Jumping out of paddock

C

coen

Well-Known Member
Joined
23 July 2009
Messages
716
Visit site
Does anyone have any idea of how to encourage a horse not to jump out of its paddocks?

My mare & gelding are kept at our home in separate paddocks but always adjacent to each other.
They are in over night and out during the day.
The gelding is always brought in first and even during the summer can get himself worked up about coming in but during the winter he takes it to another level and jumps out of the paddocks.

I thought it was linked to bad weather but he did it an hour ago and it is a lovely sunny day and his field has plenty of grass.
He is calmly eating one minute then I look out of the stable to see him galloping around the paddock and jump out (he had been out for a few hours at that point) over the electric fencing.
In the opposite direction to my mare so it isn't that he is trying to get to her.
It is obviously dangerous as he is then tearing around and ran straight through the yard, luckily missing the pugs but still he could easily injure himself or something else.

Yesterday he galloped around like a loon when I put him out & threatened to jump out but didn't & settled (it was very windy) but usually it seems as if he goes out calmly then after a while just switches.

I have had him since summer 2017 and have asked previous owner who said he didn't do that but it is the second winter he is showing the same behaviour so I don't know if that is true or not.

It would be great to know if anyone has had any success in preventing it.
Bigger fences? (but he is an eventer and pretty bold so I worry that wouldn't stop him just increase chance or injury).
Different type of fencing?
Company in the field?

Any info welcome!
 
If hes jumping in to get the mare i'd try putting them together. Maybe he wants some company. They'll soon be best of friends. In his last home he could of been kept with a companion, or get a small shetland. Mine are kept together in a big paddock, couldn't imagine keeping them separate they don't fight and like the company
 
No it is never to get to the mare, he actually goes in the complete opposite direction to her. It is more that he suddenly really wants to come in.
When I get hold of him and put him in the stable he calms right down.

Previous experience of having my mare out with my retired gelding (no longer on my yard) was that they became ridiculously attached to one another.
It is also resulted in injuries to the pair of them, mainly from high jinx but we had kicks and then you also get other problems when the mare is in season with the gelding trying to mount her.
So I wouldn't do that again.
But if anyone has found it made a massive difference having company in the field I could look to get a companion pony or something but I would like to try some other suggestions first encase it didn't help and I then have a pony I have no real need for.
 
coen said:
No it is never to get to the mare, he actually goes in the complete opposite direction to her. It is more that he suddenly really wants to come in.
When I get hold of him and put him in the stable he calms right down.

Previous experience of having my mare out with my retired gelding (no longer on my yard) was that they became ridiculously attached to one another.
It is also resulted in injuries to the pair of them, mainly from high jinx but we had kicks and then you also get other problems when the mare is in season with the gelding trying to mount her.
So I wouldn't do that again.
But if anyone has found it made a massive difference having company in the field I could look to get a companion pony or something but I would like to try some other suggestions first encase it didn't help and I then have a pony I have no real need for.
Click to expand...

Okay, a little different to what I was expecting. Thought you were going to say he jumps towards her. I'd ask previous owner if he was ever kept on his own or with a companion. It could be hes feeling anxiety being in the field on his own so wants to come into his stable where he feels safe. I had a friend with a gorgeous 16.2 show jumper, he was a angel in the field unless he could see mares. I laughed at her at first thinking she was talking rubbish until I watched him jump 2 5 bar gates one after the other as if it was a grid work lesson then over the third. If he could see mares he'd jump over any gate, any fence to get back to his stable. It was really odd and as soon as he was moved away from the mare field he no longer done it.. never understood that one.

Regarding bigger fences, it may work but I have a friend with a 13.2 cob and it always use to jump over 7ft electric fencing 2 rows of fence (3 ft between each fence) to get out the field so if hes a jumper he may do the same. Best of luck - hope you find a solution. :)
 
If you are able, have you tried just putting him out for a couple of hours at a time and then bringing him in for a couple, then chucking him back out and repeat; whilst gradually increasing the time out over a few weeks or so
 
May sound silly, but have you tried putting a fly mask on?
I have looked after a horse for years who would jump out when he felt like it in the winter and cause chaos! Despite having his mate in the field and grass not too bad as they get a winter paddock. He was a dressage horse before he retired but had a fab jump!
But, a fly mask seemed to put him off. Assume as it slightly obscured his vision.
 
I have a youngster that came over from Ireland and is exactly the same. Fine in the summer, soon as weather turned he wants in, he will jump out leaving other horses and bring himself into the yard. I have dealt with it by putting him out for a couple of hours then getting him in before he starts wanting in. I've then gradually increased the time out and he will now stay out half days happily unless the weather's horrendous. The key was not letting him get in a tizzy and jump out and having to go catch him and build from there. I guessed mine may have been Barned with young stock for all his winters or something. Who knows ! Good luck
 
I am so glad you posted this thread! I'd just come on to post pretty much the same question. My exracehorse is hating turnout and I just want summer back. We have a similar set up to you and it's so she doesn't get rediculously attached. Summer was fine, all happy with her neighbours now she just hates being out and like yours her aim is to get in not to anyone else. Alls I can think is field=negative/stressful stable=positive/safe. I wonder if a friend will help...
Today I arrived at the yard unusually early so I walked quietly to the field so I could spy on her, she was head down munching 👍 when I opened the main gate, she lifted her head and galloped at full speed to me. It felt like thank goodness you're here! She'd been out for 3 hours. She then jogged me back to the stable (with not much control!) and once back seemed instantly content.
The problem is with things like higher fencing, it won't solve the route problem. If he's that keen in getting in he'll just jump higher. I feel I've got to make turnout seem more positive and the only thing I can think is a buddy.
 
Mine, a gelding also, started jumping out of his paddocks at the start of last winter, it became an everyday occurrence, that even taller fencing couldn’t stop.
He was also on individual turnout, because of my made being injured and needing restricted turnout.
He would on occasion jump in with her, but majority of the time he was just jumping to be wherever he wanted to be.

In the end he ate all her grass lower down, because he wouldn’t go all the way up hill if my mare wasn’t, so I had to just let them both out together to graze higher. This was the start of them being turned out together, which I then stuck to all summer.

This winter Barr one occasion he hasn’t jumped st all, so I’d recommended putting them in together. It might help, like it did mine.
 
I would extend your fencing so that it is too high to jump - seems like the only way of guaranteeing he won't bring himself in! He is jumping out because he can and because it's easy, the only way to completely stop that is to make the fence too high. When I was working with show jumpers, the stallion fencing was about ear height and was done using electric tape, rather than wood. It kept them in!
 
Thanks for the advice guys, it is such a weird quirk.
Glad it is not just us, but like you Bellaboo18 as soon as he sees me he gets anxious.
He is also Irish whiteflower but not a youngster, maybe he has wintered out in the past and doesn't fancy letting that happen again :)

Im going to try:
Putting him in paddock closest to yard (so that we can hopefully get him before he gets too wound up)
Pop a feed/treatball out with him to try to keep him occupied
Shorten the time he is out
If that all fails I can try putting him out in my area which is just in front of the stable yard whilst mare is in the field (but it is an expensive sandpit for him to have a dig & roll in :()

If that doesn't work I will look into some options for high fences. I think it would have to be really high to avoid the risk of him trying to jump it. I will have to do a bit of research into what people use for stallion fencing.
It would look horrible but if it worked that is a worthwhile compromise.
I have been working from home quite a bit but from January will be back in london a fair amount and would hate for him to jump out before our groom gets here at lunch time.

If I do find a solution that works I will let you know.
 
coen said:
Thanks for the advice guys, it is such a weird quirk.
Glad it is not just us, but like you Bellaboo18 as soon as he sees me he gets anxious.
He is also Irish whiteflower but not a youngster, maybe he has wintered out in the past and doesn't fancy letting that happen again :)

Im going to try:
Putting him in paddock closest to yard (so that we can hopefully get him before he gets too wound up)
Pop a feed/treatball out with him to try to keep him occupied
Shorten the time he is out
If that all fails I can try putting him out in my area which is just in front of the stable yard whilst mare is in the field (but it is an expensive sandpit for him to have a dig & roll in :()

If that doesn't work I will look into some options for high fences. I think it would have to be really high to avoid the risk of him trying to jump it. I will have to do a bit of research into what people use for stallion fencing.
It would look horrible but if it worked that is a worthwhile compromise.
I have been working from home quite a bit but from January will be back in london a fair amount and would hate for him to jump out before our groom gets here at lunch time.

If I do find a solution that works I will let you know.
Click to expand...
I'm going to steal some of your ideas, treat ball etc. Will let you know if I find a solution. I'd rather not have to get a companion, I'll call that plan b.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top