Wagtail
Horse servant
I would shut him in the shelter over night rather than tying him up.
Thinking of using hobbles. what do I need to know?
- Thread starter MDB
- Start date
I would shut him in the shelter over night rather than tying him up.
MDB
Well-Known Member
The neighbours mares are dark bay and grey. He was a total bully to the grey. Our new mare is grey. But he lived with two grey geldings in his previous home... Of course I have no idea who was top of the pecking order in that situation.
MDB
Well-Known Member
We have an open shelter at the minute but I will look into getting it closed off tomorrow.
Jericho
Well-Known Member
totally off the wall thought but what about putting a fly mask on him so as to just try and blur his vision (as I am sure they must) and make him think twice before attempting a barrier demolition.
On a dffernet note I would def go for building a bond with your new mare. We found that when we introduced our new gelding to my very gentle submissive mare he hated her but as she was his only companion he suddenly realised he didnt like it when she wasnt there and he loves going out on hacks with her. If you get the chance to do this it might work.
It might not solve the immediate fence barging/jumping problem but might help longer term . For now I think I would go for the putting him in a field shelter option for now but with your mare very close by/ in eye sight at all times until you get a higher more solid fence up.
On a dffernet note I would def go for building a bond with your new mare. We found that when we introduced our new gelding to my very gentle submissive mare he hated her but as she was his only companion he suddenly realised he didnt like it when she wasnt there and he loves going out on hacks with her. If you get the chance to do this it might work.
It might not solve the immediate fence barging/jumping problem but might help longer term . For now I think I would go for the putting him in a field shelter option for now but with your mare very close by/ in eye sight at all times until you get a higher more solid fence up.
Sugar_and_Spice
Well-Known Member
If you're going to tie him up, you could tie him like a stalled horse with a length of rope passed through the tie ring and reaching the floor. The end is put through a wooden donut that's larger than the tie ring and the rope tied in a knot under the donut. It will allow him to lie down without getting tangled in a long rope when he is stood up.
ridefast
Well-Known Member
Try to find a bay companion? Or see if your neighbour is happy to swap fields, so your grey in with her grey and her bay in with your gelding? Unless that would not be practical for neighbour?
_HP_
Well-Known Member
As he is going through it, is the fence tensioned enough. My pony will quickly flip it over his back or lean on it and scramble quickly over if it's not tensioned so that there is very little movement of it.
Have you actually seen him try to jump it or do you just find him where he shouldn't be? Could it be wild animals like deer wrecking the fencing?
I only use one strand at chest height for my cob and Shetlands (different fields obviously ) and they will only try it on if the pulse is low or weak or if the tension is slack...
Have you actually seen him try to jump it or do you just find him where he shouldn't be? Could it be wild animals like deer wrecking the fencing?
I only use one strand at chest height for my cob and Shetlands (different fields obviously ) and they will only try it on if the pulse is low or weak or if the tension is slack...
MotherOfChickens
MotherDucker
this has been suggested by PM if the OP received it? other behaviourists may accept good video footage to help as well.
lastchancer
Well-Known Member
If he's been tethered a lot previously and knows how to work his tether without trying to get free I think I'd just tether him overnight, he'd probably prefer that to been shut in a stable. A padded neck strap would be better for tethering than the head collar btw. Like the others have said you would need to keep him separate to the mare though. I wouldn't risk hobbles on a big 6yo that wasn't used to them, and I wouldn't leave one hobbled unsupervised anyway - disaster waiting to happen.
MDB
Well-Known Member
Ah thank you both.... They don't seem to be in Galicia, but I will give them a call and they may know someone who is
MDB
Well-Known Member
Well I have five strands of hot wire starting a foot of the ground and going up to two metres. It is definitely him jumping it because I saw him do it before, he tries to jump but ends up ploughing through it and leaves the fence strewn along the paddock in his wake. I think I could tension it a bit more, so I will do that, but my neighbours two fences are tensioned super tight and he still jumps through them.
Fools Motto
Well-Known Member
What is hot wire - is that battery or mains?
Wagtail
Horse servant
He's a nice looking horse, OP. Perfect weight but it does look like he may have a slight crest. I wouldn't be surprised, as others have suggested, if he's a rig. Good luck with him. It must be a terrible worry.
MDB
Well-Known Member
Thanks for that.. I will look into a padded neck collar. He is quite calm being tethered, it's something that is done frequently to horses here in Spain. The first five metres of rope are inside a lightweight hosepipe so that there is no risk of him getting tangled and he can roll around in the dirt and manage comfortably. Of course, any form of restraint is not ideal long term.....it's not good quality of life for him to be restrained. If only he could bond with my mare and be happy to be loose in the field... But my concern is that I could restrain him for five days or five weeks and whenever I set him loose he will make a beeline for the neighbours horses again. i guess right now I am unsure if he will ever be happy in our field, and how long to give it.... Because if he is going to be unhappy unless he is with my neighbours horses then perhaps he needs a fresh start and to have a new home.... As much as it pains me to says it... But we bought this property to have a horses on the premises, and my neighbour is happy to be rid of him, especially since he bullies they grey mare... So if vet checks come back ok, if I reinforce my fence even more and he still jumps the fence.. Then sadly I am not sure what my options are.
MDB
Well-Known Member
MDB
Well-Known Member
smellsofhorse
Well-Known Member
Proper wooden fencing?
MDB
Well-Known Member
I have a mix of wooden and synthetic posts (not sure of the material).. used a lot here because it is so wet in winter that wood rots.
My neighbour has enormous wooden posts with highly tensioned electric fencing.
This pic was in August and has four lines of wire. I have added one more so there is five. All wires read 8 - 10,000 volts.
My neighbour has enormous wooden posts with highly tensioned electric fencing.
This pic was in August and has four lines of wire. I have added one more so there is five. All wires read 8 - 10,000 volts.
Tiffany
Well-Known Member
how would your neighbour feel about you sharing fields. So her mares in with your two and then rotate and put yours in with hers.
I don't like the thought of tethering and I certainly wouldn't hobble.
I don't like the thought of tethering and I certainly wouldn't hobble.
MDB
Well-Known Member
It isn't really possible. They are glad to be rid of him because he jumps their fence to escape their field and their mares follow, and they are of course concerned about the safety of their own horses.
bakewell
Well-Known Member
I am sure you will be able to resolve this, whatever the issue is. Your whole posting history points to someone that is conscientious and caring about their horses. With time he will undoubtedly relax more and bond with you and your mare.
Also don't feel too bad about restraint. Horses in spain have been bred for generations to lead this lifestyle when male due to the environmental constraints. It shouldn't be permanent from our human moral perspective but short term it's not going to do him any harm (especially compared to what he's going through on his escapades)
Do try to spend some quality time with him. It's easy when there's a problem horse to dread interracting with them but this is a very small (albeit extremely frustrating) part of his personality. Take some pleasure in all the other things that are good about him.
lastchancer
Well-Known Member
Could it be that he hasn't been gelded long? If he turns out not to be a rig but in fact was cut late he'll most likely calm down over the winter. I had an 11 YO stallion gelded once - it was that or the meat man. He'd lived all his life tethered (not with me..) and it was a year before he could be turned out with a mixed herd. Your boy sounds like he'll be fine on the tether for the time being, good luck with him in any case 
Tiffany
Well-Known Member
I can understand that. If food is what he lives for, what about trying a muzzle? I'm not a great fan of them but if it slows his eating down, it will take him longer to get his tummy full so he might stay in your field.
There's obviously a reason he's doing what he's doing and being a rig might be it?
Interestingly, my girl always jumped out of fields and went back to her stable when she got fed up until my last yard. She's never jumped out here, even when there's been very little grass so I can only think, she preferred the lay out of fields, her field buddy and the routine of yard suited her and she felt stage.
If only they could talk. Good luck with your boy
Apercrumbie
Well-Known Member
Christ that is some serious fencing. As others have said, get the vet out for a blood test and keep looking for alternative grazing in case something pops up. It sounds like he needs cold turkey!
Spring Feather
Well-Known Member
Post and rail fencing at a reasonable height will keep him in. Electric fencing probably won't, no matter how much of it you put out as he knows he can just run through it.
Sandstone1
Well-Known Member
Have to agree with this, sorry. If you continue to tether him like this, someone is going to get hurt.
ester
Not slacking multitasking
having seen it, and as he is going through it, this.
_HP_
Well-Known Member
I have a mix of wooden and synthetic posts (not sure of the material).. used a lot here because it is so wet in winter that wood rots.
My neighbour has enormous wooden posts with highly tensioned electric fencing.
This pic was in August and has four lines of wire. I have added one more so there is five. All wires read 8 - 10,000 volts.
If you can't put up permanent fencing I would put in more fence posts...the more posts the better with electric fencing..
MDB
Well-Known Member
Yep I have come to the conclusion that no amount of electric fencing will keep him in. We are getting costs for post and rail, and will hot wire that too.
MDB
Well-Known Member
If you can't put up permanent fencing I would put in more fence posts...the more posts the better with electric fencing..
Thanks, we are looking into reinforcing the fence, getting costs for post and rail.