OTTB Mare pacing in field

[Equine mads]

Hi all, im needing a hand/possible solutions on as to help reduce my mares pacing out in the field, shes currently out during the day (turned out at 6-6:30 then comes in 5-6) she is out with a companion pony who she gets along with and is still in full work aswell. The last couple of days shes been coming in with wet mud right the way up all of her legs from where shes paced a ditch along the fenceline. Any advice welcome

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Does she have access to forage in the field?

 

[Equine mads]

Does she have access to forage in the field?

Shes got 2.5 acres of grazing and still has plenty of grass left, i do also chuck out a haynet after shes ridden so around 3. Forgot to mention she only paces in the evening never before being ridden

 

[Equi]

She’s cold and wants to come in. Listen to her.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Shes got 2.5 acres of grazing and still has plenty of grass left, i do also chuck out a haynet after shes ridden so around 3. Forgot to mention she only paces in the evening never before being ridden

I would give her extra hay and make sure that she has a bit left when you bring her in. There may be plenty of grass but there is nothing in it now, so extra hay is required.

 

[Equine mads]

I would give her extra hay and make sure that she has a bit left when you bring her in. There may be plenty of grass but there is nothing in it now, so extra hay is required.

Thats the thing im not understanding, they will eat half the net between them and there will still be plenty left when i do get them both in.

She’s cold and wants to come in. Listen to her.

Shes currently out in a 250g with a 100g liner and neck, even though shes a ottb shes a very warm blooded and i dont want to over rug her with the pacing issue as she has came in previously white foamy sweaty from where shes got too hot.

 

[PurpleSpots]

Thats the thing im not understanding, they will eat half the net between them and there will still be plenty left when i do get them both in.

Shes currently out in a 250g with a 100g liner and neck, even though shes a ottb shes a very warm blooded and i dont want to over rug her with the pacing issue as she has came in previously white foamy sweaty from where shes got too hot.

Could you add another rug, then check her every hour and see what sort of feedback you get with regards temperature and comfort?

Something is prompting her stress - if it's not hunger it will be something else.

 

[Equine mads]

Could you add another rug, then check her every hour and see what sort of feedback you get with regards temperature and comfort?

Something is prompting her stress - if it's not hunger it will be something else.

Unfortunately im not able to be be there every hour due to my work, i work from 7 till then again 3-5 thats why turn out hours are the way they are.
She is also on a livery yard so am wondering if seeing the other 2 horses she can see from her field is setting her off aswell as it going dark aswell? But then again she does have my other gelding out with her aswell.

 

[Bobthecob15]

She’s telling you she wants to be in, I have a OTTB and he does the same after about 3-4hrs. How long have you had her? She may be used to being stabled much more, particularly in winter? Is she eating the hay?

We get mine in when he starts fence walking, if you leave them it just stresses them out and could lead to injuries, ulcers etc. I would ask the yard if they can get her in for you and just pay the extra if it incurs a charge. Come spring she’ll probably be happier out for longer when the grass has more goodness etc and it’s warmer.

My OTTB would turn himself inside out if he was left out for that long in winter! Even with hay etc. he just prefers to be in his stable with hay x

 

[poiuytrewq]

My two that are out out, the field looks like they have stacks of grass, certainly compared to my field at home but without hay they just walk/stand at the fence line

 

[Equine mads]

She’s telling you she wants to be in, I have a OTTB and he does the same after about 3-4hrs. How long have you had her? She may be used to being stabled much more, particularly in winter? Is she eating the hay?

We get mine in when he starts fence walking, if you leave them it just stresses them out and could lead to injuries, ulcers etc. I would ask the yard if they can get her in for you and just pay the extra if it incurs a charge. Come spring she’ll probably be happier out for longer when the grass has more goodness etc and it’s warmer.

My OTTB would turn himself inside out if he was left out for that long in winter! Even with hay etc. he just prefers to be in his stable with hay x

Ive had her just under 4 months now, shes been turned out 24/7 for the last 2/3 years with her previous owner

 

[Bobthecob15]

Ive had her just under 4 months now, shes been turned out 24/7 for the last 2/3 years with her previous owner

Hmm that’s odd then! Certainly sounds like she’s unhappy about something. I hope you get her more settled soon!

 

[Pearlsasinger]

Are there other horses being brought in before her? Ir could it just be that she thinks that when you have ridden, she should stay in?

 

[Flowerofthefen]

I would just turn her out for a few hours. She is trying to tell you she is unhappy. My exracer was a NH horse so had never been turned out in winter. I've managed over the years to get him happy enough to be out in the morning only.

 

[Equine mads]

Are there other horses being brought in before her? Ir could it just be that she thinks that when you have ridden, she should stay in?

There are 2-4 that come in before her but there is atleast another 2-4 that come in after her. After shes ridden she is happy as larry in the field its apparently about 4/4:30 that she starts pacing which where i am at the moment is when it starts to go dark. She would be the only one in if she were to be left in after being ridden which only makes her box walk/weave unfortunately, i did try that for a week or so until one of the other liverys told me she was cantering around her box which i thought was more dangerous then her pacing the field injury wise

 

[teddy_]

Can’t you bring your gelding in after you’ve ridden so she’s not in alone?

 

[Equine mads]

Can’t you bring your gelding in after you’ve ridden so she’s not in alone?

I could also bring him in but where both of there stables are situated they cant see each other (ive got 1 on each yard)

 

[Peglo]

It sounds like the horses coming in first is setting her off and she wants to come in then too. Is it possible to get yours in when the first ones come in?

 

[Bobthecob15]

It sounds like the horses coming in first is setting her off and she wants to come in then too. Is it possible to get yours in when the first ones come in?

Yes I agree, at our yard all are fairly settled until one comes in then it’s bedlam..they all want in! I’d ask if she can come before the others do? Then she’ll only be waiting a few minutes before she has company?

 

[Caol Ila]

I had a fencewalker.

I recommend taking up heavy drinking. I did.







Oh, if you mean fix the fencewalking....

The only solution I found was moving yards to a place where she didn't do it.

I was on a yards where it was completely out of control, in which case moving was the only viable solution. I was also on yards where she was a little more predictable, so you could sort of control it (not always) if you brought her in at a certain time, though she could be triggered by weather/other horses moving/a butterfly flapping its wings in China, etc. I was at a yard I hated for like 8 years because I could sort of manage it there, and she'd been much worse at the two yards I'd been at beforehand, so I was reluctant to move and go from the frying pan into the fire.

But now and then, for the 20 years I had her, I got lucky and found a place where it didn't happen.

 

[WuzzBred]

She is clearly saying she wants to come in and you aren’t listing

 

[Equine mads]

It sounds like the horses coming in first is setting her off and she wants to come in then too. Is it possible to get yours in when the first ones come in?

Unfortunately im not able to do so with work, from what i believe the first comes in at 4 which is an hour after i leave and an hour before i get there

Yes I agree, at our yard all are fairly settled until one comes in then it’s bedlam..they all want in! I’d ask if she can come before the others do? Then she’ll only be waiting a few minutes before she has company?

Unfortunately the yard im on is total diy with very basic facilities with no extra services as such, dont really want to ask the other liverys if i dont have to as they have there own lives aswell, theyd also have to bring in both not just her so would induce another trip to the field

I had a fencewalker.

I recommend taking up heavy drinking. I did.







Oh, if you mean fix the fencewalking....

The only solution I found was moving yards to a place where she didn't do it.

I was on a yards where it was completely out of control, in which case moving was the only viable solution. I was also on yards where she was a little more predictable, so you could sort of control it (not always) if you brought her in at a certain time, though she could be triggered by weather/other horses moving/a butterfly flapping its wings in China, etc. I was at a yard I hated for like 8 years because I could sort of manage it there, and she'd been much worse at the two yards I'd been at beforehand, so I was reluctant to move and go from the frying pan into the fire.

But now and then, for the 20 years I had her, I got lucky and found a place where it didn't happen.

If i could i would but ive got very limited options with where i am and also the fact that im currently not able to drive, i bike to and from the horses and work and only have 1 other yard close to me which would almost definitely be an even more stressful setting for her as it sits on a public footpath

 

[Equine mads]

She is clearly saying she wants to come in and you aren’t listing

Im fully aware of this but my current options are either try to help her overcome the fence pacing being turned out as she only does it in the evening or have her doing donuts in her box for an hour or so before anyone else comes in that would be in sight from her box.

 

[teddy_]

I could also bring him in but where both of there stables are situated they cant see each other (ive got 1 on each yard)

Well, bother!

As another poster said - it may just be that another yard would suit her better. Sometimes horses don’t like certain places for unbeknown reasons.

But appreciate that’s not always a straightforward undertaking.

 

[spotty_pony2]

I’d give her ad-lib hay at this time of year. The grass won’t have much goodness left in it. Also, some horses don’t like to be out all day in the winter - mine are more than happy to come in after 6 hours at the moment.

 

[ponynutz]

Sounds silly but might be the dark? Or something she can see that looks different/scary in the dark that is fine during daylight hours.

Could you ask previous owner whether this was something she did with them?

Is there a spare stable on either yard so both horses were on the same one?

 

[Bobthecob15]

I think your options given what you’ve said are either to pay someone to get her in earlier or ask one of the liveries to get her in earlier…or move your other horse closer to where she is when stabled?

Or move.

 

[Equine mads]

Sounds silly but might be the dark? Or something she can see that looks different/scary in the dark that is fine during daylight hours.

Could you ask previous owner whether this was something she did with them?

Is there a spare stable on either yard so both horses were on the same one?

I was thinking that the dark may have something to do with it, she hasnt been known to do it in her previous homes but has been known to weave/box walk thats why she was out 24/7. Do you reckon seeing if putting up some form of light may help?
Unfortunately there is no other stables for them both to be closer to each other, if there were they would be.

 

[ponynutz]

I was thinking that the dark may have something to do with it, she hasnt been known to do it in her previous homes but has been known to weave/box walk thats why she was out 24/7. Do you reckon seeing if putting up some form of light may help?
Unfortunately there is no other stables for them both to be closer to each other, if there were they would be.

Weaving definitely makes me think this is a stress response.
Lighting might be good idea to try especially if you're wanting to exhaust all options before moving or rearranging her turnout arrangements.

Did think that might be the case re stabling, apologies for asking the obvious!

 

[Bobthecob15]

I was thinking that the dark may have something to do with it, she hasnt been known to do it in her previous homes but has been known to weave/box walk thats why she was out 24/7. Do you reckon seeing if putting up some form of light may help?
Unfortunately there is no other stables for them both to be closer to each other, if there were they would be.

Id lay money on it being the other horses coming in earlier than her setting her off. Worth a try but I’d be surprised if the lights help x