I’m losing all hope!

[Bonniesmam]

Firstly, hello! I’m new here and could really do with your fantastic advice. I apologise in advance for the LONG essay that’s coming your way.
I have a 22 year old warmblood mare with serious field anxiety. 2 years ago, we lost her best friend to colic and that’s where the issues started. She is fine in the stable, being ridden and in any other aspect of life. It’s just the field. She goes out with a gelding who she adores. They have been in for the majority of the winter (due to be moving yards to all year turnout in the next month) but have been going out in the last week, on grass.
the issue is, some days she’ll go out for an hour and graze happily and then she’ll start to pace and get herself so upset it’s unreal. Today she went out and paced from the get go. She has company so that can’t be the issue but she just goes wild. I’ve tried a calmer, I’ve tried working her hard before she goes out but nothing seems to be working. I’m really hoping someone has experienced this too and can reassure me I’m not going to have a stable kept horse forever. If you’ve got to the end, I owe you a drink! Love from a very stressed horse owner, at her wits end!!! X

 

[AShetlandBitMeOnce]

Can you have electric fencing jutting out from the fence line at random intervals? A bit like a maze.. This will make it tricky for her to walk up and down the whole fence line and may break the habit slightly...

 

[zandp]

My reply's going to seem a bit random but have you had her tested for Cushings ? My mare got very stressed and exhibited some rather odd behaviour before she was tested - Cushings affects the pituitary gland which produces cortisol - the stress hormone.

 

[Austen123]

my horse doesnt like to stay out either, but luckily she isnt one to fence walk (she will just jump or bulldoze through the gateway). a couple of things i have had to tick of my list... is she warm enough? does she have access to adlib hay as grass isnt that tasty at the moment? try turning her out on still days as i find on windy days, if your field is lined by tress or thick hedgerow it can unsettle them.
this issue gives me such anxiety driven moments and i want to tear my hair out with her so i know exactly how you feel.

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I feel your pain. I have a tb that wont go out in winter. He is currently managing and hour or so first thing. I was hoping to turnout all day this week but he isn't having any of it so I will wait until it's a bit warmer. Nothing makes a difference with him so I just keep him in until he tells me is settled outside. Bloody nightmare and a lot of work.

 

[pixie27]

Oh I really feel your pain! My old gelding used to fence walk like no one's business. Was so upsetting and horrible to see him in such a state.

The only thing that made him settle was going out in a big-ish group (six/seven other geldings), and being in a really strict routine (all his field went out and came in at the exact same time). After a few injuries in the field, I tried him on paired turnout, but he went back to fence walking (despite routine/field/workload etc staying the same).

Sorry, it's not the most feasible/helpful advice! But more company was all that worked for him. (He did also fence walk/get clingy to the gate when the routines changed, e.g. for the first few days after switching from day t/o to night t/o.)

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

I second the recommendation to test for Cushings and then, although it will be difficult to organise, can you gradually extend the length of time that she stays out, rather than expecting her to go from nothing to all day.

 

[Bonniesmam]

Thank you all so much. She was tested for cushings about 3 months ago and was all clear. I have to say, I’m so glad i’m not alone. It’s so awful seeing her like it but I will persist and work hard to find a solution. She is due to be moving next month and will be in a small herd. It’s a private yard so lovely and quiet, they all go out and come in together and there’s lots of grass! There will be 4 of them together rather than her being in a pair. I will build it up and only have her out for short periods of time from now on and bring her in when she’s settled, to avoid any negative experiences. Thank you all so much. You don’t understand how much better I feel already x

 

[9tails]

I have the same situation every year and aim for an extra half hour every day until she's happy to be out all day. She has her field mates and horses around her but just needs to adjust. It's a big change for them, the stable becomes their normal for winter then suddenly they're out all day. I start with bringing in at 12pm then by the end of the following week we're back to 5pm. The good thing about my fence walker is that she's now flattening all the ruts she made before they came in off the fields.

 

[sportsmansB]

I feel your pain!
I put mine out this morning, in the sunshine, with two pony companions, hoping that he will last and hour or two - the last day before all the rain we just had conditions seemed perfect but he started galloping up and down and shouting after 10 mins..
I find the following seem to help:
- A good warm rug with a neck cover
- No bad weather
- Being a bit hungry - i.e. putting him out after hard feed but before hes had a chance to eat much hay.
- Only going out after breakfast time and not expecting him to stay out over lunch

I'm currently looking for a property, and one of my main criteria is that there is a run-in barn or at least from field into covered yard area, so that he can just come back when he is fed up instead of hooning around shouting his head off like hes the last horse ever left in the wild...

 

[Sprig]

Can you try making her a tiny pen in the field to start with, like an outside stable, and then gradually increase the size if she seems happy? If you think she would like her friend in the pen then do that and just make it a little bigger. Good luck, I hope you get to the bottom of it.

 

[meleeka]

my horse doesnt like to stay out either, but luckily she isnt one to fence walk (she will just jump or bulldoze through the gateway). a couple of things i have had to tick of my list... is she warm enough? does she have access to adlib hay as grass isnt that tasty at the moment? try turning her out on still days as i find on windy days, if your field is lined by tress or thick hedgerow it can unsettle them.
this issue gives me such anxiety driven moments and i want to tear my hair out with her so i know exactly how you feel.

Second the bit about trees and hedgerows. I have one that genuinely scared of one of my fields that is lined with bushes and trees. I’ve no idea why, I’ve known this horse years and nothing bad has ever happened that I’m aware of. Even after being with me a year she’s the same. It doesn’t make a difference if the others are there, she’d rather stay on her own in the safety of the yard. Mine live out most of the year too with access to stables if they want. She’ll go just inside the field but If the others go down to the bottom she comes into the yard by herself and nothing can persuade her it’s ok.

 

[MyBoyChe]

Ive got a highland pony who this winter has decided he cant possibly be left out until evening, if he doesnt come in at lunchtime he fence walks all afternoon! Although some of the other horses come in about 1pm, some stay out longer, some dont go out until afternoon and my other pony is always out with him and couldnt give 2 hoots either way. Hes neither too hot nor cold, hes not starving (although he would have you believe he is) and he has natural shelter. Hes been in this particular field for 8 years and has always been out 7 til 5 throughout winter and 24/7 in summer. I have no idea why hes become such a diva. Tbh, he would be happy left in 24/7, I have to drag him out in the morning and he drags me back in at lunchtime, but as he isnt ridden at all in the week he needs to stretch his legs every day. Im off this week and am hoping to convince him to stay out till teatime throughout the course of the week. I drove past at 11am and he was fence walking, every other pony was eating! I think I might have to give in about 3 and go and see whats happening

 

[Bonniesmam]

I’m wondering if whether I should only try and put her out when the suns out and it’s not too windy? It seems ridiculous but I can’t stand by and watch her turn herself inside and out. I work shifts so it’s difficult to commit to consistency of same time every day and I don’t want to burden anybody else with the task!

 

[Bonniesmam]

Can you try making her a tiny pen in the field to start with, like an outside stable, and then gradually increase the size if she seems happy? If you think she would like her friend in the pen then do that and just make it a little bigger. Good luck, I hope you get to the bottom of it.

That’s an interesting idea. Do you think I should make a pen away from the gate/fence she paces?

 

[fredflop]

If your due to move can’t you leave her in the stable until you do?

if she’s happier being in the stable it might help your stress levels as well

 

[Bonniesmam]

If your due to move can’t you leave her in the stable until you do?

if she’s happier being in the stable it might help your stress levels as well

I’ll be honest, I am tempted. However, I worry it will all be abit much for her when we move if she’s in a new place and has to go in the field. Maybe it’ll work in our favour, but I do worry.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

The yard next door to me have 2 mares fields the summer field backs onto mine, I have seen 2 mares fence walk out there one constantly does it, I have since found out neither do it in the winter field the summer field is much further away from the yard a good walk down a track, so maybe it's to do with where the field is situated? Just a thought!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Could you bring her in for an hour over lunchtime and put her back out for the afternoon? That might help to break the day up for her.

 

[Bonniesmam]

The yard next door to me have 2 mares fields the summer field backs onto mine, I have seen 2 mares fence walk out there one constantly does it, I have since found out neither do it in the winter field the summer field is much further away from the yard a good walk down a track, so maybe it's to do with where the field is situated? Just a thought!

This could be very very valid. It’s not a long walk away but she can see the stables from the field. Im hoping the new yard will be okay as it’s only small but there’s a lot of grazing. There will only be 5 horses, including her! All out together x

 

[Bonniesmam]

Could you bring her in for an hour over lunchtime and put her back out for the afternoon? That might help to break the day up for her.

If I could get her to stay out until lunchtime, that would be an achievement! She just seems to hate it ?

 

[Wizpop]

Just my thoughts. Could you leave her in till you move then at least she is settled and calm when you do go. Then try some of the above suggestions gradually at new yard? That way, she ( and you) will only have one lot of stresses to deal with?

 

[Bonniesmam]

Just my thoughts. Could you leave her in till you move then at least she is settled and calm when you do go. Then try some of the above suggestions gradually at new yard? That way, she ( and you) will only have one lot of stresses to deal with?

i think I’m on my way to this conclusion myself. I’m losing sleep over it now and don’t think she feels much better about it x

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

This could be very very valid. It’s not a long walk away but she can see the stables from the field. Im hoping the new yard will be okay as it’s only small but there’s a lot of grazing. There will only be 5 horses, including her! All out together x

It could be just be the position the herd dynamic basically anything, when I ran yards I did often move fields for horses if they didn't settle sometimes it worked sometimes not, hopefully at the new place she will be ok, my mare was better in a big herd rather than 1 or 2 horses.

 

[sportsmansB]

I know that I project my feeling that horses should be out every day onto my horse, who absolutely does not feel that way. He really really only wants to go out and stay out when it is a decent day, without too much going on that he is missing out on (if the lorry leaves to go to a show / schooling / whatever while he is out he turns himself inside out!) and he won't stay out over a meal time.
He had to go out for 6 weeks for recovery from a tweak and I had to put him in a far away field with a friend as he just seems to have major FOMO if he can see the yard, and he is so comfortable in his routine / institutionalised (pick your favourite descriptor) that being out but close just doesn't work for him.
If shes happier in, I'd leave her in until you can work on a new routine at the new yard. If you are there doing jobs and its a nice sunny day then for sure pop her out and bring her in again after an hour or so, ideally before she starts any antics. Mine has unfortunately learnt that if he does stops of death at the gate he gets brought in so thats his go-to move if it starts to rain and he wants in...