence posts to the top of the post and rail with brackets and ran mains powered through and also had this height over the gate with an electric fence hook doesn't look pretty but it work

 

[FemelleReynard]

I'm afraid I'm another one who would recommend a taller fence from attaching electric fence posts to the top of the post and rail. If you get those super tall ostrich posts they add probably another 4 foot or so on to what must be at least a 3 foot fence?

Looks shabby, but works, and that's all that matters.

 

[Luci07]

My friends horse won't stay in the stallion paddock...which is tied to the mains (and hurts..I have zapped myself on it!). Answer is that while I am doing him I chuck him first thing, do all 3 horses and work mine then bring my friends horse back in when I turn mine out or when I am finished. He seems to cope with a couple of hours!

 

[Red-1]

I am another with a similar problem. Bigger fences, and electrification was the way forward.

I also give him 2 fields, with a 90cm fence between the two, so he has somewhere to go jumping, and the outer fences look even bigger in comparison to the 90cm!

 

[supagran]

we ended up attaching electric fence posts to the top of the post and rail with brackets and ran mains powered through and also had this height over the gate with an electric fence hook doesn't look pretty but it work

I did this a few years ago to keep a newly bought gelding in the field. I put extra posts fastened to the existing fence and put two rows of electric tape along it, making the fence about 6ft high. It was the only way to keep him in.

 

[Gloi]

Piece of stiff material between browband and noseband of a headcollar, sticking out at sides beyond width of face, like reverse blinkers. Horse can only see sideways/behind, not forward, so can't get a line to jump fences.

 

[xgemmax]

I am another with a similar problem. Bigger fences, and electrification was the way forward.

I also give him 2 fields, with a 90cm fence between the two, so he has somewhere to go jumping, and the outer fences look even bigger in comparison to the 90cm!

Brilliant At least he's pretty!

 

[MagicMelon]

I would put him in the garden

Of course that may not be practical at all, I realise that.

Why not, I do! Well actually I did until they messed about one day and there's big skid marks all over it... oops! I have to take them out in hand now to munch on the grass in it or OH gets upset

I had one who used to jump fences, I added an extra height electric fence - I just twisted in those long fence extenders (they're about 30cm long) into the very tops of the fence posts and ran a line of bright orange electric tape through it (bright orange just so they can't use the excuse they couldnt see it!). Seemed to work. Otherwise, for a really naughty one who was coming back off injury I used the very tall steel mesh fencing that builders use round sites although you can only do a small pen out of this but its movable (bit of a pest but doable, even just to help break his habit).

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Mine decided jumping out for better grass was the way forward. Did it a few times, then I kept him in, upped his feed, upped his work. He stopped. Can you put a hay bale in the field? He'll be too busy eating to jump out.