In such a mess...just don't know what to do!!

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petite-girle

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I have been told to get my yearling filly off the yard.....

She's has been there since Spring with my gelding and she for some reason began chewing through the post and rail fencing the last couple of months. I put electric up, she goes through it. I sprayed NAF No Bite spray on it, she licks everywhere I spray it, I've given her a salt lick, mineral field lick, she doesn't stop. It's now got to the stage where my yard owner has told me to get her off her yard ASAP.

I have no where to move her to. I have had her advertised for sale for weeks at a very low price but not one phonecall (this is not because of the fence chewing this is because I wish to sell her anyway). I just don't know what to do I'm so stuck, stressed and depressed about the whole situation!!! :confused:
 
I asked a livery to leave last year because of the same problem..I gave her the option to pay/replace the damaged post and rails..she seemed to think it was my job and at my expense because " thats what i pay livery for"..cheeky mare..so she went..and has been moved on a further twice the last i'd heard.

We usually solve the problem by leccy fencing, but if the animal is "immune" to it, then there isn't much a livery yard owner can do other than give notice.

Post and rails are expensive to replace...someone has to pay.
 
When you say she goes though electric fencing, even if you use 3 stands and use the tall stakes?

Do you know why exactly she's chewing, perhaps a deficiency in her diet or boredom? could you not try putting something in the field to distract her from chewing, a food ball or some form of likit tub?

Have you tried painting the posts in horse manure/urine (mix it with water) and paint the posts with it (of just the posts that she usually chews) or mustard as the smell/taste should prevent her from doing it.

Babies often like to chew things, hopefully it will be something she grows out of.
 
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Creosote the wooden posts.

Put the leccy fencing about a meter or so inside them - so physically she can't reach. And of course electrify it.

And put a good old log in the field for her to chew on.

Youngsters chew - fact.
 
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run some electric over the rails with isolaters and have a tall electric fence a metre infront and electrify the lot! no point having electric fencing if you dont electrify it.
failing that completley pen her away from post and rail with electric tape! my mare is the escape artist and i managed to keep her in with tall posts and 3 electric strands sometimes 4 with a very strong electric on it!
good luck!
 
Here's my advice, for what it's worth:
MOVE YARDS! There are liveries everywhere, look harder - and further afield, then move them both.
Worry about resolving the cribbing problem later. It sounds like your YO and you have come to an end and goodwill no longer exists. Why stay where you're not wanted? Think of your pride. Just get out of there - now, preferably to somewhere with plastic/metal electric fencing?

Worry about your next plan of action from there.
 
i used to have a pony who ate tree bark. i put a mask on him & it soon sorted the problem. after a few weeks of wearing the mask i took it off & he never touched the trees again
 
sally87 said:
i used to have a pony who ate tree bark. i put a mask on him & it soon sorted the problem. after a few weeks of wearing the mask i took it off & he never touched the trees again
Click to expand...

Clearly you can't do this with a yearling as it is exhibiting normal behaviour (as was your horse Sally87) and at this age - you don't want to restrict its grazing.
 
Achinghips said:
Here's my advice, for what it's worth:
MOVE YARDS! There are liveries everywhere, look harder - and further afield, then move them both.
Worry about resolving the cribbing problem later. It sounds like your YO and you have come to an end and goodwill no longer exists. Why stay where you're not wanted? Think of your pride. Just get out of there - now, preferably to somewhere with plastic/metal electric fencing?

Worry about your next plan of action from there.
Click to expand...

^^^^ This would be my advice as well sounds like your YO is at the end of the road with your horse. There must be other livery yards in your area it isn't the end of the world if you have to move although I know it might feel like that right know.

On my Livery Contract it states that the Livery Price does include a fee for general wear and tear of the facilities and when my horse kicked a hole in her stable wall and kicked and broke a rail of fencing in the arena when schooling it was all fixed in a few days no questions asked.

I think you need to find a more understanding livery yard owner who will help you a bit more. I would also try a grazzing muzzle and ad lib hay/halyage in the field over winter and see how that goes.
 
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ossy said:
^^^^ This would be my advice as well sounds like your YO is at the end of the road with your horse. There must be other livery yards in your area it isn't the end of the world if you have to move although I know it might feel like that right know.

On my Livery Contract it states that the Livery Price does include a fee for general wear and tear of the facilities and when my horse kicked a hole in her stable wall and kicked and broke a rail of fencing in the arena when schooling it was all fixed in a few days no questions asked.

I think you need to find a more understanding livery yard owner who will help you a bit more. I would also try a grazzing muzzle and ad lib hay/halyage in the field over winter and see how that goes.
Click to expand...

I suppose the thing is that it must get to the point where it is costing the YO so much to replace eaten fencing etc that there is a loss rather than profit in the horse being there. On our old yard the gate to our field was falling apart when we moved on, our ponies then ate it (literally) and we replaced it without being asked even though it was decrepit to begin with. They can get a taste for tree bark and chewing fences and it becomes a habit that can be very expensive!

I would probably look to move too as it is unlikely your current YO would be amenable to you trying anything else anyway from what you say! If you can get a decent mains powered fence up then you may be able to break the habit but if you are selling her anyway it may just be easier to move her whilst you sell.
 
She's teething bless her and her gums are sore,this is what youngsters do and your YO should know this if she's a horsewoman. Get some of the stuff they use for babies (Human) gums when they are teething and rub it on her gums, I did this for one of my youngsters and it helped a lot and move yards to somewhere where they understand horses.
 
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