We need a solution!

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chaps89

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This could be long so I do apologise.

My mums mare has been on box rest since September (tore her peroneus tertius) started to come sound on it but went lame in front just over 2 weeks ago.
Vet has come out today and says it's either foot soreness or mild laminitis (apparently symptoms are the same)

Problem we have is my horse is not settling out in the field on his own.
We rent our own yard with 2 stables and 2 fields, a summer one and a winter one (which is more isolated/away from the main farm)
Normally by now we'd have moved onto the winter paddock to save the summer grazing, but we can't as Phoenix just wouldn't settle down there. So our summer grazing is now pretty chewed up where he's got himself into a tizz if we fetch him in too late.

Not a problem, he can come in at 1pm fine, but then he stresses being in and is cribbing again (something he's not done in a long time) despite feed balls, boredom breaker, having the radio on etc

We have enough grazing to take another pony on loan/as a livery, but no stable for it so it would be out 24/7 on it's own for the majority of the time which I'm assuming wouldn't be great. We don't have enough grazing for 2 more, plus we'd rather have a livery/short term loan as not really after a 3rd one! Also, mine can be a bit handy with his heels so it would need to be a nimble, tough little thing.
So that seems to rule out getting a companion.

Any ideas as to what we can do? Mare can't go out for the forseeable future but my boy is stressing/churning up the field and it's no good for him either.
Don't really want to move yards as they don't like being separated plus it's handy- I work on the same site- and I couldn't afford to go elsewhere.

Any ideas?!
 
Get a donkey - horses love donkeys
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and they don't churn up fields very much, and can live out quite happily with thick hairy coats and a good rug. And you might be able to find one from a donkey charity. If you could erect more a lean to rather than a stable it might be suffice as a shelter if you do want it to come "in".

as for your paddocks - you'll have to use the winter paddocks as summer ones and someone do a clever switch to get it all synchronized again...
 
Either get a teeny, weeny companion (or a donkey) and make a temporary stable/shelter next to your current stables, we made one for a teeny pony, we used two sides of current building, added a gate to keep him in and added a little tarp roof, he was really cosy in there, you can then put them out together during the day.

Or .... if you can just leave your your horse out in the yard, so he is next to the stabled horse but can have a walk around, he could have access to the field if he wants to go out on his own.
 
contact your nearest horse and pony shelter and see if they have any little shetlands. I suspect most are, like everyone, short of turnout over winter. Shetlands have mega-thick coats and can live out all the time and also good doers so will only cost you a bit of hay to keep it all winter.
 
Donkeys are super animals but they do pair bond. If you got a single donkey as company for your horse and they bonded you may encounter difficulities when you separate them - the donk may bray and get distressed thus upsetting your horse. Donkeys also need adequate shelter from the rain, although mine happily live out but they do have a mobile stable in their field which they can use as and when they want to.
 
Shetlands are a no no- horse seems to think they're going to eat him. Gawd only knows why but he is a wimp about them!
May look into donkeys but the problem we have is only wanting a short term companion, we can't afford another companion in the long run having 2 we can't really ride as it is now! And not sure if charities would do a short term thing, will ring round the local ones who may be more flexible tho. Also, has been said, we really can only have one more equine about and if they do pair bond that would be a problem.

In terms of letting mine have the yard- he has a sheltered cow pen opposite the stables he can use/goes in until I finish work at 5pm and pop him in his stable but again he just gets miserable. Could possibly hitch a roof over it to make a shelter should we get anotehr but it's not really ideal
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The grazing is out of sight of the yard which is why I think he stresses once he's finished having a mooch and a nibble (not much grass out there)
Winter grazing isn't good enough for using in summer when they're (normally) out 24/7 but can see we're just going to have to be inventive or alternate between the paddocks.

Hmmm, think we'll just keep muddling through and keep an eye on local tack boards see if anyone's after grazing or try charities for the same thing.
 
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