LHIS
Well-Known Member
My gelding has always been on private home yards, where the horses weren't on a strict routine as such and fitted in around the requirements of their owners (though were all on a similar time zone to one another if you know what I mean).
In spring of this year I moved my gelding onto a livery yard, and he's coped ok (though I am not fully convinced he is 'settled', but is happy enough). At the end of May we went to 24/7 TO for those who wanted it, most of the horses (a herd of 9) came in at night, with 3/4 staying out overnight. My lad is one who generally stays out, though I play it by ear and will bring him in if I think he needs a night to get a proper rest.
With some of the horses coming in in the late afternoon it seems to have caused some bad behaviour from my gelding, in that as soon as 1 is taken in, he decides he wants to come in too, and will pace he gate and look for weak posts - last week he reportedly broke out because he wasn't brought in with the others (in this incident he was one of two left out).
The YM has been bringing him in when the some of the others come in to stop him doing himself at the fencing damage. However, you can put him back out again within minutes and he goes back to grazing without incident. This is what I am struggling to understand.
He doesn't get a hard feed so doesn't have an incentive as such, he always has ad lib hay on the go but he can take it or leave it, and there is enough grass.
His protests at the gate have become such that YM now brings him in every day for me in the afternoon with those that come in, and then I turn him back out in the evening for the night.
The same happens in the morning, one of the horses that lives out 24/7 due to respiratory issues comes in for breakfast in the morning, I will bring him in and as soon as my gelding knows one has been taken out (again he is not alone in the field at this point - he is never left alone as he stresses and this has always been the case) he wants to come in. If he doesn't come in he will pace at the gate and try to climb the gate.
Having thought about it the bringing him in when he asks must be reinforcing this behaviour - but whilst I am not there in the afternoon to use it as a learning exercise (off the top of my head I'd get a lunging whip and flick it toward him as a warning every time he approached the gate - having had success with this method in the past with him whilst teaching him to settle in his stable) - and YM doesn't have the time to do this in my absence - I am at a loss of how to rectify this.
Our time on this yard is coming to an end as I'll be keeping him at home, but I do not want this demanding behaviour continuing and plan on going back to a less timed routine (as mentioned above he lived like this for years before without issue so I don't foresee an issue) and would like him and my other to live out as much as possible when I'm not working them.
It is worth mentioning he is not a saint, he's cheeky and constantly pushes and checks the boundaries, is quite babyish and can be naughty when in the mood.
Does anyone have any experience of this and ideas on how to address it? He is a quick learner which is both a good and a bad thing.
Prosecco and nibbles for anyone who read all of that!
In spring of this year I moved my gelding onto a livery yard, and he's coped ok (though I am not fully convinced he is 'settled', but is happy enough). At the end of May we went to 24/7 TO for those who wanted it, most of the horses (a herd of 9) came in at night, with 3/4 staying out overnight. My lad is one who generally stays out, though I play it by ear and will bring him in if I think he needs a night to get a proper rest.
With some of the horses coming in in the late afternoon it seems to have caused some bad behaviour from my gelding, in that as soon as 1 is taken in, he decides he wants to come in too, and will pace he gate and look for weak posts - last week he reportedly broke out because he wasn't brought in with the others (in this incident he was one of two left out).
The YM has been bringing him in when the some of the others come in to stop him doing himself at the fencing damage. However, you can put him back out again within minutes and he goes back to grazing without incident. This is what I am struggling to understand.
He doesn't get a hard feed so doesn't have an incentive as such, he always has ad lib hay on the go but he can take it or leave it, and there is enough grass.
His protests at the gate have become such that YM now brings him in every day for me in the afternoon with those that come in, and then I turn him back out in the evening for the night.
The same happens in the morning, one of the horses that lives out 24/7 due to respiratory issues comes in for breakfast in the morning, I will bring him in and as soon as my gelding knows one has been taken out (again he is not alone in the field at this point - he is never left alone as he stresses and this has always been the case) he wants to come in. If he doesn't come in he will pace at the gate and try to climb the gate.
Having thought about it the bringing him in when he asks must be reinforcing this behaviour - but whilst I am not there in the afternoon to use it as a learning exercise (off the top of my head I'd get a lunging whip and flick it toward him as a warning every time he approached the gate - having had success with this method in the past with him whilst teaching him to settle in his stable) - and YM doesn't have the time to do this in my absence - I am at a loss of how to rectify this.
Our time on this yard is coming to an end as I'll be keeping him at home, but I do not want this demanding behaviour continuing and plan on going back to a less timed routine (as mentioned above he lived like this for years before without issue so I don't foresee an issue) and would like him and my other to live out as much as possible when I'm not working them.
It is worth mentioning he is not a saint, he's cheeky and constantly pushes and checks the boundaries, is quite babyish and can be naughty when in the mood.
Does anyone have any experience of this and ideas on how to address it? He is a quick learner which is both a good and a bad thing.
Prosecco and nibbles for anyone who read all of that!
