In -v- Out UPDATE

[Cheryl Walmsley]

Hiya guys, still not getting along particularly well with Sherb at the mo. Having sat down and thought about it I can place the beginning of the end, so to speak, with about the time he came in for the winter. Now, he still gets turned out most days from morning until night and when he's in his stable he doesn't act like he's not comfortable, he's just generally much less easy to do during the winter. When I first met him he was getting about the same amount of turn out as he has at the moment and he was a pain, this was just over a year ago. Then through the summer he was easy peasy apart from a few blips and now I feel like we have leapt back to square one.

Could general behaviour like this be to do with being in the stable? When he's in he doesn't panic or box walk but he's just not as nice or responsive. He's away with the fairies a bit and very jumpy.

Could it be that he would just be better out 24/7 all year round?

The thing is that even if I decide he would be better I'm a little bit stuck because his companion is older and I don't think her owner will want her turning out all the time so we might have to move if I want to do that.

What does everyone think?

[lolamae]

If he'll settle without his companion, turn him out. If he is happier out than in he may not care whether he has a companion or not. There isn't another horse he an go out with?

Tell him that he can't have it both ways, either out alone, or in with his buddy.....your choice matey! (If only it was that easy!)

[Cheryl Walmsley]

there aren't any others he can go out with. I'm just not sure he would be ok out on his own. What if he tries to jump the fence or does himself an injury.

[lolamae]

You appear to have a dilemma. You know him best of all of course, if the companion can't go out, then short of finding him another one, for safety's sake he may just have to put up with being in.

Have you tried him out by himself at all? Maybe work up to him being home alone in small doses? An hour at a time when you are around to supervise?

You could also try turning him out when he's a bit hungry....give him his hay in the field, by the time he's eaten that perhaps he'll be OK?

Is there something in his stable that may be upsetting him? have you been in there when it's dark and all quiet for the night? Rattling roof, branches scratching the roof, mice/rats/bats whatever? Maybe a bigger stable if there is one available?

Good Luck.

[Cheryl Walmsley]

yes thanks for that, I'll just try it when I'm there and see what happens. x

[specialsparkle3]

Horses that are in at night in the Winter, are always a little more boisterous than those out 24/7. For a start if they are happy in their box, as yours obviously is, they are much more rested during the night, as they lie down and sleep more soundly than they ever could if they are out at night. They are therefor ready for a good play and a gallop the next morning, so may seem a little more " jumpy " as you put it, when they first go out, or if they are ridden without a spell in the field first.
If he seems settled in his stable, leave him in at night,------------------I believe it is very unfair to suddenly turf them out at night at this time of the year when they have been used to a nice warm bed.

[Cheryl Walmsley]

well yes, I would tend to agree, but I'm not talking about ready for a play, I'm talking about ran up the lane last week bucking then rearing for about 15 strides and me falling off. this week can't get on him at all, biting, shoving, rearing when I try to put him back in the stable. I don't mind playful but sherb can be dangerous sometimes and I was just wondering whether it is a possibility that he would be happier out all the time.

[specialsparkle3]

Whoops, oh dear, naughty boy! Are you trying to ride him straight from the stable, or turning him out first to have a "fling" in the field before you ride?

[Cheryl Walmsley]

well, i've kinda tried both, if I let him out in the field and then try to bring him in whilst it's still light he objects, in a variety of ways, sometimes he just turns his back on me, so I get hatty and walk away, that could result in either him trotting up behind us and following us to the gate relatively calmly or sometimes he just canters round us in circles to see if he can put me off. I have tried to ride him straight from the stable but that is rarely ever worth it!! it's hard to say when he'll be good, he's just distracted most of theh time. Like today, he was so calm being tacked up, he definitely knew he had been missing out because since I fell off we've been riding hatty and not him, he wanted to go out for some fun I know he did, but he just would not stand still to be mounted and by the time we'd finished he was so worked up that I couldn't even put him back!! it was awful because I know he wanted to be ridden out but somehow we just couldn't communicate effectively enough to execute a mounting!! the reason I'm thinking of turnout is because these problems were extremely minor in the summer and now they are unbearable! arrgh!

[specialsparkle3]

Gosh he IS trying you out , isn't he. I really don't think it would be a good idea to leave him out at night on his own, for safety's sake, unless you really think he will be ok ( well rugged)

Would it be possible to lunge him for half an hour before you get on?

[Cheryl Walmsley]

yes, I used to longrein everytime I rode, actually, that was in the winter, so maybe I just have to do that every winter with him? he definitely needs something. this week I though I would just let him think about what he'd done so I groomed him and scratched his itchy bits but then rode hatty and it seems as though it's just deepened his insecurities and damaged the bond even further. maybe I just have to revert back to winter mode and longrein and take my time with him. thanks for that, it's just given me another perspective on the situation!

[marianne]

My lot are out all the time unless weather conditions mean I bring them in. They don't LIKE being in - and I make darned sure they get at least a couple hours turnout to kick heels before I think about riding the day after ;D

[hkvevans]

Could it not be that you are feeding him in the winter, my mare used to be a fizzy during the winter cos she was on lots of hard feed!? Summer fine, cos she was out 24/7 and not on any mix or anything.

[lizziee]

Do you work him every day? I've found that my boy gets "exuberant" (i.e. a p in the a) unless I do something with him every day, be it free school, ground work, lunging, whatever, and he lives out. He's like a different horse when regularly worked.

[jen1]

i think you have answered your own question, all of mine live out together and have a huge barn to share, i do stable them from time to time either for injuries or just to make sure they will stable, i think the herd keeps them all, in an all round mood one of mine gets really crabby after a few days stabled,