Turnout trouble...please help..

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caramel

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My horse has taken a real dislike to being turned out in the day. For the past couple of days he has hovered around the gate the entire time (4 hours max).
He's in a field with 9 other geldings, and another field will be opened to them soon.
Now here's the problem.
He's a very quiet horse anyway. Always stays out of trouble, hasn't paired up with anyone and over the last couple of days has made little attempt to socialise with the other horses in his field (he's taken shine to a 12h pony in the next field instead!)
I'm worried he's not drinking. He came in today and drank a whole bucket in one go. Did this yesterday aswell.
He also comes in rather hungry.. he has a haynet and a feed. I've cut his turnout cause he's not making any attempt to wonder over to the grass (he stands knee deep in mud).
He loves his stable and would happily stay in all day every day. He's eating, drinking, and is his normal happy self when stabled.

I've spoken to staff about him and they are aware of it. Also going to take him over to water when I put him out tomorrow morning.
I'm not aware of any bullying towards him. He's a quiet horse who keeps himself to himself.
I think it may be a confidence issue but I hate leaving him as he's by the gate the whole time :( Is there anything I can try? He really isn't keen on going out, every morning he stands at the start of the track to the field and completely freezes :(
 
Could you turn him out on his own or with the the pony he's taken a liking to? He might just prefer his own company or a smaller herd, might help bring his confidence out? Is he rugged? Could it be that he's getting too cold?
 
how often is he ridden?

If its every day then why not leave him in? My mare hates being turned out with a passion, she roars around non stop for hours :mad: She is not turned out during the winter unless its a sunny warmish day, but, she is ridden every day and has plenty of excercise. This is what she likes and is happier doing. Lots of people on here I know don't agree with not turning out but my mare was going to really hurt herself if I carried on turning out so I decided to try it.....she loves it :D
 
What breed is he? Some horses just don't like going out in the cold. The grass is probably pretty useless at this time of year if the field is overcrowded. He probably just wants to be warm, dry and fed. But if he's only getting one haynet a day and spending 4 hours not eating or drinking, he needs more. Though I'm assuming he gets more than that?
 
If the 12hh pony is at the same yard can you not turn yours out with the pony? Have you had him long and has he been at this yard a while? If so, has he always been like this or has something recently changed? Do they get fed hay out in the field? There could be numerous reasons he is acting like this. If there is no or little grass outside and they do not get hay put out then he may well just be bored and know damn well that in his stable there is going to be feed.

If you have recently purchased him - do you know about his history and what his routine was?
 
milesjess: He can't be left on his own. He fence walks (badly) which then turns into trotting/cantering up and down. He's in a heavyweight turnout with a fleece on underneath. Other pony is riding school so he isn't out all the time.

tricksy: He's coming back into work after the 5 weeks he had off due to the weather, so he's ridden every other day, or lunged. He enjoys his work :D He likes to go out to have a roll, after which he's had enough. He was grazing with the others, but now just doesn't seem interested anymore.
When the weather was bad he was walked inhand twice daily 30 mins each. His legs fill if he's in for too long.
 
Ours are like this because they're hungry etc. As you've said, you haven't seen any signs of bullying so I would just keep an eye on him for now.
 
Wagtail said:
What breed is he? Some horses just don't like going out in the cold. The grass is probably pretty useless at this time of year if the field is overcrowded. He probably just wants to be warm, dry and fed. But if he's only getting one haynet a day and spending 4 hours not eating or drinking, he needs more. Though I'm assuming he gets more than that?
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He's a TB. He gets a haynet and breakfast, then a haynet and feed when he comes in, followed by 2 haynets and dinner. He has two huge water buckets (both full)
 
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I would be very tempted to try leaving him in and on the days you can't ride take him out for in hand grazing for 20-30 mins in the evening/morning (which ever one works best for you) Nothing worse than having an uphappy horse :(
 
ladyt25 said:
If the 12hh pony is at the same yard can you not turn yours out with the pony? Have you had him long and has he been at this yard a while? If so, has he always been like this or has something recently changed? Do they get fed hay out in the field? There could be numerous reasons he is acting like this. If there is no or little grass outside and they do not get hay put out then he may well just be bored and know damn well that in his stable there is going to be feed.

If you have recently purchased him - do you know about his history and what his routine was?
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I'd love to turn him out with Fonzi but I can't rely on him to be out all the time with him and Handy cannot be left on his own. He paces like a thing possessed. He trashed a field through pacing at the last yard we were at.
I've had him nearly 7 months now, and at this yard for 3 months. He's started like this in the last week or so, but only in the last couple of days he's stopped drinking and looking miserable.
He is in a large field but the grass is poor. Don't know why YO doesn't put hay out, but I suspect because there are a few dominant bully types who will cause arguments.
I bought him in June '10. I know nothing about his old routine and very little history (apart from the racing side).
I turn him out and he just stands there. Doesn't wander off or anything :(
 
I'd try to throw him out for an hour in the morning while his stable is mucked out etc & other jobs done, then pop him out again for 30mins or so in the afternoon too if you can.

I had one like this who only wanted to live with our shettie, but otherwise was happy in his stable. He got thrown out next to shettie while I mucked out much of one side of the yard, then came in for the rest of the day till late afternoon, when I popped a NZ over his stable rugs & lobbed him out for 20 mins leg stretch again. This was in addition to his ridden work too.
He thrived on it from November till early March each year he was with me :)
 
caramel said:
He's a TB. He gets a haynet and breakfast, then a haynet and feed when he comes in, followed by 2 haynets and dinner. He has two huge water buckets (both full)
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I almost asked is he thoroughbred! My boy is the same in the winter. He leaves the others and just stands at the gate or fence walks even when he has haylage. In the summer he's fine. I make him stay out 3 hours in the all weather turnout with water and haylage. All the horses at my yard go out in a rota in the winter 3 hours each. If I didn't have the all weather, he would stay in. I can't stand to see horses standing in muddy fields ever since my first TB broke his leg in deep mud.
 
Sounds like a plan. Only flaw is that YO says all horses have to be in by 1pm (no later.. she's pretty strict like that). Could do that when I muck out, then walk him/lunge/ride in the evening?
 
caramel said:
I'd love to turn him out with Fonzi but I can't rely on him to be out all the time with him and Handy cannot be left on his own. He paces like a thing possessed. He trashed a field through pacing at the last yard we were at.
I've had him nearly 7 months now, and at this yard for 3 months. He's started like this in the last week or so, but only in the last couple of days he's stopped drinking and looking miserable.
He is in a large field but the grass is poor. Don't know why YO doesn't put hay out, but I suspect because there are a few dominant bully types who will cause arguments.
I bought him in June '10. I know nothing about his old routine and very little history (apart from the racing side).
I turn him out and he just stands there. Doesn't wander off or anything :(
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Sounds as though he is just a bit lost and cold, if he was in a racing yard before you had him then he will be very used to being kept in the stable. Perhaps try only turning out two or three days a week rather than every day, as long as you can give him enough work.
 
So the little pony's on his own too? Shame you can't get another horse from your horses current field and put 3 of them together so, if the pony did get taken out there'd still be some company for him.

I do wonder if it's a food issue. We have 3 our 24/7 and two that come in at night. When we turn out they are given a fair bit of hay out in the field (more when the weather was really bad) although they are on 12 acres but in the bad weather they don't tend to move far from the stable area. I think if they only got fed in the stables though they'd all probably just hang about waiting to come in. My sister's horse likes to be out and normally wanders off before the hay's finished. However, if we are there he will hang about by the gate looking every hopefull because basically he's greedy! lol

Your being an ex racer I would imagine he would have been used to being out a fair bit other than when training but even then he would still have been turned out a fair bit. Maybe he has seen the other side and decided actually staying lazing in a stable with food on tap is great!!!! I would put it down to lack of food more than anything else. if his legs tend to fill up i would be hesitant about having him in a stable longer than is necessary really.
 
Just a though - is there always someone about on the yard that he can see? I wonder what happens when or if there's no people about? I think if they have to come in by 1pm anyway i would be inclined to leave things as they are unless you really think he's suffering/dropping weight etc

How many did you say were out with him? have you thought of maybe just chucking some carrots out everyso often - we sometimes do that with ours (it's like feeding animals at a zoo! lol) we just throw some carrots about, gives them something to search for when there's no grass. You'd have to check it's ok with the other people who own the horses though but it does sound like he's a little bored and knows which side his bread's buttered!!!
 
little pony's out with 2 other little ones. There are no spare fields to move into (they are being rested.)
I've noticed he gets stiff when stabled for long periods. He enjoys rolling in the mud, always comes in caked in it!
He does love his food. 3 feeds and ad-lib hay.
I'm going to try a few of your suggestions. Keep an eye on him and see what works really. Maybe once the other field's opened up for them to go into he'll pick up.

He's on a rather busy yard (riding school/livery) so there are plenty of things to see, horses moving about, he can watch people ride from his field :D There are always people about.
I do the carrot thing in his stable :D He rather enjoys it, but again I'm worried it'll cause arguments. There are some playful/dominate horses who may take it too far.
 
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Try not turning him out every day, make him WANT to go out. Ours all stood at the gate when turned out, then they were kept in for a few days as the fields were waterlogged. Today was first day out and they were keen as mustard.
 
tricksy said:
how often is he ridden?

If its every day then why not leave him in? My mare hates being turned out with a passion, she roars around non stop for hours :mad: She is not turned out during the winter unless its a sunny warmish day, but, she is ridden every day and has plenty of excercise. This is what she likes and is happier doing. Lots of people on here I know don't agree with not turning out but my mare was going to really hurt herself if I carried on turning out so I decided to try it.....she loves it :D
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Snap.......

I have resorted to keeping my mare in during winter. I ride everyday or lead her out in hand for a much along the edge of the field. If i try turning her out...she is a menace to society and just squeels and hoons around bucking and rearing non stop or just pushes through the fence until she is brought in, and as soon as she comes through the field entrance she goes back to being super chilled, she just hates being out and having done a tendon in the past its not worth the risk to her. I tried turning her out last week and she was such a prat galloping up and down the fence and crashing into it that she slid and either strained her tendon mildly or knocked it and was lame for a few days...so thats it...she is back in again and happy as larry. So to be honest....if they are really miserable (and i dont care what anyone says...some horses do not want to be out, end of) leave your horse in, as long as they have a leg stretch each day (ridden, lead out in hand, walker, lunge etc) and they are happy....then go with what works best for your horse. or experiment with single turn out, try a differnt field buddy etc.
Good luck! Summer is on its way :D
 
I've shortened his turnout so he's only out for 2 hours max, then he comes in. Spends rest of afternoon in stable, then when I come back he's ridden/lunged and walked in hand. He's more than happy with that arrangement :D Back in stable for the night.
 
Tinypony said:
It does seem that he gets plenty to eat when he's in, and not a lot when he's out...
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If he's just finished a haynet when he goes out, he has no incentive to move away from the gate to look for food.
And if he knows that there is very little to eat in the field anyway, an intelligent horse will just wait to be brought back in to his next meal.
 
If you need him to go out for his health, to stop him stiffening up, then I guess you need to solve this. If you don't then as he's not bothered and you're not bothered he might as well be in more. Maybe things will be different in the summer (and if you give him a bit less to eat when he's in then as well).
I have rehabbed a horse that couldn't stand to be turned out, but he was different, he used to stand by the gate up to his knees in mud shaking.
 
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