Stress Head Fence Walking

[MosMum]

I got Blue end of January, he'd been turned out for a year and we started keeping him in at night, out on nice days. Now he's in at night and out most of the day, but after a few hours he starts fence walking, then jogging, getting himself into a right sweat. We're trying to get condition on him (and weight) so this isn't helping. But equally I can't keep him in all day because he has lymphangitis and the more he's out, the less his leg swells. He has company, haylage (not that he needs it, the grass is fine) and water, and is given hard feed twice a day. Is there anything I can do to stop him being such a stress head? He's not stressy in any other way and is an angel out hacking etc.

Thanks

 

[YasandCrystal]

Hi mine does the same and I have put him on RelaxMe which has a very good reputation and seems to just be starting to kick in with him after around 7 days now (I didn't give the loading dose as I figured he had been on a magnesium based calmer anyway before).

Mine has company, a gym ball, adlib hay/haylage, 3 feeds a day and is still a stress head. Hoping for great things from RelaxMe.
Good Luck!

 

[apritina10]

My TB mare acted the same when I had her at college with me, always fence walking for hours and hours rain or shine (not unusal she also boxs walks alot and will never stand still). When one of the other mare's was put on box rest for a month she stopped fence walking, move her in to a field with a pair bond as she was alot better! still walks around loads but thats just her.
Have you thought that shes being bullied in the field?

 

[Holly Hocks]

I used to have this problem with my mare (also called Blue)!!. I used to turn her out with my gelding and she just stressed, ran up and down and tried to kick him. One day I turned her out with the mares and since then she has been more or less fine. I would turn her out for a short period of time and I always made sure she was brought in first, so that she couldn't use it as an excuse to fence walk, and now she is fine, although I always ask that she isn't left out til last.
Is yours in a mixed herd, or just with other geldings? If he's with a mixed herd, it might be that he doesn't want to be with mares and just wants to be with geldings. Does he fence walk from the moment you put him out or just as the day goes on? If it's something that starts later in the day, try to bring him in before it starts and then slowly extend the period of time that he is out.
Could it be that he is hungry? I know we've not got much grass at the moment, so they're all ready at tea-time to come into their haylage....good luck!!