Ideas for a turnout pen for a horse who jumps out of everywhere?

Doormouse

Doormouse

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Help!

We have a big 17.2hh wb mare on our yard and she has been in for virtually the whole winter bar a few attempts at turnout because she jumps out where ever we put her. She just brings herself in over all the gates and jumps the gate into the yard which stands 4'6" and is at the top of a slope. She does all this in a heavyweight turnout rug. We have tried everything but she will only stay out if everything else in the yard is out but then we have to separate some of them from her so she just jumps the fences in between them. Electrifiying things makes no difference because she jumps. If we put electric fence out in front of the gate she either jumps the 2 together or jumps them as a bounce.

I am desperate to let her get some turnout but we are on clay so the fields are very wet and she is causes complete chaos every time she goes out. Has anyone got any good ideas please?
 
Stallion round pen? They are 6ft high, and you can pop them in the field with other horses?

Otherwise let her stay in? Maybe she doesn't like the mud! :)
 
Try to get hold of some Heras site fencing panels. You see them round construction sites. Sometimes when the job finishes they'll let you have any that are slightly damaged. You need the feet and connectors too. Worth having a look on Ebay
 
An event rider I used to livery with had this problem - they built what I called the dinosaur cage. Sweetest horse mind you!
6ft Electric fencing and a small paddock piled with yummy food. In the end it was just much easier to leave her in I think!
 
I think she needs training rather than higher fences which I would worry about. She might injure herself if she's so determined to get back to the yard. Do you know what's behind her behaviour? Fear, a particular companion, better grass or hay? What happens if you walk her away from the yard in hand and spend time with her away from the others? Maybe she just needs to get some confidence to stay out. If she were mine I would be seeking some professional help.
 
The Herris fencing sounds like a plan. Sadly we cannot afford a stallion pen, would love one but much too skint at present.

She is 16 years old, was once in her distant youth a show jumper, has been through some dreadful yards and shows the physical and mental scars of that. There is no trigger particularly, during the summer she is generally ok but winter is a disaster. It is never one particular horse, to give you an example, in September she was out as usual with one of her friends next door, and we brought the youngsters in from the far field to be trimmed. Halfway through the trimming of the first we heard feet and she arrived in great style over the yard gate, landed like a feather and proceeded to canter round the concrete yard sending the youngsters crackers. Her friend was hysterical left in the field and we then couldn't catch her to put her away! Luckily she was fine and the farrier thought it was funny! She had never even been out with the youngsters so no real reason except she thought she was missing out on something.

She is fine to hack on her own, travel on her own, leave in on her own so I don't think it is a confidence issue, I honestly think she just believes she is in charge of the yard and everybody should be in one place at a time!
 
Hah! Had this with my old boy....

Either double fence everything 6 feet apart or...

Make her graze on a track system. What I mean by this is, make a track about 10feet wide along the fence line inside the paddock she is meant to be in. Make it thinner by the gate and put obstacles there like branches or a pile of hay. Then, this actually works as a double fence if she needs to graze inside the paddock itself.
 
Ha Ha, my boy is like this as well. He is also supremely confident on his own. If he is in the field he will be fine for a while, then decide that the grass is greener so pop the 5 bar gate for better grazing. A bit later he will fancy a drink so will pop back, then if the third field has shade he will pop the other way. When he had enough he would jump in again!

In fact last year the neighbours reported a 10 minute solo XC round, with much bucking and farting with glee.

He does this whatever situation he is in, alone or with another.

We sorted it by raising all the fences to 6'6". This was not as daunting as you would think, we added raisers to each post, and have electric tape on top of that. On the areas of greatest risk we have a high rail too.

Each gate is raised too, to the same height. Again we used electric tape (2 strands) with raisers to the posts.

We have also thought about a round pen, but the fencing was actually probably cheaper for the two turnout areas we use.

And yes, he is an eventer, but SJ to Fox with previous owner. :-)
 
Heras fencing is great! Its around £20-35 a panel but sometimes you can buy a bulk load cheaper. We got the equivalent of a 30x60 approx paddock for 250inc delivery on ebay
 
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