Mass Turnout trouble! Advice please!

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WishfulThinker

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I was told the other day that all 21 geldings at our yard are being turned out together and there will be no starver field. For the winter the geldings have been divided into 2 fields - the ones that go in the starver and the main larger group, but they will as of tomorrow all g out together into a big field - when I say big its prob about 15 acres - possibly 20!

My boy has to wear a muzzle as there is a fair amount of grass in there and he has been in s field with literally none - and the grass is starting to come through and he was cuncomfortably bloated from a small amoutn the other day, as were a few from his field.
This means that he is going to get royally picked on when they are deciding the pecking orders, and he doesnt fight back
frown.gif
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So what do I do? A few have said their horses arent going out in that field, and we are saying the same. But if they say tough he has to, then I have to decide to risk it - but as was stated in an earlier post that means that if he breaks a leg its my fault not YO - or to keep him in, which means that he will be ok for me to ride, but not my sharer as he gets very strong and full of himself as you can imagine. One of the horses from the starver pack got accidentally put out with the main pack over xmas, and he was badly injured and on box rest for a few months.

I know what the other option is - and its being looked into, but we still would have to give months notice - although we have no signed livery contracts, so until we could he would have to risk being out or stay in.

So what do I do??? Risk a wild cob for a few weeks, or risk him getting hurt?
 
Maybe hang fire a few days let the mob sort themselves out and then reintroduce him. If they have settled down and sorted themselves out there might be the odd stand off but it's less likely to be an all out brawl.
 
Talk to YO about your concerns with all the others who seem to share your worries. If she cant see that its a daft idea then move, and no you dont have to give a months notice if you havent signed a contract!
 
Is there a reason why they have decided to do this?

What mechanisms are being put in place for horses not previously turned out together to be introduced slowly?

Following Bibble's(I think that was their name) post the other day about a similar thing happening - I think we were all in agreement that this sort of thing is just a recipe for disaster if not handled correctly.

Your horse - your liable for it's injury.

Personally I would vote with my feet - and go somewhere that is actually interested in the welfare of the horses - not just the money lining their pockets.

If enought of you do it - their business won't last long.
 
If you are worried about turning out your horse with the heard, please follow your instincs, if he gets a broken leg you will not forgive yourself for going against your will, My old boy got kicked by a horse who everyone knew was a monster and it was awful. You know your horse better then anyone else.
good luck
xx
 
I would risk him being wild for a few weeks. You cannot risk your horse by putting him out with the others. That's far too many horses to be putting out together. Just think if something happened, you'd never forgive yourself for putting him in that situation.
 
I would talk it through with the YO to see if there is a solution. If not, I would move him.

Hope it all works out ok.
 
personnelly i would say to owner that's not a good idea as you need stravation paddock, for what ever reason etc......, Suggest you rig up double electric tape field for thoses who need to be on no grass.... and poo pick....... ask them nicely etc....

If they Don't like move............ (sorry) BUT DON'T risk your horse.

It might be a way of owners moving some folks on??

As putting that many horses into together is only going to turn into BIG fight with some poor bu88er with big vets bill!!!!!!
 
Well, there are quite a few horses that are just coming off box rest - we seem to have a jinxed barn! Leg injuries mainly and one who is gradually coming back into work after back stuff.

There is a spare field, but why they aren't going in there I dont know, it might be for the ikkle ponies and the youngsters - or YO own horses.

The person who I would be walking with says that she doesn't want to be mean so wants to give a months notice.
frown.gif
 
If the yard owner is changing the conditions so drasticaly then I would not give them the notice they are asking for. OK they own the land and can do with it what they want, but you do not have to put up with it, vote with your wallet.
 
Please please be very careful my horse is just ending 10 weeks on box rest after being kicked in field by just 1 new horse (although it was a known troublemaker) mine ended up with a broken leg and I have a huge vets bill now.

As others have said act on your own instincts or put yours out a couple of days later once they have all sorted out their pecking order, it's not worth the risk!
 
I would say brave it and turn out if the field was larger and your's didn't have to wear a muzzle. My mare has been the second smallest in a mixed group of up to 15 for ten years and has always been near the bottom of the pecking order, yet she has never been injured and we have only had one major injury during ten years.
My mare also wears a muzzle during the summer however the fields they use are more than large enough to keep fighting to a minimum.
We introduce horses over the stable doors, hack out together then turn the new horse out, introducing others to the field over a day, some chasing usually goes on for the first week or so but they soon settle down.
 
Unless a chat with YO to come to a compromise can be reached...I would leave.
Not worth risking your horse just to fit in with others.
Got disaster written all over it imo.
 
QR.

Ok, stand back and think this through. Your first priority is your horses health and welfare, riding comes second to that. If this field isnt suitable for your horse then dont use it.

tbh given the number of people who have fatties and need a starvation paddock Im surprised your landowner hasnt made provision for this. can you not turn out for a couple of hours until the grass is grazed down a bit and then slowly up the amount of grazing time?

If thats not possible you need to find another yard I think.
 
I could. It's frustrating as he is usually out 24/7 by the end of Feb, not April - so he is already unhappy, and I think that it is making him stiff as he is fine in summer, but definitely different when he is in.

If he was kept stabled he would go out at about 8 or 9 then in at about 2 or 3, or its out 24/7. They wont bring him in earlier, but they would leave him out later.

I have found another yard, but I cannot move for weeks and they go out tomorrow (we only found out turn out plans THIS week!)
 
Is it the new yard thats holding you up or do you feel you need to stay and give a month at the place you are at now.

tbh if its the latter I would leave this weekend and get it over with. You have no contract so just pay up till then and go.
 
If you don't want to turn out, do what you are considering and vote with your feet. I can understand your reasons from a "fatty" point of view, but to reassure you slightly on the large herd thing, I actually think you often get less injuries in bigger herds.

Certainly that has been my experience. At an old yard where I was, they had upto 20 geldings in one field much smaller than 15 acres and there was never any major trouble and as it was a large livery yard, horses came and went virtually weekly!!!

Have had far more problems with small established groups having new horses introduced, as they always seem a bit more bonded and protective of each other and a far more rigid pecking order.

If you do decide to turn out, please do not muzzle your horse for at least a week till things have settled down. Its very unfair to turn out in a new group with a muzzle on and potentially very dangerous.
 
Throwing them all out together isn't the way to go about it. If for example two of the starvers were put out first and then a bigger horse introduced and then two starvers and then a couple of bigger horses, I'm sure the situation would be far more mannageable and results a lot different to just throwing them out together. I know this doesn't resolve the grass issue but it does help the safety issue and given the size of the field you'll probably find the horses form their own herds within this large space and rarely interact.

are you not allowed to lecy fence off a bit for the fatties?

if all else fails vote with your feet.
 
Ask any vet and they will tell you that the most common equine injury is caused by horses kicking each other. Don't risk it - one kick and your horse could be in serious trouble as will be your pocket. A properly run yard should provide individual turn out or turn out for just a few horses that get on together.
 
Update:

He went out last night - not all of them have been put out at once, and they have decided to put the horses that are still comig in at night into another field.
There is a starver field it appears, but he was just put out with the others, so he will get put in there tonight onwards. But still walking
 
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