One day i will understand horses.

[blitznbobs]

I have 2 3 year old mares - both excessively well bred, both hot as hell and both normally lovely people. I needed to bring them both in for a bit this lunch time as i needed to fix a fence in the field which i really didnt need their expert assistance with - i also needed to do a couple of bits and bobs with them (like apply fly spray etc etc) anyhow - since they have moved to the new yard they really havent settled well in their stables (new American barn style) and generally live out 24 /7 so today when i brought them in together. The first refused to go in her stable and just as i was cursing myself for being clever and bringing them together, the other one basically said, i will go in her stable - so i let her. I then put the other girl in the other stable (so they were in each others stables) and they both were chilled straight away… it seems they preferred each others houses… i never knew horses were that picky! But i guess it’s probably a permanent swap now!

 

[poiuytrewq]

weirdo’s! On the plus they did choose each others and not both want the same, or someone else’s all together.
Like toddlers!

 

[Pearlsacarolsinger]

Our 2 are living out, so when we moved them onto the summer grazing we took their identical bucket feeds (a few soaked Agrobs Wiesencobs with added oily herbs, aloe vera juice and salt) into the field. They both decided that they were too full of fresh grass to finish their meals, so swapped buckets and lucked them clean!

 

[MereChristmas]

Oh No You Won’t

 

[Caol Ila]

Weirdo, wary-of-human-stuff ex-feral thinks sticking his head into a wheelie bin full of hay in front of his stable is perferable to eating the loose pile of hay in his stable.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Oh I am so with you!

I just had to pick my two up from a friend’s yard. She’d generously offered to have them while I sorted our sycamore issue. It is an absolutely gorgeous yard, with beautiful fields, big airy stables, peaceful surroundings, happy horses and a family who are just the nicest, warmest people.

Mine are such easy mares, I thought they’d fit right in. They’ve been on full livery before, they’ve been at home, they’ve been at the vet, they’ve been apart and together. I have never had any issues from either of them.

And they were absolute hell from the moment they arrived until the moment I loaded them, red-faced and with apologies, two weeks later.

They fence walked, yelled their heads off, galloped around, wouldn’t settle, wouldn’t lead without prancing, got annoyed with each other, didn’t want to be caught or handled, destroyed their fly rugs, broke a fence and loaded like feral mustangs. I was so embarrassed!

Then they strolled off the lorry at home - not five miles away! - mooched about the yard like donkeys, chilled in their stables, groomed each other, groomed me, followed me around like puppies, and laid down and dozed… like nothing was ever wrong!

I have a developing concept around producing hamsters for dressage.

 

[SEL]

weirdo’s! On the plus they did choose each others and not both want the same, or someone else’s all together.
Like toddlers!

I embarrassingly had to swap stables with an established livery when I was a newbie and the Appy took a very active dislike to her stable. It was getting to the stage where I'd get her in it and she whip round and demolish me before I could even think about shutting the door.

One day after I'd lost her she took herself into the other horses open stable and happily stood there eating his hay. So the other livery - who was one of those lovely pragmatic types - just told me to swap with her.

Never did find out what she didn't like!

 

[ycbm]

But i guess it’s probably a permanent swap now!

I wouldn't bet on it. They might always prefer each other's houses, grass being greener and all that ....

 

[Auslander]

The more time \i spend with horses, the more I come to realise that I will never understand them.
Resident cob has taken to limboing under the fence to join my 2 really dominant mares, who are truly horrible to her - leaving behind the other cob, who doesn't give her any hassle at all

 

[blitznbobs]

I wouldn't bet on it. They might always prefer each other's houses, grass being greener and all that ....

Its very arbitrary, which is which, tbh so they can choose which they want. I even have some bigger pens that they can share if they have to spend more time inside at any point.