Lonely horsie :(

biggingerpony

biggingerpony

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Moving to a really nice friendly yard in January :) perfect BUT as she is a wimpy TB I have always bought her in at night during the winter. All the other liveries live out 24/7. Leaving her out is just not an option, she doesn't get a winter coat and loses condition so easily.

She always gets really attached to other horses and as the grazing is about 5 minute walk away I'm worried she'll get distressed overnight and not be able to settle. As she will not be able to see or hear any other horses.

Has anyone got any tips on how to calm her down?? I was going to have a radio on for a little bit of background noise and also she will have a BIG hay net and shes got a treatball to play with :)

Big piece of chocolate cake for anyone who can help me :)
 
A stable mirror will probably help , my tb is in on his own at the moment and he's quite happy looking into his mirror. They are quite cheap on ebay, think mine was about £35 so well worth buying!
 
I don't think it's fair for this horse to be kept in this way- find a yard where other are in or wrap her up warm enough that she can stay out 24/7
 
TheMule said:
I don't think it's fair for this horse to be kept in this way- find a yard where other are in or wrap her up warm enough that she can stay out 24/7
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Sadly I'm inclined to agree. I know it may be difficult, but if at all possible, I'd find another yard. From what you say your horse may be really unhappy without being able to see or heard her friends. :(
 
TB's can winter out very well providing they are suitably rugged and fed. Do all the horses live out together in one field? From experience I think you will have a very stressed horse on your hands if she does not have a companion stabled near her and you could possible end up with a horse loosing weight from being stabled rather than staying out!


At least you are aware that this might happen and have the opportunity to try and sort something out before you make the move.
 
TicTac said:
TB's can winter out very well providing they are suitably rugged and fed. Do all the horses live out together in one field? From experience I think you will have a very stressed horse on your hands if she does not have a companion stabled near her and you could possible end up with a horse loosing weight from being stabled rather than staying out!


At least you are aware that this might happen and have the opportunity to try and sort something out before you make the move.
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^^^this!^^^^^^

Would you be able to put hay out in the field? I'd definitely consider her living out, she'll be fine so long as she gets plenty of fibre in her and is well rugged. Otherwise I'd look for somewhere else to keep her. She'll lose more condition stressing in her stable alone, than being out. Plus I bet you'd be amazed how your horse would fluff up a bit!
 
I'd love to get a shetland but yard is full at the moment, so even though no-one uses the stables at night people are still paying for them if that makes sense? That is something to consider though if she becomes very stressed. I'm hoping she calms down fairly quickly, but I guess I'll play it by ear and see how she reacts!
Moving yards is not really an option purely money-wise its because the yard i'm going to is so crazily cheap and no other yard in the area can beat that really! living on a shoestring budget at the moment.
Thanks for your ideas though! :)
 
TheMule said:
I don't think it's fair for this horse to be kept in this way- find a yard where other are in or wrap her up warm enough that she can stay out 24/7
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Agree with this. I would not even be considering moving her to this yard. If I really was forced to then I'm afraid I would rug her up well and leave her out with the others. She will lose far more weight fretting in her stable than being out in a cosy rug with her friends. So long as she has access to plenty of haylage she will cope far better than coming in by herself.
 
mini shetlands still need trimming, jags if on a yard, teeth etc etc if someone is on a shoestring budget suggesting they commit to another animal isn't very fair. besides, not many livery owners will let one in for free.

OP if she's not ok then get some decent rugs (the PE stormbuster ones are fabby) and chuck her out. if she's stressing in the box it'll likely cost you more in feed and bedding anyway besides the fact it's not fair on her. sometimes when they live out 24/7 just bringing them in for a weather break is enough, ie bring her in for a few hours when others are in, it doesnt have to be overnight.
 
I agree with everyone who says rug her and keep her out.

Horseshayfeeder.jpg

^ Left to right. Arab filly, anglo mare (doesn't really grow a winter coat at all) and an elderly TB. All live out 24/7 and the arab and the TB are in MW rugs. :)

It is actually much healthier for horses to live out and if you rug them correctly and give them lots of fibre to eat, they stay warm.

ETA. Another pic of the wimpy anglo. She is wearing a Rambo Duo with the 300g liner (so 400g of filling as the outer is 100g). You can see her lack of fluff, I've never needed to clip her even when I was having lessons.
100_0992.jpg
 
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I really would want to leave her out, it would be a lot easier for me as well!! But its just not really not possible, she has got plenty of rugs. Last year when she went out in the snow she had a 300g under rug with hood its like a duvet!! with a 200g medium weight with hood on top. Yet she still struggled last year, its particularly bad when shes not exercised (which shes not at the moment as resting). I'll have to see what shes like, I'll get a stable mirror and I really hope she settles down!! Gorgeous horses faracat!
 
peteralfred said:
sorry to hijack-Faracat where did you get that feeder from?
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It's a Sheep ring feeder, fits a big round bale, but I fill it with small ones (easier to carry ;) ). I got mine from here http://www.coedydinas.co.uk/country-store/ but plenty of other agricultural shops do them. I then added the mesh (fixed with good old cable ties) to stop the horses putting their legs through the gaps that were designed for the sheep to put their heads through.
 
Thank you xmillyx. :)

Did she have ad-lib hay last year? This really is the key to keeping horses warm. In her younger days my TB used to live out unrugged and was fine all winter as long as she was fed enough hay (basically hay was available all the time).

Melodysnow.jpg
 
Yes I always give her 2 haynets during the winter whatever the weather and tie them up inside and outside her field shelter. I know everyone thinks I'm being far too soft! Last year she was out on loan and I know the loaner kept her out most days, when I got her back she was emaciated it was so upsetting and took months to get her right again! Now she's a podgy thing!!
 
xmillyx said:
I'd love to get a shetland but yard is full at the moment, so even though no-one uses the stables at night people are still paying for them if that makes sense? That is something to consider though if she becomes very stressed. I'm hoping she calms down fairly quickly, but I guess I'll play it by ear and see how she reacts!
Moving yards is not really an option purely money-wise its because the yard i'm going to is so crazily cheap and no other yard in the area can beat that really! living on a shoestring budget at the moment.
Thanks for your ideas though! :)
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Are all the other horses still living out because the weather is still reletively mild? Maybe others will bring their horses in when the winter truely arrives! then your mare will have company.
 
Faracat said:
It's a Sheep ring feeder, fits a big round bale, but I fill it with small ones (easier to carry ;) ). I got mine from here http://www.coedydinas.co.uk/country-store/ but plenty of other agricultural shops do them. I then added the mesh (fixed with good old cable ties) to stop the horses putting their legs through the gaps that were designed for the sheep to put their heads through.
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thanks-it was the mesh that was confusing me :) good idea, may have to steal it, thanks!
 
Faracat said:
The price difference between the sheep feeder + mesh and a 'tombstone' horse feeder was lots and lots. ;)
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I found that too, biiig difference. I bought the sheep feeders too :)

My TB is also wintered out 24/7, feed her enough and keep her warm and theres not a problem with her , everyones happy
 
Like everyone else, I'd go for keeping her out with the other horses. Unless there is something intrinsically wrong with her, suitabye rugged (whch does not necessarily mean totally cocooned) and well fed, with haylage ad lib and some good hard feed as well if needed, incorporating linseed, she should do fine.

I am wondering if she came back from her loan 'emaciated' for some totally unconnected reason. You say she is a podge at the moment, which is a good way to go into winter.

Our TBs live out, and this year a really skinny ex-racer who only came to us in the summer will be out as well. So though I might have to eat my words in a few months, I am currently confident that we can keep him up together and not just as a bag of bones!
 
I had an old boy years ago who I moved every year or so due to sale of paddock generally. He had been in a group paddock and was being picked on and I'd had enough so I paid more money to send him to another yard with individual paddocks as well as stables and tack rooms - never had anything like it before and I felt very swish!! Put horsey into paddock at day and at night (coming into winter) put him into stable with rugs and lovely warm dinner and thought how nice it was and went home happy with myself.

Late that night went down to see how he was and it was like hell had possessed him. He was only horsey in stables and had trampled the ground and was so sweated up his rugs literally dripped with sweat. In the middle of the night I had to walk him back to the other paddock where he did a few victory laps before settling down.

After that incident he could never be left on his own again, got very severe anxiety if separated from paddock buddies. I truly regret having done it.

I am not saying that your mare would do the same however I would personally (having learnt from past mistakes) rug her to suit the weather and leave her in the paddock. I'd prefer to have a horse light on condition because he is a sooky la with the weather (my current TB is like this) than have to go through what I went through with my old boy.
 
Wagtail said:
Agree with this. I would not even be considering moving her to this yard. If I really was forced to then I'm afraid I would rug her up well and leave her out with the others. She will lose far more weight fretting in her stable than being out in a cosy rug with her friends. So long as she has access to plenty of haylage she will cope far better than coming in by herself.
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Agree with FionaM12 and Wagtail, even when eb's had to be stabled this year during 'is she/isn't she pregnant-gate' ben came in to be with her every night, she couldn't have stood being in on her own, it would have broken her heart and mine to watch. Even though she is 50 percent friesian x tb she is very TB in her build, I even fully clip her sometimes and then just whack the rugs on, she stays roasty toasty and nice and chilled in the field.
 
I would play it by ear. You may find she is fine coming in on her own - my mare hates being on her own but would much rather come into a warm stable on her own then stay out! I would invest in a really HW rug so the option is there - you may also find with the winter we are expecting some of them will bring in anyway!
 
TheMule said:
I don't think it's fair for this horse to be kept in this way- find a yard where other are in or wrap her up warm enough that she can stay out 24/7
Click to expand...

TicTac said:
TB's can winter out very well providing they are suitably rugged and fed. Do all the horses live out together in one field? From experience I think you will have a very stressed horse on your hands if she does not have a companion stabled near her and you could possible end up with a horse loosing weight from being stabled rather than staying out!
.
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jemima_too said:
Just get her some decent rugs and she'll be fine.
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/\ /\ I agree with all of these :)

With the kinds of rugs on the market today then any horse can be kept warm enough for the worst of weather in this country.

Check out the Rambo Supremes - Amazing rugs! That and ab lib good forage will keen him warm. Plus most horses will be more comfortable out than being in a stable where they can't move around.
 
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