Serioulsy need your help

[Kelly1982]

In the mornings when the horses get turned out by my friend, Senza (my new horse) starts getting really excited and rears and bucks in her stable, she wont even touch her breakfast in case she gets left out.

This wouldn't really bother me except she has kicked 2 f*ck off holes (excuse my french but they are massive) in the back of her stable!! The YO has just spent 3 days rebuilding the back of my stable and last night i noticed that she has done it again. I am so worried that i am going to be asked to leave if this continues.

The weird thing is that when 2 of the horses went away to compete at Wales & West and i was turning her out she was a complete saint!! She waited for me to mess around with Ellie first and waited patiently for her turn. She was even eating her breakfast and i couldn't of asked for a better behaved horse. Now the others are back its started all over again but even worse!!!

I rung her old owner last night and she said she had never experienced this with her but i also found out that she has always had weaving bars on any stable that she has been in (she doesn't weave though it was just as a precaution as she had never been stabled before) so do you think this could be contributing to the problem??

I think i am going to nail some MDF to the back of her stable so she cant kick through it and put some foam or something on it but has anyone ever experienced this before or has any ideas??

I am at the end of my teather!!

 

[TheresaW]

Can she not be turned out first, before the others?

 

[AmyMay]

Can you make sure that she is fed early enough so that she isn't eating her breakfast when the others are turned out??

EDT: I always had to make sure that Freddy had his breakfast well in advance of others horses being turned out so that No. 1 he would eat it and No.2 I could get him out at the same time to avoid him stressing.

 

[Parkranger]

we have two boys at our yard that are always turned out first......seems that this would be the best approach.

also, why are people turning out horses before they've all eaten (or did I read that wrong?) x

 

[the watcher]

I have one that gets seriously worried in the mornings, mostly because she is frightened she is going to be left behind on her own I think. I always turn her out first so it is less stressful for her, that way she will eat and stand still for rugs, etc and go out calmly.
Maybe there is just too much going on around your horse, can you change stables to a quieter area of the yard?

 

[Kelly1982]

She starts as soon as my friend turns up as she knows she is going out.

Coz the yard is completly DIY its my friend who also feeds them.

She usually feeds them, then goes and gets changed and then starts turning them out but as soon as she sees my friends car she starts!!!

 

[Stasha22]

My mare is like this too, although not quite so extreme!

I have to turn her out first otherwise she gets extremely stressed. She hardly ever eats her breakfast though so I just give her a very small feed in the mornings.

 

[Parkranger]

Can she be moved to te back of the yard so she can't see your friend arrive?

 

[ihatework]

Could she be turned out first before breakfast and have hers in the field?

 

[Kelly1982]

There are only 4 horses on my yard my 2 and my friends 2 and there are only 6 stables in an 'L' shape.

I have asked my friend to start turning her out first to see if that helps but my friend is under the impression that if you start giving in to her now its gonna make her worse and she needs to learn!!

I have asked her to do it anyway as i dont want to get kicked off the yard but even still she starts as soon as she sees my friends car.

The horses dont get turned out while other horses are eating my friend waits for them to eat first but my mare wont touch her breakfast anyway as she is so scared she will be forgotten about.

 

[AmyMay]

Have you experienced all this first hand yourself in the mornings, or is it just what is being reported to you by your friend?

 

[Kelly1982]

You can see the entrance to the yard from the stables as we only have 6 stables so cant move her anywhere where she is not going to see it.

 

[Sparklet]

Can you not go an see to your horse yourself. I am not sure that your friend sound very sympathetic.

 

[Kelly1982]

I have seen her do it a couple of times but that was when i first got her. When i was turning out last week coz my friend was away she didn't do it

 

[Kelly1982]

No she is not very sympathetic unfortunatly and she thinks that i am pandering to my horses every tantrum which is giving my horse bad manners. This maybe so but i dont wanna get kicked of the yard coz my horse is demolishing everything.

Its really hard to get down there in the mornings as i work up London and to get to the yard alone is an hour round trip!!!

If the worst comes to the worst i might have to but i want to see if i can nip it in the bud before hand and only do that if nothing else works. I will end up a walking zombie otherwise.

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
When i was turning out last week coz my friend was away she didn't do it

[/ QUOTE ]
Precisely!! Did you feed your horse first?? I expect you did.

Kelly, you need to deal with this yourself. Your horse needs to be the first one fed (this definately sounds like a feed anxiety issue not a turn out issue). Once she is settled in to this routine - and I am talking months here not days, she will learn that even if sometimes she's not the first to be fed - she will be fed, and will stop stressing.

Sorry to be blunt - but this is your horse, your problem, and you need to help her.

 

[Judie]

I use to have this problem and I was asked to leave having kicked the back of his stable out twice!!

Not a practicle solution for you, but in an ideal world if your horses could be fed and left for an hour your mare would not make the connection between some one turning up and going out immediately, hopefully she would settle in due course and eat her breakfast during that hour (would take a few days to adjust obviously). Then turn her out with one other at the same time. Is there any way you could for a short period pitch up an hour earlier than your friend, feed them and leave.

Mine grew out of it thankfully but having a chain rather than a door shut helped him.

It's a case of managing the situation and getting some MDF in the meantime!

 

[Kelly1982]

I dont think it is a feed thing as we have also tried not feeding them in the mornings but she still does it.

Or she will start to eat her feed but as soon as my friend goes into do the horses rugs she starts up again.

I know its my horse and its my problem and thats why i have come on here to ask for advice coz i am trying to sort this problem out.

It is extremly difficult for me to get down the yard in the mornings!!! I have to get up at 5am do an hour round trip, then another hour to get to work, another hour to get home and another hour round trip back to the yard and i dont get in again until 9pm. I know this is part of owning horses and i will go down there if all else fails but i just wanted to see if anyone had any other ideas i could try first.

 

[Kelly1982]

I am going to get some MDF at the weekend so she cant kick any more holes.

I could try going up there an hour before for a week or so and see what happens but its not possible to do this continuously so i am worried she may revert back but its worth a try.

 

[vicster]

One of the ponies on our yard goes mad like that so we just deal with him first and then the others go out it just makes things a lot easier as he can be a little monkey at times - very impatient

 

[the watcher]

Are there any other yards in your area that would do supported DIY livery or part livery. Your new horse sounds like she needs understanding and consistant handling to get over some of her anxiety and your current arrangement may not be the best for her, given the hours you work and travel every day. It sounds to me like you don't have much time for her except weekends, so maybe a share arrangement at a slightly more expensive yard(offering more support) might work

 

[JACQSZOO]

My mare used to do this and was far far worse when she was in season. May not cure the problem but have you considered putting her on something like Oestress?

 

[Claireg9]

Mmm getting up at 5 is a bummer, i should know as i do it, but i dont get in at 9pm, so at least i have a rest bite!
I definitely think it would be worth being a sleeping zomby for up to a month though, just to see if you could get her to relax with someone around, so she knows she's not always going out as soon as someone arrives. Again try feeding and leaving her for an hour, or groom her so she doesnt always expect to have her rug slung on and out she goes.
It'll be hard work for you but 1 month is not a life time and you will be able to see the light at the end of the tunnel.
I would also put MDF up and get a massive bit of foam, im talking matress size so she doesnt get any injury's, My horse detatched her suspensory ligaments through repeated kicking in our lorry on the way home from a show, she got stung by a bee and it wasnt the norm for her, and she's had loss of use since she was 9y/o, so these things worry me for injury's sake as much as mind.
It is important to concor this and i think in a month you should have her trusting you. Give it go you have nothing to lose!
Claire x

 

[Sparklet]

To be honest I would stop your friend doing it because it sounds like she is probably making the problem worse.

The YO's partner at our place shouts and tugs at the horses when he turns them out so they are always naughty for him but perfectly well behaved for other staff. Sometimes the way they are handled makes them worse and she does not sound like she wants to do anything to help.

Horses can break their legs kicking stable walls so you do need to act.

 

[_jetset_]

I know some people are suggesting turning her out first, but realistically you should try to overcome this problem rather than just avoid it. After all, there is bound to be a day when you can't get down early and then her kick through the stable again then.

Firstly, I would suggest you get some rubber wall matting. It will cushion her and the wall when she kicks it, therefore reducing the chances of damage to her and the wall. Then I would keep persevering with keeping her in while the others are turned out and just keep talking to her. My mare used to be like this when there were other horses out in the field and she was brought in... but with a lot of patience we finally got her out of the habit and she realised throwing a tantrum was not going to get her put out again!

Keep at it, and I am sure she will soon realise this is her routine and adjust to it... But definitely look into rubber wall mats too...

Rebecca

 

[Kelly1982]

I do have time for my horse i just dont get much time in the morning, i still spend at least 2 hours a night with her, riding her and grooming her and then all day at the weekends. My life revolves around my horse!!!

I have never gone down in the mornings to any of my horses as i have never needed to coz all the yards i was at before have included turn out in the livery and to be honest there are very little people i know that do go down there before work or school.

Like i said if the problem continues then i will have to start going down there in the mornings and take responsibilty for my own horse but i just wanted some advice to see if there was anything i could so before i resoted to this option!!

I have spoken to my friend and she has agreed to turn her out first, we will try that for a couple of weeks and if that doesn't work then i will go down there.

Thanks for your advice everyone

 

[Kelly1982]

Thanks Becki

I already have my boyfriend on the case of the MDF and rubber matting he he

I know your right in the fact that she needs to learn that throwing a strop isn't going to get her her own way but we have tried ignoring it, telling her off, being nice to her and the problem is just getting worse.

 

[_jetset_]

I know you feel as though the problem is getting worse and I suspect you feel worse because of the damage to the stable which is one of the main issues as you are on a DIY.

I tried the telling off thing with Hannah but it seemed to make her worse so every time she settled down she got a treat. Just an extra strong mint or a polo... she soon just wanted to be with me munching on mints rather than spinning round. I know you shouldn't use food, but as it was working I just though, 'What the hell, she's chilling out!'

If you had rubber matting up you could let her have a paddy and then once she settles, then turn her out and praise her for settling. Please feel free to PM if you want any more advice, as like I said in my previous post, my mare used to be like this. Only instead of kicking the stable she would canter round and round and nearly fall over! There was no way you could go in there with her as she would just trample you!

Take care,

Rebecca

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
I know your right in the fact that she needs to learn that throwing a strop isn't going to get her her own way but we have tried ignoring it, telling her off, being nice to her and the problem is just getting worse .

[/ QUOTE ]

It will, because horses aren't logical, and don't think like us...............

 

[siennamum]

I absolutely agree Amymay.
Kelly , your mare isn't being naughty and will not learn that panicking will not resolve a situation where she's afraid, she will either get worse or the anxiety will come out in another way.
If your mare needs to go out - turn her out!
I would have her out 24/7 if possible, bring her in, feed her, turn her out. If she needs to go out 1st, turn her out first.
She will not settle in a new environment, when her fear/anxiety is being ignored or punished. You need to take away the reason for the fear then start to accostom her to the new routines.
Difficult one I know, it would be nice to not have to work & to have more hours in the day, but its situations like this which result in horses hurting themselves. The key will be to get her calm & relaxed, then you can start adjusting her behaviour.