Mare unhappy in field

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jomax

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I turned my mare into her field yesterday, the first time she's been turned out since Dec (fields not been fit). During the winter i have had her field split in halve, using rail and post fencing. To begin with she was fine, just got her head down to the grass, but after 20 mins or so she started to gallop round the field whinnying and calling, and running at the gate (I didnt think she would be able to stop, as were the gateway is its at the bottom of a slope!), she was constantly pawing at the ground in front of the gate. She was also running at the rail and post fencing with what looked like every attempt to jump it (she is 17 hands so it is possible that she could do it). Her behaviour was dangerous, and i was at a loss what to do, she will have to be turned out into this field 24/7 by the end of March with another horse in the other side of the fence and i am worried that i could end up with 2 not 1 injured horses. i need to add that although she is coming 17 years old, she has not quitened down at all, she is very skittish and barges at most things, having now nearly destroyed her stable, just by pushing and leaning on the divides. Any advice or thoughts would be greatly appreciated.
 
Most, if not all, horses dislike being turned out alone. In evolutionary terms a lone horse is a dead horse. Is there any way you could let her have a companion? In the stable she is relatively confined and in a far from natural environment, so being alone is less stressful. But once turned out she may well need more company than one other horse only within sight.
 
I think this is pure unadulterated joy at finally being out again!

It's the bit about horses that Mrs Firstclass never quite got! Though she did manage to stay on the end of a 5ft lead rope while my mare ( avatar) went bananas - been in from Nov to April - and DIDN'T let go!!! This only came out when I was writing me memoires! Up till then I'd always thought she'd let her go but she then told me that the gate was open on to a road so couldn't bear the thought of said mare gallopping off. (To explain that one: mare was ours but still on working livery at a prestigeous equestrian centre - the sort of place where people like my wife don't argue with the staff so that's how she and mare came to be in an orchard full of fresh grass half a mile down the lane from the stables with the gates open!!!

I already had a few "issues" with then - if I'd have known this at the time blood woud have been spilt!

My mare, was a big fit girl right up till her last breath and she was apt to do the same "Joys of Spring" - "Call of the Wild" lark pretty regularly so you may have to live with hairraising displays but less heating food can benefit as I'm sure you know and some exercise first might help - certainly, carrying me about for a couple of hours seemed to limit supermare to a funny five minutes if you know what I mean!
 
When a horse has been kept in for a long time, they kind of forget how to be a horse in a field, so you need to build up slowly. I'd do 20mins 2x a day for now, & gradually increase it. Also, if there isn't much grass I'd put hay out to occupy her. And a calm companion.
 
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