_jetset_
Well-Known Member
Where I currently stable my three horses (one if a yearling) the fields are completely saturated due to the most horrendous rain and the yard owners have quite rightly taken us off the fields because there is not much grass and they were getting destroyed
We have a trash paddock which consists of the old arena surface and we can tie nets up in there so they have some free time but just not out at grass. My yearling has also been going out in a small paddock for an hour or two while I muck out, but this is alone because it is not big enough for one of the other two to go in with him.
I really like the yard I am on, it is lovely and peaceful, we are pretty much left to our own devices, the haylage is excellent and the stables are nice and large
However, my young mare who underwent colic surgery and endured 9 solid months of box rest through a PSD injury, has started not eating again... When she developed colic, she slowly stopped eating her hard feed, then wouldn't even touch it and finally would not eat the haylage either
Because of this, they tested her for GS, which thankfully came back negative. The surgeons at the hospital believed it had been caused by something she had ingested, but I am now beginning to wonder whether stress was part of it???
She has been without turnout now for just under one month, and in the past few weeks I have noticed she has been slowly going off her feed, to the point where she is not eating any hard feed at all now... Last night she consumed 1kg haylage (she has a 6kg net every night) and is dropping condition like crazy.
Could all this be being brought on by the stress of being stabled 24/7???
I have the option of moving onto another yard but the draw backs are that it is 30 mins drive from home (I work, so the extra time would cut down on time spent with the horses), it is more expensive but at the moment they are turning out for half days in separate paddocks.
We have a trash paddock which consists of the old arena surface and we can tie nets up in there so they have some free time but just not out at grass. My yearling has also been going out in a small paddock for an hour or two while I muck out, but this is alone because it is not big enough for one of the other two to go in with him.
I really like the yard I am on, it is lovely and peaceful, we are pretty much left to our own devices, the haylage is excellent and the stables are nice and large
However, my young mare who underwent colic surgery and endured 9 solid months of box rest through a PSD injury, has started not eating again... When she developed colic, she slowly stopped eating her hard feed, then wouldn't even touch it and finally would not eat the haylage either
She has been without turnout now for just under one month, and in the past few weeks I have noticed she has been slowly going off her feed, to the point where she is not eating any hard feed at all now... Last night she consumed 1kg haylage (she has a 6kg net every night) and is dropping condition like crazy.
Could all this be being brought on by the stress of being stabled 24/7???
I have the option of moving onto another yard but the draw backs are that it is 30 mins drive from home (I work, so the extra time would cut down on time spent with the horses), it is more expensive but at the moment they are turning out for half days in separate paddocks.