To stable or not to stable

[kayeandGin]

Hi everyone.

I have a 14.2 3 year old cob who wasn't handled and i've had her since April 2025. Her issues are:

Still learning ground manners
Refusal to lift legs (i do get them eventually however progress is very slow)
Struggles with Farrier
Learning to walk safely atm
Doesn't like being stabled
will stress when pony is taken out of field however does eventually calm down.

I also have a 12.2 16 year old pony who is her companion. I've had this one for 8 weeks or so.

Cannot be caught
Doesn't like being stabled and if cannot see cob will try and get out of stable over the door.
Can nap when being lead
Will not stand to be groomed
Will stress when cob is taken out of field

I have 5 acres and still have grass (horses are sectioned off in a paddock to prevent too much grass) and they have access to ad lib hay. They are out 24/7.
They have stables however not ones they can walk in and out of.

My current routine is, morning i do their water, poo pick, do a general check then i go to work, pm i do the same thing except i have a bit more time so i try work on the 3 year old although this is tricky in the field and grooming.

Weekends is when i do their groundwork, grooming etc.

I am thinking of starting to stable them at night and have more of a routine in the morning where i can make out stables, turn them out all day so they get used to stabling, frequent handling, being led and separation. But before I do i just wanted to see what people's thoughts are?

I also feel if they ever need to be stabled for medical reasons, or if god forbid they need to be sold, being able to be stabled will help them. Not sure it will help with the separation anxiety though.

Please be kind

 

[SpeedyPony]

Have they been in for a few hours at a time before? If so, there's no harm trying them in overnight and, if all goes well, having them in at night for a few weeks to get them used to a routine/stabling.
If they're not used to stabling at all, I'd start with an hour or two during the day, when you can be around (perhaps at a distance/out of sight) just to make sure they'll settle and not do anything silly (jump out etc).
I wouldn't recommend stabling them individually yet, nor out of sight of one another (by which I mean have them in stables next to one another, not in the same stable!). You want them to be calm and settled in the stable before you try taking one away.
It might be worth trying the stabling at the weekend first, just in case they are awkward to bring in/turn out- you don't want to be on a tight schedule when trying something new.

 

[ihatework]

Whilst I’m usually of the keep out as much as facilities allow, I’m also of the opinion that having a horse that has all basic handling in place trumps that.
So yes, short term I would put a lot of effort into having them both easily caught/led/legs handled and relaxed in the stable. So would likely have them in overnight until that is solid.

 

[dorsetladette]

I agree with @ihatework but I think I would wait for the ground to be better to work on the leading out work if you don't have a yard or secure area with good footing to work with them in.