Chambon
Well-Known Member
I had the vet coming early this morning for jabs and I also had the new filly in as I only picked her up yesterday (and she's pretty wild and needs a bit of handling!), so I had a few in last night, and this morning as I mucked out I let each horse loose in the yard while I did their stable, so each got their turn to be loose in the yard for five minutes.
I hadn't intended it to be so fascinating, I just thought that rather than tie them up, I would let them mooch about as it's safe and enclosed and they might introduce themselves to the new filly. So what did they all do?
The first one walked down the line of boxes and headed straight to horse she didn't like and has never got on with and proceeded to antagonise her over her stable door. It turned into a bit of an argument between the two of them and I was worried that I should break them up to prevent injury, but within a couple of minutes the argument was sorted and they proceeded to groom each other over the door - result
The second one ambled slowly about looking for food, she washed up the dirty feed buckets by the tap, and then practically got down on her knees to reach under the yard gate to chomp a stray stinging nettle and then decided she would be better off in her box as there was food in there! She completely ignored the other horses.
The third one had been strumping about her box impatiently whilst I mucked the first two out, well as soon as I let her out she proceeded to trot madly up and down the yard, almost falling over. She is just such a show off! She didn't relax the whole time she was loose in the yard (she hates being in anyway, she much prefers to be out in the field).
The fourth one went down the line and proceeded to try and groom each horse, she finally stopped at a horse that actually responded and groomed her back.
And finally, it was the filly's turn. Well she just proceeded to taste anything and everything
Liked the walls, licked the yard, tried to bite a brick wall, scooped up a mouthful of gravel and spat it out, and then went up to each horse in turn and mouthed hello to them - it was very endearing.
Each horse that was let loose did something entirely different, there was no behaviour pattern at all. It was the first time I had let them loose in the yard and it was certainly fun to watch.
I hadn't intended it to be so fascinating, I just thought that rather than tie them up, I would let them mooch about as it's safe and enclosed and they might introduce themselves to the new filly. So what did they all do?
The first one walked down the line of boxes and headed straight to horse she didn't like and has never got on with and proceeded to antagonise her over her stable door. It turned into a bit of an argument between the two of them and I was worried that I should break them up to prevent injury, but within a couple of minutes the argument was sorted and they proceeded to groom each other over the door - result
The second one ambled slowly about looking for food, she washed up the dirty feed buckets by the tap, and then practically got down on her knees to reach under the yard gate to chomp a stray stinging nettle and then decided she would be better off in her box as there was food in there! She completely ignored the other horses.
The third one had been strumping about her box impatiently whilst I mucked the first two out, well as soon as I let her out she proceeded to trot madly up and down the yard, almost falling over. She is just such a show off! She didn't relax the whole time she was loose in the yard (she hates being in anyway, she much prefers to be out in the field).
The fourth one went down the line and proceeded to try and groom each horse, she finally stopped at a horse that actually responded and groomed her back.
And finally, it was the filly's turn. Well she just proceeded to taste anything and everything
Each horse that was let loose did something entirely different, there was no behaviour pattern at all. It was the first time I had let them loose in the yard and it was certainly fun to watch.
