Managing without turnout…

[JK-min]

Hi all. My mare has currently been without turnout for a week and a half now. She is lunged everyday (worked 4 times a week, allowed to do whatever she wants to get the energy off not on a circle the other 3 times as I’m cautious of her joints), hand grazed most days for a short while, given ad lib hay, a treat ball, she has lickits in her stable and also has a feed. She is never short of food.
She will continue to be without turnout for another month :-( I’m disappointed as I’m on the yard I’m on because other agreements were made, but it is just something I have to cope with!
She was coping really well, but she has now taken to being extremely moody in the stable (I don’t blame her!) She has started threatening to bite, turning her bum on me, attacking my shavings fork, attacking her net, she really isn’t happy.
Unfortunately, I KNOW she needs a little bit of turnout. She likes to run and socialize and even if she only did that a couple of times a week she is like a different pony. But it’s really taking it’s toll being without that.

My question is, does anyone have any advice on how we can get through the next month? Moving is not an option and there is light at the end of the tunnel, it’s just a month long tunnel…

 

[Cortez]

There are parts of the world where horses never get turned out, and while it's not my preference to keep horses like that I have ridden and worked horses perfectly fine (as in the horses were not distressed, difficult to manage, etc.) under those conditions. Horses are adaptable creatures and as long as they are properly worked, exercised and looked after they thrive. The key word is work, though, and IME getting the horses out at least twice a day for some reasonably vigorous exercise is vital. When mine are in full time they are ridden twice, or else ridden and also lunged. One hour a day is not enough for a horse stabled full time.

 

[TGM]

Is there any chance she could be allowed out loose in the arena for a roll and a buck? I know a lot of yards won't allow it though.

 

[AmyMay]

As Cortez says, work.

 

[JK-min]

There are parts of the world where horses never get turned out, and while it's not my preference to keep horses like that I have ridden and worked horses perfectly fine (as in the horses were not distressed, difficult to manage, etc.) under those conditions. Horses are adaptable creatures and as long as they are properly worked, exercised and looked after they thrive. The key word is work, though, and IME getting the horses out at least twice a day for some reasonably vigorous exercise is vital. When mine are in full time they are ridden twice, or else ridden and also lunged. One hour a day is not enough for a horse stabled full time.

She isn’t ridden yet so I was cautious of too much work on the lunge. But I don’t have her doing little circles to try and take away the pressure from her joints. Fortunately I’m off work at the moment so I do have the time to work her as much as needed. Thankyou

 

[JK-min]

Is there any chance she could be allowed out loose in the arena for a roll and a buck? I know a lot of yards won't allow it though.

No not allowed :-( it would make life much easier if I could! We used to be allowed but too many horses destroyed the fencing because they was left unsupervised.

 

[AmyMay]

Is she unbroken?

 

[TGM]

Do you have transport? Is there anywhere you could take her to have some time turned out a couple of times a week, whether in a grass paddock or a surfaced area? (I know someone who has no winter turnout who does precisely this!) If that is not possible I look at reducing any high sugar/starch content in her hard feed and remove the Likit as well as high in sugar. If she needs something to lick then a Himalayan salt lick would be better. Lack of turnout is one of the risk factors in gastric ulcers and high sugar/starch feeds will make this worse. The aggressive behaviour might actually be ulcer related.

 

[JK-min]

Is she unbroken?

She is, she goes away next year to be broke.

 

[JK-min]

Do you have transport? Is there anywhere you could take her to have some time turned out a couple of times a week, whether in a grass paddock or a surfaced area? (I know someone who has no winter turnout who does precisely this!) If that is not possible I look at reducing any high sugar/starch content in her hard feed and remove the Likit as well as high in sugar. If she needs something to lick then a Himalayan salt lick would be better. Lack of turnout is one of the risk factors in gastric ulcers and high sugar/starch feeds will make this worse. The aggressive behaviour might actually be ulcer related.

All feed is low starch and sugar. Will swap the likit for salt licks I will definitely consider where I could take her a few times a week! As it’s only a month we have to cope and really feel for her as she’s struggling and I don’t blame her. Some cope so well in, I watch people who do near nothing with their horses and they stand in their stable happy. She is not one of these horses and I never expect her to be just want her as comfortable and happy as possible because we never planned to be without any turn out.

 

[NinjaPony]

Do you have hacking? Could you take her out for walks every day? When mine wasn’t allowed on grass (laminitis risk) but needed to lose weight I took him out twice a day in our local woods and it made a huge difference to his mood being out and about. Could also try ‘free schooling’ if allowed, eg let her loose in the school for a gallop and a roll every day, which I also used to do.

 

[JK-min]

Do you have hacking? Could you take her out for walks every day? When mine wasn’t allowed on grass (laminitis risk) but needed to lose weight I took him out twice a day in our local woods and it made a huge difference to his mood being out and about. Could also try ‘free schooling’ if allowed, eg let her loose in the school for a gallop and a roll every day, which I also used to do.

Yes we do have hacking, I will do this too. She loves going out, I think it’s because there is so much to look at.

 

[hollyandivy123]

i would stop the lickets and depending what the feed is i would change this to the "magical bucket" of low cal chaff with vitamins, she is on adlib hay but you are also feeding sugar, and sugar cravings can make you grumpy

 

[I'm Dun]

I would send her off on youngstock livery ASAP and find a different yard to bring her back to. Keeping a youngster in 24/7 is asking for huge issues to develop, and endless lunging is just adding to that. I know yards can be a nightmare, but you dont have to stay.

 

[LegOn]

I would send her off on youngstock livery ASAP and find a different yard to bring her back to. Keeping a youngster in 24/7 is asking for huge issues to develop, and endless lunging is just adding to that. I know yards can be a nightmare, but you dont have to stay.

How many times do people have to say 'moving is not an option' for people to stop suggest moving? Obviously the answer is move even temporarily, or literally put them in your front garden but sometimes its just not possible for everyone.

 

[JK-min]

I would send her off on youngstock livery ASAP and find a different yard to bring her back to. Keeping a youngster in 24/7 is asking for huge issues to develop, and endless lunging is just adding to that. I know yards can be a nightmare, but you dont have to stay.

She isn’t being sent anywhere else than what is planned, I have been given unfortunate circumstances for a month. This isn’t her normal life, it’s just something I have to put up with for this month. She is 5 and I will do everything I can to keep her settled for a month before life can be happy and normal.

I also know I don’t have to stay, but I also know there are ways of surviving for a month (and being off work I have unlimited time to make that happen for her), over moving yards over the sake of one month.

 

[JK-min]

How many times do people have to say 'moving is not an option' for people to stop suggest moving? Obviously the answer is move even temporarily, or literally put them in your front garden but sometimes its just not possible for everyone.

thankyou! There is nothing wrong with the yard, just unfortunate circumstances for a month. If it was forever, then we would certainly be looking elsewhere

 

[paddy555]

if you are off work, you have hacking and she can be led out in hand then take her for a walk in hand each day. Couple of hours, let her wander along, stop and eat grass, have a look around. Really a very long in hand graze. Break it up with a few schooling sessions, change walking speed, trotting, a few backs and then back to hand graze. See if there is anything interesting, log she can jump, ditch, banks to climb.
You will be training her for hacking and giving her time out as well. Two jobs in one. Take a flask, make it an outing.
Do you have any friends you can visit on the way, anywhere nice to take her, cafe/takeaway?
Anything to give her something to think about to break up the next month.

Do some of the breaking stuff now. You don't have to get on but put a roller on, teach her to long rein, take her out long reining, if another horse is going for a ride go partway with them, arrange to meet then on their way back and lead her alongside them.
I would be using this time not only to take her out for walks but to train her whilst are doing it. You can get a lot of in hand training in in a month.

 

[LegOn]

Delighted to hear she is 5, I think this give you lots of other options to keep her brain a bit more active - ground work sessions in the arena would be great fun, teaching stand, backing up, moving quarters away, trotting up in hand, and generally nice leading and following you around, set up a tunnel or s-bend of poles and walking her through and around them, bit of bombproofing walking over rugs or tarp etc!

And definitely then just hand grazing, if you can bring her on a hand walk around your local area (safe hacking or quiet areas) and let her graze away and picking at the hedgerows. You could ring local yards and ask about booking for free schooling - alot of indoors dont mind this and then just book it for an hour and let her in for a buck and fart around the place!

As you have said, its a limited time - its an unfortunate situation but it might be a good time to bond with her. I would say even sitting in her stable and letting her munch away & settle while you are there - it will stand to her in the long run aswell!

 

[ycbm]

She is 5

I'd get her sent away for backing now, it's an ideal use of the time.

If she was quiet I'd do it myself but it sounds like she's too wound up right now for you to do it safely.
.

 

[JK-min]

Thankyou all some great ideas and I will take them all on board. hopefully I will have a happier mate soon she’s a good girl, I love her to bits so hopefully it’ll turn out to be a fun month for us both doing lots of things.
She is being sent away for backing Feb next year, she is going in feb because it’s perfect timing for me and this is when the availability is. So I will enjoy this quality time with her and hope I can make her a bit happier

 

[Cortez]

Please be aware that a little amble about, even if it's more than once a day, is nowhere near enough work for a strapping five year old. Proper, energetic lunging or free schooling is the very least that would go some way to giving her enough exercise. I would also stop all hard feed.

 

[JK-min]

Please be aware that a little amble about, even if it's more than once a day, is nowhere near enough work for a strapping five year old. Proper, energetic lunging or free schooling is the very least that would go some way to giving her enough exercise. I would also stop all hard feed.

I think I’m going to have a good energetic lunge in the morning, and then the other nice fluffy stuff that will be nice to do and occupy her mind a bit later on in the day. Hopefully the best of both worlds, more time out the stable and just about survive the month. It’s most important to me that she’s happy and healthy so will do what I can

 

[I'm Dun]

How many times do people have to say 'moving is not an option' for people to stop suggest moving? Obviously the answer is move even temporarily, or literally put them in your front garden but sometimes its just not possible for everyone.

moving is ALWAYs possible, it might not be what people want, but stabling a young unbroken horse 24/7 and lunging the legs off it for a month is not what the horse wants either.

Shouldn't the question be when will people stop saying "its most important to me that shes happy and healthy" when they mean, so long as its what I want and suits me and doesn't inconvenience me in the slightest, otherwise the horse cant actually speak so I can just ignore its escalating attempts to communicate its unhappiness.

 

[Flyermc]

clicker or trick training? there are loads of books or you tube videos to get some ideas

 

[ycbm]

moving is ALWAYs possible, it might not be what people want, but stabling a young unbroken horse 24/7 and lunging the legs off it for a month is not what the horse wants either.

Shouldn't the question be when will people stop saying "its most important to me that shes happy and healthy" when they mean, so long as its what I want and suits me and doesn't inconvenience me in the slightest, otherwise the horse cant actually speak so I can just ignore its escalating attempts to communicate its unhappiness.

I agree that there is always an alternative, but I do understand that sometimes the alternative is not within reasonable reach financially and sometimes not emotionally.

Having said that I can't quite get my head around not making alternative arrangements for a clearly very unhappy 5 year old.
.

threatening to bite, turning her bum on me, attacking my shavings fork, attacking her net, she really isn’t happy.

 

[Mule]

Free lunging would get exercise in without worrying about small circles

 

[dominobrown]

Could you long rein? Better for them than lunging and more interesting… I often start them in the school then out and about.

 

[scats]

Is there nowhere to turn her away for a few months? Sort her head out and get over this restricted turnout issue.

 

[ycbm]

I'm sorry to come back to this as I'm pretty sure it's going to be unwelcome, but if the horse is not even going to be broken until she is 6, why is she going to be kept on limited turnout all winter?

You don't appear to be talking about any more than daytime turnout, if that, (how many days a week [you mention a couple of times], in what size paddock and with what company?), when she does get turnout available again. If its been removed this time what will the next reason be - the field is too wet today?

Why don't you just find her grass livery in a herd for the whole winter?
.