Youngsters in fields on thier own?

[bellaboo]

At what age do you leave youngsters on their own for the first time and how do you go about doing it?

At the beginning of the week my other mare was kicked by a horse who should never have been in her field and it has left her with a bone chip and box rest

I also own a 2 year old filly that whenever i rode my other mare, would come in. She has been spending time in the stable by herself whilst i have ridden in the school, she been abit noisy but fine.

Well now my mare is on box rest i am worried about the 2 year old, she shares a field with another two mares and i have asked if we could get her used to being on her own gradually by taking one horse at a time and when she can see other horses in the field. At first i was told this was fine but today have gone down to the yard to find out we have moved fields to where Bella can't see any other horses and when i asked if we could do this gradually i was told ' she is going to have to get used to it'.
Am so worried she is going to go mad as she can't see any other horses and both the horses will be taken out together, how have you got them used to being on their own? I don't think i have many options now

 

[Faithkat]

I wouldn't leave a youngster on its own unless there really is no choice. It's all very well saying "she is going to have to get used to it" but where would they stand if the youngster injures itself going nuts because she's on her own? When one of my (two) yearlings went through a fence and had to go to horsepital and then box rest for 6 weeks (away from my field), I borrowed another yearling from a friend to keep the remaining one company.

 

[bellaboo]

I REALLY don't want her to be on her own but need to work out what to do. The other two liveries, one of them is the owner of the horse who kicked mine aren't being very co-operative towards the filly or my mare, feel i don't really have many options. Am extremely worried about her going mad and hurting herself but the others don't share my worries

 

[zipzap]

Hi bellaboo, Sounds tricky! Not all other owners / horsepeople are sympathetic or cooperative so I feel for you.

Personally, I would never put any horse out on it's own unless it was close proximity elec fenced paddocks where they can see horsey company. I'm a strong believer in following natures way with a view that they are naturally herd animals. All of my horse over the years have gone mental when out on their own so I just wouldn't risk it. I too have had them gallop through wire fences (fortunately plain) & jump gates in their panicking.

In the past, I've gone to extreme measures to provide my own companion when there's been no-one else. Expensive - but necessary at the time. I picked up a welsh d filly for not very much & she was no trouble to do.

Your other option is to find somewhere else for the 2 yr old filly. On another occasion, I moved mine to a place who took retirement liveries when she was a 2 yr old as it seemed pointless (& expensive) to be paying for livery at the same rate of that or a horse in work when I wasn't using any of the facilities. So she went out with the geriatrics for a bit, she was kind and calm and didn't hassle them so the manager of the place was happy and my girl was in good (safe) company 24/7.

Good luck with whatever you decide to do & I hope your mare that got kicked comes right soon x

 

[Leary]

I am the other livery and my mare was responsible for kicking Lizzie, Bellaboo's other mare, which was a complete accident and I am taking responsibility of the vet fees. Just want to clear my name really. The filly will not be left on her own as I am responsible for the other two mares and would never take both of them out together. I have spoken to Bellaboo this morning and she said she didn't actually mean it was me who was being uncooperative, which I am glad about, because I feel guilty about the initial injury, and certainly don't want any harm to come to the filly.

 

[bellaboo]

I'm sorry Liri_lou but Liz's injury could have been avoided if you had taken your mare out of the field through the entrance you should have been using rather than through the mare's field as you did, resulting in my mare being injured. I understand you didn't mean for it to happen but i do not see this as a 'complete accident' as you are well aware of what your mare is like.

I'm grateful that you have accepted liability and that you have been very helpful and understanding to Bella's needs, we have the next two weeks sorted whilst you are looking after the other liveries horse, but again i will be faced with what to do when the other livery gets home, that is why i have been asking for advice on what to do with Bella as i do not want another horse damaged, and on box rest for something that could have been avoided.

 

[CBFan]

I think it's a trick one, made harder if you don't have someone elses help / a co-operative arrangement.

My first thought was to start by bringing the companions in first and imediately going to fetch your filly and gradually extending the amount of time she is out on her own..

Other than that I really don't know... but I do know how you feel as I am in a similar position with my filly at a livery yard... luckily I have a very helpfull friend who brings her in for me if necessary...

 

[Leary]

Hindsight is a wonderful thing. Strange thing is no-one had a problem with me using that entrance until something happened. No-one said you should be using the other entrance. I wasn't even aware there was an entrance there. Also when we first separated the mares a month or two ago, if you remember I had to lead Liri right through your mares field to get to my bit. I even told you she tried to kick out at your filly and your response was that the filly had to learn. So it could have happened before now, its one of those things. My last horse got kicked in the field as you know and I never got to know who did it, and had to pay the bill myself. Any horse at a livery yard turned out with other horses is at risk of being kicked. The only way to avoid this is to pay for individual turn-out. As you said to me on Sunday and again on Monday, horses will be horses.