Stressed horse, any suggestions?

[miss_p]

Hi everyone, I've been reading H&H for ages and thought I'd join the forum! I was wondering if anyone has any ideas to help me!
I have a 14h cob whos 22yrs old now and moved to a new yard in the summer as the road near my old yard was too dangerous to hack out on. However since moving him its been nothing but grief. He was in a field with 1 other horse who he really didn't get along with and pulled a tendon in his back leg and is off work for about 5 months! The vet thinks he was chased so now I'm worried about what to do when he can go out with the the other horse again. He's meant to be on box rest but as he is a bad weaver he's allowed out in a small paddock. But he really hasn't settled down and we've been there since August. I'm thinking about moving him again but am worried that its going to be too stressful for him. He can't go in a field with any other horses at my yard as everyone has said they don't have room in their fields to fit him in and he hates being out on his own. Has anyone got any advice on what I could do? Is moving him again a good idea? Thank you xxx

 

[henryhorn]

Can you put him in a smaller fenced pen inside the field the other horse is in? If they learn to get used to each other they may not fight next time.
Horses can settle to new places , many of our retired ones are that age when they arrive, and it takes around three months for them to really accept their new friends and surroundings.
I don't think moving him again at the moment would be ideal, I would try the above, at least you can move an electric fence to fresh ground and he will eventually get used to the other horse. Are there no others you could try in the same situation to see who he likes? (tell them their horse is safe as he will be penned).

 

[Daisychain]

I think he is obviously missing company, could you not put some electric fencing between him and another horse in your paddock? You may have to move him if you cant find company for him, its sad at his age if he has to be on his own!

 

[lilpinkso]

[ QUOTE ]
He's meant to be on box rest but as he is a bad weaver he's allowed out in a small paddock.

He can't go in a field with any other horses at my yard as everyone has said they don't have room in their fields to fit him in and he hates being out on his own.

[/ QUOTE ]

So hang on a minute, where will he be turned out when he is no longer on box rest? will he ever have company at this yard?

MOVE yards in my opinion! if he travels fine, i think you're better off getting moved somewhere where they are happy to accomodate your needs!

 

[miss_p]

I put him in an electric fenced pen within his field with the other horse, but the other horse has no respect for electric fence even when it on and ran through it, which meant my boy got out and ended up almost back to square 1! There are only 7 other horses at my yard, 2 horses per paddock, and I've asked some of the others if they'd mind my boy having a small section in their field but I didn't get very good responses. Its so hard trying to do whats best for him now he's older and I feel I'm being restricted to what I can do. If I was to move again I'd probably wait till next Spring/Summer time. Am I doing the right thing?

 

[lilpinkso]

Have you got many options of yards in your area?

 

[miss_p]

Yeah there are quite a few yards near me. My friend who used to keep her horse at my old yard has moved to a yard nearby so that would probably be my first option. There are about 20 horses there and they are all turned out together over lots of fields so he wouldn't be lonely! I'm just worried that I'll be upsetting him all over again....sorry I probably sound neurotic!

 

[lilpinkso]

That sounds like a dream yard

If you intend to move him i'd get it done sooner rather than later, it's nice you are concerned about upsetting him but if he starts to settle at all where he is, it would only be worse upheaval for him when you move.. does that make sense?
The important question is whether the turnout problem will resolve where you are.. or you face having only solitary turnout

maybe go and see this other YO and explain your horses situation with regards to box rest and needing small turnout for time being etc... see if they can accomodate

 

[miss_p]

Yes that does make sense, thank you for your help. He is going for a scan on his leg the 1st week of December so hopefully he'll be on the road to recovery! For now I think I'll try and do the best I can for him and go and speak to this other YO and see what they can do. I think I've learnt an important lesson and that is to look around when moving yards. I only looked at a few and the one I moved to isn't all its cracked up to be! And hopefully we'll be at this other yard for quite some time so I don't have move again. I just hope he likes it!