Turn out pens; your experiences good and bad please!

mahorse

mahorse

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I'm thinking of getting a turn out pen for my mare who won't settle when turned out. She is a DWB and I've had her a year. 9 weeks after getting her, she went lame (foot concussion, then 3 months after that one she did the same in the other foot), so has had 6 months off, I started riding again mid January, and now all other horses are being turned out and she is still in... I've tried turning her out with an old retired event horse for short periods of time intending to build it up, but she just gallops about bucking etc. Basically she is just wanting to play, she has just turned 7, but I'm really worried she is just going to do the same injury especially as the ground is so hard. We are on clay....

So.... ideas please, are turn out pens a good idea? At least she can get some grass and some fresh air, and attempt to be a horse!!

Also, does anyone know who sells them? I know Claydon do, as they advertise in HH but they are v. exp new, is there anywhere that does them 2nd hand? Thankies!
 
Ive got a round turnout pen and for me at the moment it is a complete boon! I bought it a few years ago to turn my (then foals) out in it when the weather was grotty. Since then it has been out ''on loan'' to someone and is now back home being used for my young warmblood who has a tendon injury. We, like you are on clay land and it goes from very boggy to concrete within a matter of hours. My mare is on controlled exercise and was doing 40 mins walking a day and had been box rested since xmas. Since her latest scan my vet has agreed to let her have some restricted turnout and the round pen has been perfect for this. We can move it fairly easily to ensure she has nice grass, it's big enough for her to mooch about in but is unable to pick up any speed and she can still feel like one of the herd. My mare loves it!! And because it is round she can't skid into any corners of it unlike a small fenced off paddock, it encourages her to keep going round the edge of it.

I bought mine from Hancox stabling a few years ago and compared with Claydon and the likes were extremely reasonable. They usually advertise in H&H!
 
Wow, thanks v. much, its good to know there is some hope!! I'll have a search for them right now! Did it take much time for her to settle down in it?
PS. Good luck with your girls recovery....
 
we 'made' one from the high fencing they have on building sites.
its been brilliant, we have little winter turnout so over the winter its been used nearly all day every day. we have some right nut cases and even they settle as there is no way out!
 
amymay said:
Turn her out - you can't keep her in a stable or turnout pen for the rest of her life.
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I know that, but I don't want her to injure herself again and I don't want to cope with her on box rest for the next 3 months over summer and then have to sedate her when I start to ride her again as that is what I have had to do for several weeks this year as she was dangerous. The reason I want the pen is so she can get used to the turn out gradually not gallop about and put herself back to square one again.;
 
She's been out for the 5th time this morning since being box rested and yes, she is very very settled. I'm pretty sure there would be fireworks however if she was just turned out next to the others as she was previously. I think you're right by introducing your mare back to turnout gradually and are therefore not risking her reinjuring herself. I can't see how any animal unless there's something drastically wrong with them would go from box rest to being turfed out in a field without having a blooming good cart round and possibly undoing all the good work done previously, so i'm totally with you on this one. My mare is usually very sensible when out but i am not prepared to risk her legs for now and my vet agrees. She will get to spend plenty of time out at grass with her mates in good time when her legs are strong enough which looking at her scans isn't too far away, but until that time she will have to just cooperate and enjoy her bit of time in the round pen.
 
As a cheaper option, could you try an electric fence pen?

She might also settle more if you give her a little bit of sedaline, get her grazing in hand and then slip the headcollar half an hour later and see if that tricks her into remaining calm. Another idea is to leave her out 24/7 unless she comes in to be ridden as some of them get quite exhited by the prospect of turn out.

Good luck!
 
She went thru the electric fence last year and we think thats when she did the 2nd joint concussion!

She was turned out all last summer when she went lame the 1st time as we thought that would chill her out and turn her into a grazing horse, then in October when she had just come sound (1 week) something started her off and she went thru the fence.... she also had pads on at the time.... and hey presto another 3 months off.....

I could give her Sedalin I guess but she has had quite a bit of it this year when she was coming back into work and if something starts her off, it has no effect anyway.

Thanks tho BooBoos, nice to hear from you again!
 
amymay said:
Turn her out - you can't keep her in a stable or turnout pen for the rest of her life.
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I know people that keep VERY happy horses in pens about 20m x 40m ALL the time. Small paddocks are very much the norm around this area, as is feeding ad-lib hay year round. If a horse is happy and has space for a buck and a kick then it is feasible, maybe not the ideal but it works for many people and horses.

I use a round pen as an extra turnout pen, it is a boon, I wouldn't be without it now. I got mine at my local farm store, no experience of UK suppliers or costings though, sorry.
 
I can't see how any animal unless there's something drastically wrong with them would go from box rest to being turfed out in a field without having a blooming good cart round and possibly undoing all the good work done previously
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My horse has recently come off box rest. He had a transition period of 2 weeks grazing in the single horse 'sick' paddock. And when pronounced fit enough was turned back out with his friends. Que hooning around like a loon for 5 mins - and then head down to the business of grazing.

So whilst I absolutely agree that horses may need periods of quiet turnout after injury - it doesn't prevent them from having that mad 5 mins when first turned back out with their field mates.

I read the OP as having a horse recovered from injury, and now back in work since January. So no longer convelesing (sp). But the post also came back as the OP being reluctant to turn out because of risk to further injury.

Horses gallop around, play and do stupid things. And if your horse is now fit and well (as nerve wracking as it may be) deserves to be out with at least another horse for company. We can't wrap them in cotton wool......
 
shark1 said:
we 'made' one from the high fencing they have on building sites.
its been brilliant, we have little winter turnout so over the winter its been used nearly all day every day. we have some right nut cases and even they settle as there is no way out!
Click to expand...

Well you must have been lucky so far - I would never use one that have been made from the sort of fencing you describe - even our claydon one is bent at bit from use and these are not at all designed to have a tonne or so of horse rubbing its bum or kicking it. They also have dodgy fittings for the floor. The one I saw in use (for a stallion no less) was on those concret blocks, so raised from the ground - perfect for getting a leg caught and also lots of sharp edges to catch on. If you are going to use one, buy a proper horse one, I had my horse in one for 6 months post injury so have had plenty of practice.
 
When Pickle was turned out after box rest he was given sedalin and put in a pen with electric fencing, initially had someone standing on each side, so when he went nuts people could shout at him and avoid him running straight into the fencing! did this for a week, then turned him out with the main herd, he just didn't settle at all in these first 2 weeks, so I made the decision to turn him out 24/7, being out all the time, mostly unrugged really calmed him right down.
 
Another option might be to turn her out in hoof boots with pads in to prevent concussion. I agree that once they are out they do settle eventually.
 
I'm looking to hire a round pen for a month for my horse following injury, does anyone know of anywhere cheaper to rent one from than the place mentioned above please?
 
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