Mare going mad being stabled :(

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millyspaniel

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My TB mare needs to be in as she just doesnt cope being out, shes a very poor doer and loses weight terribly. Shes been in approx 2 weeks now and over the last few days has been turned out from 9am till 330pm. When she comes in she is mental!! she flips out, jumping around, whinnying, sweating cobs, kicking the door and trying to barge out the door
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today she even managed a rear and tried to get over the door. She is stabled next to another horse who comes in at the same time so its not as if shes on her own.
I stayed with her for a bit, took her rug off as she was so sweaty and brushed her down which she enjoyed (she was very very itchy) after she had settled i slipped away but then she started up again
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although not as bad. Someone is there to keep an eye on her whilst am not but its a constant worry.
Any suggestions??
 
Are you sure she can't be out? I would think she would be much better off outside than in as stressing will only make her lose weight more! As long as the horse is rugged up and fed well, I dont see why she should lose weight being out.
 
Do you mean she doesn't cope being out because she looses condition or are there any other reasons? If not then I should imagine if she is rugged up correctly and given a high oil and fibre diet she should be able to live out and maintain condition.
 
I know you want her to keep weight on, but stressing out, and sweating up in a stable is also going to make her loose condition, and well as possible injury. If she was mine, I would leave her out for as long as possible, and rug up up well. Give her adlib hay when out and in, and think about giving her a calm and conditioner feed.
 
She looses weight in the field and TBH the ground is either boggy as hell (talking 12" ruts!!) or frozen solid and its lethal.
Will try a calmer, thats a good idea
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Yeah am worried about her swaeting and loosing any weight she does have
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she is alot more chilled living out. May try her a little bit longer and see if she gets into a routine, if not then turn out 24/7 looks to be the only option!!!
 
This mare has had a lot to deal with in the last month. She's gone from being out 24/7, to being in 24/7 for 2 weeks, and now a change of routine again. Along with the colic, stomach injury and changes of diet you've posted about, I'm not surprised that, especially at only 4 years old, she is feeling overwhelmed and starting to play up. What are you feeding her now? Am I right in thinking that the horse she is stabled with is not her field mates? Is it them she is upset for when you bring her in?
 
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This mare has had a lot to deal with in the last month. She's gone from being out 24/7, to being in 24/7 for 2 weeks, and now a change of routine again. Along with the colic, stomach injury and changes of diet you've posted about, I'm not surprised that, especially at only 4 years old, she is feeling overwhelmed and starting to play up. What are you feeding her now? Am I right in thinking that the horse she is stabled with is not her field mates? Is it them she is upset for when you bring her in?

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Shes still on the same diet - 1lrg scoop baileys conditioning cubes, 1.5cups of baileys outshine in each feed 2 feeds per day. She is stabled next to a horse which is kept in the next field who she and the ponies stands with everyday over the fence. I dot think its the ponies she is upset for when she comes in, i think its the fact that she just wants to be out 24/7. When she was out 24/7 she never had anxiety issues and went out riding everyday with no problems on her own.
 
Could you perhaps find another yard that is not boggy so she can go out 24/7 again? Or bring her in much later? My mother in laws ex racer lived out with good rugs and feed and he lived to 28.
 
Puppy clearly knows more about the horse than was posted in the OP and going on the stress and digestive issues, I highly recommend Coligone as a supplement, not just for colic but as a calmer. It's really effective for these situations, though it does sound like the horse would be happier living out.

Anyway, here's the link:

http://www.hbradshaws.co.uk/item004.php
 
[ QUOTE ]
Puppy clearly knows more about the horse than was posted in the OP and going on the stress and digestive issues, I highly recommend Coligone as a supplement, not just for colic but as a calmer. It's really effective for these situations, though it does sound like the horse would be happier living out.

Anyway, here's the link:

http://www.hbradshaws.co.uk/item004.php

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This looks ideal
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She hasnt been ridden for 3 weeks neither and normally shes out almost everyday. She is easily stressed too, will try her on the above and see how she gets on, but i have a feeling a heavier rug and more hay with 24/7 turn out will be better for her.
 
OP why cant she live out? from Puppy's reply it sounds like she used to live out and now isnt happy being in - surely if she is rugged correctly and has access to ad lib hay/hayledge and the correct feed this will be better for her than being in as she is just going to stress the weight off in the stable or injure herself/or somebody else. My 3 live out and my TB used to live out as well none suffer from weight loss in the winter, I have brought my arab in today but he will go back out when his new rug arrives.
 
It was the mud issues in the field that made me bring her in plus the vet advised me too keep her in at night and she wasnt getting enough hay as the ponies where eating it all and they where putting on tonnes of weight and she was loosing it. She only started getting upset from monday, prior to that she was fine. Planning to ride at the weekend so will see how she is.
If shes like this tomorrow night then i will have to turn her out.
 
All mine live out and I have never had happier horses. We have had deep snow and ice for two weeks and they are coping fine. They have hay 24/7 and whoever needs extra feed gets it while others get a token amount with supplement. Obviously once the snow and ice melts they will be back to their normal rations of hay. I have two fine types who are not natives and three natives. Whoever needs rugged is rugged accordingly and I can tell you hand on heart that I have horses dying to get back out after their feeds even in freezing temperatures.

I would if you can and she has company outdoors try a different routine with her, possibly taking her in for a groom and a feed and letting her live out with adequate forage and see how she copes. I used to be of the mind that horses HAD to come in out of the bad weather but realised that it was only myself feeling that. Don't get me wrong, I do take them in for a short spell now and again if it is raining etc to give them a chance to dry off and I do understand that some horses cannot cope with living out or that some livery yards have restricted turnout but my own personal opinion is that an accident will happen whether they have just been turned out after being in for two weeks or whether they are turned out 24/7.

Try a different routine for her, as someone else said stress will cause weight loss too.
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Just read your reply after I had written my post, if you are on a yard and she is being pushed out of a feeding area, is there enough piles of hay/haylage put out to ensure that everyone gets a fair amount according to their height and breeding? I put out 6 piles of fresh hay every day at the moment along with two large round bales each week to pick off to ensure that nobody in the pecking order is standing hungry all night because horses need feed to keep warm (this is because of the snow and the fact they are not in at night) I have horses ranging from 17hh to 10hh. Some people may find that excessive but horses do have a habit of pooing and peeing on a round bale when they are 3/4's the way down.

If she lives out she must have access to the fibre she requires, if she is getting bullied away, could she not have a kindly companion and be seperated off? Otherwise as I said there has to be plenty of piles available for everyone to eat from, including when piles are eating down according to weather conditions.
 
Cut her feed Milly. Now that she is in you should be able to reduce it quite significantly - but obviously allowing her ad lib hay (haylage). It should make a difference.


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I think she is telling you she would rather be out!! This sort of stress will lead to poor condition, I have had several TB's over the years - All have lived out with good rugs and shelter and ad-lib hay....
 
I wouldn't put her on a calmer - I am astounded the amount of people who seem to resort to this to be honest and suggest to others they do the same. We have never ever used a calmer on a horse. If the horse panics being in then the solution is to keep it out!

With plenty of fee, water and shelter the horse will be fine. Many years ago we had a horse who hated being in, really panicked, He was 22 you'd have thought he'd have known better! One day he badly cut his leg and the vet advised to stable him. We did with his best donkey friend he couldn't be parted from. We arrived at the stables in the morning to find both horse and donkey out roaming round the yard. The stable doors were still shut but we discovered he'd actually knocked the whole back wall (2 wooden stables) down and got out the back!! Fortunately he was unharmed but we never stabled him again.

He was happy to have a field shelter/stable where he could come and go as he pleased but you couldn't shut him in one.

Your horse evidently has some claustrophobic issues or something has happened when she's been stabled previously. I would keep her out definitely. As long as she's not a complete hatrack (she shouldn't be if fed sufficiently) then she'll be fine. Better that than losing weight getting seriously stressed.
 
Agree with LadyT, in a lot of cases a calmer masks what is wrong, it does not solve it. Find the problem and then you have the solution naturally.

I do apologise if I have been a bit lengthy but I have a big warmblood mare who will not stand being in, I could guarantee you that if I kept her overnight or for lengthy periods that she would stress. Then her weight would drop and her temperament would change too.

Try a different routine
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might be the stable,
Can she see out??
I have aan arab who has issues with stables that are closed in..
Has she a field mate whos left out???
Try leaving her out for a night, well, well rugged and she appreciates the stable the next night
Could there be something in the stable that she doesnt like?, or the horse next door, Just a thought?
Hope you make progress
 
Thanks for all the replys
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Yep she can see out to her friends across the field. When i come to get her around 330pm she comes in quite eagerly, as soon as shes in she starts with the whinnying and running around, never seen her as bad as she was tonight, she got herself all stressed and sweaty, took rugs off and rubbed her down with straw and she started eating her hay, as soon as i left she started again
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the first week of being in she didnt mind so much but i guess it was due to the fact that she wasnt right.
If i do turn her out i may have to partition her from the ponies so she has all the hay she needs.
Its snowing lots here and there is already a few inchs on the ground so looks like the turn out for tomorrow will be off - i have to lead her down the lane to my field along the road and its terribly icy
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saying that though her neighbour will be left in aswell so hopefully she should be okay. Shes not too bad when her neighbour goes out shes happy to be in her stable, its just once shes gone out she doesnt want to come in!
Dop you think it could be all the hard feed shes getting and the lack of exercise thats making her stressy and hyped?? shes normally so laid back and very quiet?? (to re-cap she has 1lrg scoop baileys conditioning cubes and 1.5 cups of baileys outshine per feed - fed twice per day) she will be bought back into work at the weekend)
I may leave her out for a night or 2 then bring her back in, see how she reacts?
 
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Dop you think it could be all the hard feed shes getting and the lack of exercise thats making her stressy and hyped??

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Yep.
 
Too much hard feed, being boxed in and not being able to behave like she was used to? Absolutley like Sally has said.

If you can change her routine, do it now, even if it means fencing a paddock area, if she is used to being out she will thrive better on that. I have heaps of snow and ice here and my horses and ponies are fine. Just be careful if you are leading her on an icy road because my lanes and roads here are atrocious!!! What do I pay my Council tax for I don't know because it is still snowing and no gritter since Xmas Eve lol
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Good luck hun, let us know how you go.
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Yeah am worried about her swaeting and loosing any weight she does have
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she is alot more chilled living out. May try her a little bit longer and see if she gets into a routine, if not then turn out 24/7 looks to be the only option!!!

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I personally think it should be the FIRST option with all horses. She clearly dislikes being stabled and doing so won't help with her condition - Id therefore absolutely keep her out 24/7, way better than trying to drug her up!
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Why do you need to partition her away from the ponies "to have all the hay she needs"? In winter, the ponies etc. should ALL have more than enough hay!

Snow doesn't harm horses so I dont understand not turning her out due to that! Sorry, but horses are MEANT to be outside, in ALL weathers. As long as she has hay, there is absolutely no reason why she cannot go out.

I'm sorry, but Im quite flabbergasted by you asking if she could be hyper due to "all the hard feed shes getting and the lack of exercise" - Of course this would not help!
 
But the OP started stabling overnight as she simply could not manage her out 24/7.

It's sounding like an increasingly difficult situation.
 
The poor girl asked for advice not a lecture!! Her horse needs hay separate from the ponies as they push her out and eat it all, even with lots of piles its easy for that to happen if your bottom of the pecking order! My mare will move piles every mouthful just to prove shes top of the list!
The hard feed she is feeding is to get some condition back on her, yes it is going to fizz her up with less work BUT the condition is not going to come on its own!
She cant turn out 24/7 as the field is too boggy. Its a fine line between being stressed in a stable for a while until she settles or standing in mud risking mud fever, abcesses etc. Im sure OP would love to leave her out but sadly not everyones winter grazing is up to it and we have to do the next best thing!
My arab can be the same when he first comes in but settles after a while and when I tried keeping him out he was worse, all trial and error. If her condition has improved try reducing the hard feed see how you get on and maybe turn out for a bit longer during the day if you can, she will settle but it takes time and is horse terms 2 weeks is not a long time to get used to something so chin up and bear with her :-)
 
Can't believe some of the opinionated responses on this thread and lack of generosity of human spirit and suspicion towards someone sensibley and trustingly asking for some advice.
 
I have a TB. A really great way I have found this year to keep weight on is using alfabeet / fibre beet instead of lots of nuts / mix as it reduces potential fizziness. you can make it with warm water which helps warm them up too. I'm feeding mine with pink powder as a balancer - or you could use use a general vitamin supplement.

Try keeping her out for as long as possible and invest in a really good rug as they lose lots of weight trying to keep warm. My friend has just bought a really nice horseware one which keeps her horse sooooo toasty (I'm saving for one as they are not cheap!!)

Is there a way of partitioning her off out in the field with perhaps just one pony for company so you know she is getting hay?

If you do have to keep her in, have you tried stable toys? Or horse hage in one net and hay in another in different corners. You could try a stable mirror too - I know people who have had great sucess with those.

Who'd have a TB ey!!
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Good luck x
 
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