Pacing the fence line

[sammiea]

Why do horses do it?
My mare seems to be getting worse at it. We only turnout every other day and the other day when it was pouring with rain she was happily grazing yet today it looks like she's been doing it for some time and is dripping in sweat. How on earth can i keep condition on her with her doing this?
She likes being in but only with company and certainly wont turnout on her own.
Help i'm at the end of my tether

 

[bj_cardiff]

I have a mare that does it too, she'll work herself up into a lather and start running into the corners if left unattended.. Its a nightmare especially if she's in rugs as they get soaked! and then she's a total nightmare to lead in (I usually put her in a chifney)! So you have my complete sympathy as its so distressing worrying about her when your not about..

I have several things I do, basically make sure I have a routiene and stick to it 110% religiously! I turn her out everyday, I always make sure she's the first to come in, as if she thinks she's not first it sets her off and I make sure that I'm never late bringing her in. Also if she knows I'm about and she wants to come in I have to bring her in.

Hope you come to an 'arrangement' with your mare!

 

[JessnGeorge]

Hiya

Also have similar turnout issues (posted the other day about it!) There is no rhyme or reason but I decided that I couldn't deal with the anxiety of whether he'd have a good or bad day while I was at work, and have decided to manage it differently and keep him in unless I can be on hand if the weather changes or he gets distressed. I found him after 3 hours soaked, cold and unhappy and like you even if he is well rugged he sweats and loses condition. It was getting ridiculous in that even if he thought he could hear/see my truck he would start.

He prefers being in - the other girls that replied offered me great support in that I was doing what he preferred. I reckon, if you can, find a solution that you both can work with and stick to it and maybe review Spring/Summer

 

[sammiea]

i am considering just leaving her in 24/7 but with a 2mth old baby finding time to exercise her is hard. i know she'll fret the first few days but she'll settle to being in with time however out shes just gtting worse

 

[teddyt]

Weaving, box walking, fence walking, etc are all an expression of movement frustration. Horses are physically and mentally designed to eat little and often, grazing with almost continual movement for approx 18 hours a day. So when stabled, in small paddocks or when there is no grass they get frustrated and walk up and down. They can also do it in anticipation of being brought in and fed. Lots of people think their horse waits at the gate because it wants to come in. In reality the horse waits at the gate because it is conditioned to come in at a similar time each day. It has been trained that it comes in through repetition. If the horse thinks it is being left on its own it will also do it because it is anxious and wants to follow its friends, the fence stops it so the horse goes up and down.

It is basically a sign of conditioning or mental anxiety, you just have to work out the reason.

It could be because you are only turning out every other day. Does she have company and adequate grass in the field? Could she be being bullied?

 

[sammiea]

Bulling certainly isnt the issue, she is boss lol however the grass on otherside of the fence is much better than their paddock but as i'm on a livery yard i can not change it until owner decides to. She has the same company every day whether in or out.

I must say last winter when she was out everyday she was very happy but this is not an option this year due to an pain in the rear livery who wont help out and relied on us doing her horse so agreement was made that we had alternate days. Do you think she'll settle in to alternate days turnout? She has been kept in recently with her turnout friends due to an injury

 

[teddyt]

I think you have answered your own question! More time in and better grass on other side of the fence. When she was out more she was ok. I would speak to the YO about the grass and complain about the other livery. It is their responsibility to do their horse, not yours and your horse is being stressed becauseof it. Thats not on!

 

[sammiea]

hard line to cross there re other livery she is a friend of yard owner there is only the 4 of us on the yard (i have 2 horses) myself & another girl work together and yard owner & her friend work together (well yard owner does everything for her)
Think maybe i need to see how she goes over the next week and then speak to yard owner if grazing hasnt been sorted

 

[mickey]

This is a tricky one isn't it? Does she do it all the time that it is out, or perhaps around the time when she is expecting to come in? With an anxious horse like this I really do think that if you possibly can, the same routine every day would probably be a huge help - And maybe even solve the problem.
Do horses get pulled in from the field before she does? This could be another trigger, especially if she feels she is boss and one of her subordinates is being taken in.
What is the routine for turning out?
Perhaps giving hay when out might help to relax her and if the grass in the other side is an issue then this may help. (Also it is possible that she is hungry now that the grass has died back)?
Is she generally an anxious horse? Box walking, weaving, cribbing etc?
Personally I think that as you said she was fine when she was going out every day, so that is probably the answer though I know this may be unworkable.

 

[partlycloudy]

You have to watch and observe and see why the horse paces some days and doesn't pace on others. Either it is seeing another horse or seling something on certain days.

My horses used to trot the fence line when a pony used to "flirt" with my mare over the fence, my male horse would have none of that, so he trotted back and forth, keeping himself between the pony gelding and my mare. The exercise was good for him. But at that same barn, the BO's mare when turned out would pace like crazy, because she was out front in a pasture away from the other horses. If they have horses in with them, or horses right next to them, it helps prevent pacing (unless they want to get into the other pasture with their friends).
So sit out and watch and see what is attracting your horse to the other side of the fenceline.