Pony Refusing To Be Stabled HELP!!!!

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staceyn

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So i had a shetland who was out all day and stabled at night i had no issues what so ever. I have put him out on loan and since the day he got there 2 months ago he has been living out with a herd. The woman kept saying he will not be stabled which i couldnt understand so i went down and tried myself.

Took me a while to get him in the stable and he was snipping round whinning, rearing over the door which is at least 4ft getting very worked up and even with another horse that he could see next to him in the next stable didnt calm him down. Now he was very dangerous and launching himself over the door! to the point of hurting himself.

I found out the loan owner had not even brought him in for a groom since they got him and was not happy!

I said the only way to get him used to the stable is to bring him in everyday and try grooming him inside and within a few weeks he should settle. But i do not trust that they will do this.

Come winter i have a feeling she wont be able to cope and give him back then i am going to have a massive issue trying to get him stabled not only that i do not have the space i have two stables and two horses already and only 2 acres.

I am very concerned as his was a rescue pony and the only reason i even considered letting him go was i thought that they was going to give him a better life and kids riding him. But then had a discussion with the owner of the yard and got told that they always say these things.

Not sure what to do im angry, worried and just wish there was someone who would look after him how he deserves its not fair.

Anyone have any tips ?...not that they will take it onboard anyway :(
 
I want to but there is just no room for him. And i could put him on livery but then il have the same problem unless its just her!, i could put him on grass livery but then i wouldnt want him to be on his own.
ARGHH! why do people just mess about if she went down everyday and handled him she would not have a problem , i didnt.

He is the sweetest most caring horse a ever had and was so easy to look after, i cant understand how she had ruined him
 
I even said i would be happy for him to live out all year with rugs ect . but that means she will have to go down more and groom him. Honestly why beg for a horse then not care for him or even go down once a week.
 
One of my horses has gone like this since being allowed to run as a herd at my parents place... he is almost like he has forgotten how to function as an individual.

It is very frustrating as he was always happiest in his stable before now and was always so calm. Nothing bad has happened to him but it seems to have messed his head up; he could never settle in their stables unless all the other horses were in!

I get him back today funnily enough and I'm just going to have to take it one step at a time to see if I can bring him round again. Needless to say I'm nervous!!

I am hoping routine and lots of handling will bring him right. I'll let you know how he is when he gets here this PM!

I know this isn't an answer but I just thought it might help to know that you're not alone!
 
I want to but there is just no room for him.
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Well you're going to have to find room for him.

You've said that this is a loan, the pony not given away - and so loans do tend to end (for a variety of reasons), and ponies returned..........
 
I dont have a problem taking him back but unless he would share a stable with his old stable pal i would have to find a new home for him. I know its partly my fault for not having space to keep him. I just think i dont want to keep passing him from pillar to post and for this to happen again. I would love to keep him but reality is i just couldnt with the space and just been diagnosed with various illnesses.

:S i just dont know what to do to be honest, my priority is his happiness but i have to be careful because i am ill . EEE horses
 
I have two yearlings at the back of someones house it has 2 stables and just under 2 acres. Both stabled at night all year. Private yard just me there
 
Amymay, I think you are being a little harsh! I know what you are trying to say that until you sell the horse it is your responsibility and if it isn't happy move it back home & I do agree. Equally when you think you've found a good home and then your well mannered, good tempered horse turns into a monster and you weren't there to understand why, it is very difficult. How can you then sell / loan on the horse that has gone nuts?!
I think OP is more looking for ideas to tame the horse again or why it might be so distressed!
 
I have to say that i would also be getting him back. It doesn't sound as if he's being looked after at all if she's only going down once a week!!!! I presume that someone else is checking on him at least daily?

We had a big, strong sec D mare on loan that had been living 'wild' in a small heard situation for 2 yrs prior to us getting her, she was like this in a stable & only settled if everything came in (7 at the time!!). She did improve over the 3 & a half years that we had her as she learned to trust us. Routine was always very important to her & we just organised everything so that it was done the way she liked it :-) A bit of a pain but once you were on her she was a total star & taught my kids loads.

Couldn't your little man live out all year? He shouldn't need a rug, maybe he could have some shelter & hard standing next too your stables?

Good luck.
 
Could you take him back but if you cant find a suitable home for him b4 winter then look at keeping him on the yard whilst the other 2 are stabled ? I dont know if this is possible/safe etc but worth a thought.
 
Amymay, I think you are being a little harsh!
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I don't think I'm being harsh at all.

This pony belongs to the OP. Loans end, regardless of the reason. To suddenly have no room for it is very odd, I'd say.

Also, why would you want your pony on loan to someone who checks it once a week????
 
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Prior to the loan he was on my yard with my yearling eddie, when he went out on loan a bought a yearling to keep eddie company. We had a signed agreement that the loan was for life and i considered her to be very genuine.

The thing is until you put him in the stable at the loan owners yard he is happy. and very settled with the herd. I dont want to drag him back to me then all mine have to live out because she has ruined him then find him another home and this happens again.

My two have just settled nicely and the reason i put him on loan was because shetland and yearling eddie were constantly fighting and did not get on what so ever so bringing him back is not going to help the situation just stress him out and my two out.

I could keep him on the yard but he would have to be on his own in a small paddock night and day which will only make him worse because he doesnt get on with the other horse and he gets loopy if he is on his own.
 
It sounds like separation anxiety to me. Has he formed a particular attachment to one of the other ponies in the field, if so, could they not come in together and share a stable? His new keeper does not really sound that interested in him if he has not been brought in at all.

If you can't take him back, it would be better to find him a more suitable home.
 
I wouldnt have loaned him out if i knew!
i went down with her to the yard daily for 3 weeks prior to loaning him. She made out that he would be looked after.

I dont have room because there is only 2 acres and two stables .for 3 horses that dont get along?. he went on loan cause he wouldnt leave the yearling alone and i thought she would look after him.
 
Ok shoot me down here.....

I too rehomed (properly signed over) a horse until a year later they couldnt keep him so i had him back I have slightly more grazing than you but also an extra horse so probably fairly similar. To solve the problem in a temporary way i got a second hand large garden shed, Lined it with chip board matted it and cut the door in half. My "yard" area is fenced off from the paddock (is yours?) shetland was brought up onto the yard when the others came in (its not a proper concrete yard just an area fenced off and has had chippings put down to avoid mud) Shetland happily mooches round and when the weathers hot or wet/rough he's often to be found lying happily in his shed!
He's perfectly happy in there and i can shut him in it if need be but if you just fed and left hay for your pony til he was happy to be in...could that work?

I hasten to add my pony does not spend long periods shut in a shed- its often his choice as to wether he go's in or pootles round outside instead and i am on the hunt for something bigger or a field shelter so he can livout!
 
I find that he does have a better bond with one of the mares but they said they brought all the horses in for worming and it still didnt make a difference. I think i should try look for a new home for him, but would i ever find a home that will treat him right i just dont want him to be passed about again like this. this wanst my intention if i knew this was going to happen i wouldnt have bothered and just sold him. But again he would prob end up with the meat men and passed about because hes 10yo shetland.

Its such a shame before he went he was such a easy horse my parents even looked after them while i was in hospital with no issues they havent got a clue about horses
 
McNally said:
Ok shoot me down here.....

I too rehomed (properly signed over) a horse until a year later they couldnt keep him so i had him back I have slightly more grazing than you but also an extra horse so probably fairly similar. To solve the problem in a temporary way i got a second hand large garden shed, Lined it with chip board matted it and cut the door in half. My "yard" area is fenced off from the paddock (is yours?) shetland was brought up onto the yard when the others came in (its not a proper concrete yard just an area fenced off and has had chippings put down to avoid mud) Shetland happily mooches round and when the weathers hot or wet/rough he's often to be found lying happily in his shed!
He's perfectly happy in there and i can shut him in it if need be but if you just fed and left hay for your pony til he was happy to be in...could that work?

I hasten to add my pony does not spend long periods shut in a shed- its often his choice as to wether he go's in or pootles round outside instead and i am on the hunt for something bigger or a field shelter so he can livout!
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This could be a option, i have been looking at concreting and having another stable put up but worked out like £2k . This idea could work i will have a look My yard stops after the second stable but i can get the side bit dug out and just put some road planings down it already has a bit down now. What size shed did you get? my stables are 12x12 i think but hes only 9hh ish GREAT idea!
 
love the shed idea !!! if properly done it woud be great and if attached to the yard no need to ever shut him in. Alternatively why not have him back now - you will have a couple of months of summer to get any issues sorted and still have him advertised for loan or possibly sale by end of August !
 
Well i will have a look at the sheds and order one for next week anyway just incase. then at least he can have a stable if he chooses the weather here is terrible not had summer yet! . So if i bring him back there is two options. he will settle and be fine or cause havock for a while if he causes havock would you find him a loan home or just sell him? i just worry about his future cause im sure you all know older shetlands dont often get a second chance
 
if you offer him for loan or sale then you can choose the right person rather than lose out on someone who doesnt want to loan, fall in love with little person then have them taken away (not saying that is what you are doing at all but that is what would put me off loaning that in theory I could lose the horse/pony at any time if owner changed their mind) ! I would get him back asap put some work into getting him right and then hopefully you will be able to keep him but if not you can then rehome whilst still in summer.

Good luck
 
He needs to be in a routine, even if he is just taken in for 5 minutes every day with the other horses, not good if the little guy won't tolerate it. He may need to be stabled at some point for vets, injuries etc. What area are you in?
 
Either way the current loaner isn't up to much, & loaning or selling to someone else while he is like this won't work.
So either bring him home to sort out. Or find a nearby yard or field (with stable access) to keep him at. Then when he is fine to be stabled etc again, either loan or sell. And if you do loan again, maybe check up often so any problems don't get out of hand. And bear in mind even the best loaner can have a change in circumstances & he could come home again.
 
Tormenta I have pm'd you. And I agree I wouldn't want to offer a horse like that but I can bet any money he would come back to me and be fine . Can't get why she has just left him for 2months I go down every few weeks and bring him in and groom and he is fine, yet she says she can never catch him , hes the first one to the gate!
 
I wouldn't care about whether he was living in or out, but if the loaners are only going to see him once a week I would be concerned about his welfare and take him back.

Its not rocket science. f you put a pony on loan, you have to be able to foresee that there is a chance he might have to come back. That's the inescapable fact of loaning.

OP I'm not too sure why you say they have ruined him. Pony has decided he doesn't like being in a stable, so what? It doesn't seem to be a problem which would be too hard to resolve with a bit of knowledge and patience. If you've recently chosen to have two youngsters who are being stabled at the moment, you probably have the time and knowledge to sort it out if he comes back to you.
 
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