12 yo TB mare, always inclined to fence-walking (e.g. for the first couple of days when moved somewhere new, or if friend taken away). Was generally grazed at shared facilities with multiple groups of horses within site (usually).
Now I have them at home - initially just her and my other mare. She was okay except for when I was riding the other mare. Fence walked a bit in the paddocks she could see least from.
But now I have three extra ponies here - grazed in a separate group, and (if at all possible) not even sharing a fence line with my two. All fences are hotwired along the top, thankfully, as she gets absolutely obsessed and will start barging at fences trying to get to these other horses.
I guess it’s just the spring rains making the ground softer, but she’s destroyed several areas in two different paddocks - and is currently trashing another bit in a third paddock. As in several inches of topsoil churned up and all evidence of grass destroyed. She seems to have these “attacks” of neediness where all of a sudden she HAS to try to get to the ponies - often if they move out of site or they are moved to a new paddock. I always fence off the gateways else the two mares churn it up, but she just walks up and down the tape that’s fencing the gateway off and makes a churned up bit there instead.
I don’t (yet) have stables to bring her in to. I do have some grass yards, which hold the ponies okay, but I’m not sure they’d hold her if she got really wound up - and she would turn the footing into a mud slurry in no time flat anyway.
Any suggestions? She’s a bit of a fruitloop (anxious) personality-wise, but mostly a good girl. Is this just what I’m stuck with until I can toss her into a secure stall until she chills out?
I have a mare who does this and I’ve just accepted that the fencelines in certain places are going to be torn up. She only walks if she’s alone, which thankfully doesn’t happen very often…only when she decides she doesn’t want to be caught (hello, dummy–you have to be caught to go inside with your friends!!) I do think that the Smart Calm Ultra helps her a little bit…perhaps try a comprehensive calming supplement for your girl?
One place I boarded at had a horse like that. He would be turned out with another horse but would pace and leave a groove along the lower fenceline. He was anxious under saddle too.
He was put on injectible fluephanizine (spelling?) for a few months. He was eventually turned out with my horse shortly after that. I think the combination of the two helped to break his anxiety cycle. He has never paced his fenceline after that.
I don’t know what long term tranq’s you have available in NZ. Obviously if you are showing that might be an issue.
I would also just keep in in one pasture and let her trash that one rather than keep moving her and kill all of them.
She is, quite clearly, telling you that she needs companionship and is unhappy. Horses are social animals and they do need the company of another to thrive. Fence-walking is a stereotypy that is usually triggered by isolation: ergo, fix the isolation and you fix the problem.
I had a client mare in that did this and drove me insane
It was mindless pacing all day long, no matter if it was hot or cold, beautiful or rainy. It started anywhere from 10:00 onwards and never let up one teeny bit.
I put a friend in with her. Made “0” difference. I put her in the lush, knee high grass paddock - she snatched maybe 2 mouthfuls of grass in 2-3 hours and I finally pulled her out of there before she totally destroyed that paddock.
I switched paddocks. She got worse. She was only ever truly happy in her stall and she didn’t care if she was totally alone all day long, she was happy and quiet, didn’t pace or yell. Just quietly ate
Her owner and I conversed daily on her (her owner had never met her yet. She bought her sight unseen and sent her to me), I sent video’s of her behavior so she could see what I was dealing with on a daily basis. I threw logs and tires down in her “pacing path” and it slowed her down the first few days but then she just “arc’d” out into the paddock and dug a new trough 10-15 feet in from the fence line instead. The previous owner said she never exhibited this behavior with her at all. At her new home, she is pacing as badly as she did here, so who knows what the truth is …
One suggestion offered was this - apparently its been used with success with neurotic horses:
OK - I have a good friend that is a vet and acupuncturist and another friend who runs a his own big place in the States - both suggested a staple in a pressure point under her forelock. XXXX has tried it twice - both for abnormal mare behavior with foals. Once it was immediate fix, other just so-so. I found the following from a vet study manual for equine acupuncture…
Da-feng-men (#1)
Great Wind Gate
Main point (GV-24) is on the dorsal midline at
the rostral end of the forelock. The two auxiliary
points are 1 cun ventrolateral to the main point.
Wind pattern, encephalitis, tetanus, shen
disturbance, hyperactive behavior (sedate
by pointing needle toward tail, can also
implant a gold bead or suture material)
So - might well be worth a try. The mare left before I needed to get to this stage - might be worth a shot for you
[QUOTE=TrueColours;7860863]
I had a client mare in that did this and drove me insane
It was mindless pacing all day long, no matter if it was hot or cold, beautiful or rainy. It started anywhere from 10:00 onwards and never let up one teeny bit.
I put a friend in with her. Made “0” difference. I put her in the lush, knee high grass paddock - she snatched maybe 2 mouthfuls of grass in 2-3 hours and I finally pulled her out of there before she totally destroyed that paddock.
I switched paddocks. She got worse. She was only ever truly happy in her stall and she didn’t care if she was totally alone all day long, she was happy and quiet, didn’t pace or yell. Just quietly ate
Her owner and I conversed daily on her (her owner had never met her yet. She bought her sight unseen and sent her to me), I sent video’s of her behavior so she could see what I was dealing with on a daily basis. I threw logs and tires down in her “pacing path” and it slowed her down the first few days but then she just “arc’d” out into the paddock and dug a new trough 10-15 feet in from the fence line instead. The previous owner said she never exhibited this behavior with her at all. At her new home, she is pacing as badly as she did here, so who knows what the truth is …
One suggestion offered was this - apparently its been used with success with neurotic horses:
OK - I have a good friend that is a vet and acupuncturist and another friend who runs a his own big place in the States - both suggested a staple in a pressure point under her forelock. XXXX has tried it twice - both for abnormal mare behavior with foals. Once it was immediate fix, other just so-so. I found the following from a vet study manual for equine acupuncture…
Da-feng-men (#1)
Great Wind Gate
Main point (GV-24) is on the dorsal midline at
the rostral end of the forelock. The two auxiliary
points are 1 cun ventrolateral to the main point.
Wind pattern, encephalitis, tetanus, shen
disturbance, hyperactive behavior (sedate
by pointing needle toward tail, can also
implant a gold bead or suture material)
So - might well be worth a try. The mare left before I needed to get to this stage - might be worth a shot for you
Good luck![/QUOTE]
Stereotypy behaviors are similar to compulsive behaviors in humans. In most fence/box-walking cases, you have to give them a few days to settle, not just throw them in a completely different environment and scratch your head when their issues aren’t demystified. The more changes and things you add into the equation, the more likely you are to encourage the compulsive-coping behavior.
When I was a BM at an eventing facility the box-walkers were paired with a buddy, or two – and the behaviors usually receded after a week.
Neighbor boards horses and one mare walked constantly. She put down tires which like with the other poster, just caused the mare to walk outside of the tires. She finally settled and gained weight when she got her very own mini.
Agree - find out if this horse needs a companion or if she prefers stall time. There are some that only want a few hours outside and are happier in their stalls.
[QUOTE=beowulf;7860661]
She is, quite clearly, telling you that she needs companionship and is unhappy. Horses are social animals and they do need the company of another to thrive. Fence-walking is a stereotypy that is usually triggered by isolation: ergo, fix the isolation and you fix the problem.[/QUOTE]
[QUOTE=Simkie;7860509]
Give her her own pony?[/QUOTE]
Just to be clear, she does have (and has always had) at least one paddockmate :). They get on well. She just really wants to see those other horses over there that she can’t seem to get to :rolleyes:.
I haven’t tried a calming supplement but I will, good idea. I suppose they are more effective if given before she gets stressed?
[QUOTE=SonnysMom;7860635]One place I boarded at had a horse like that. He would be turned out with another horse but would pace and leave a groove along the lower fenceline. He was anxious under saddle too.
He was put on injectible fluephanizine (spelling?) for a few months. He was eventually turned out with my horse shortly after that. I think the combination of the two helped to break his anxiety cycle. He has never paced his fenceline after that.
I don’t know what long term tranq’s you have available in NZ. Obviously if you are showing that might be an issue.
I would also just keep in in one pasture and let her trash that one rather than keep moving her and kill all of them.[/QUOTE]
Yes, she has made ‘roads’ before! Not so bad when it’s dry but disastrous now that it’s wet.
I can’t keep her in just one paddock - they live out 24/7, and are rotated through the paddocks as they eat the grass. If I kept her in one paddock it would turn into a mudbath/dust bowl with no food.
I might ask the vet about traqs next time I see him. It’s normally not such a problem, just a combination of smaller paddocks, having them at home, wet spring etc.
[QUOTE=TrueColours;7860863]I switched paddocks. She got worse. She was only ever truly happy in her stall and she didn’t care if she was totally alone all day long, she was happy and quiet, didn’t pace or yell. Just quietly ate
Her owner and I conversed daily on her (her owner had never met her yet. She bought her sight unseen and sent her to me), I sent video’s of her behavior so she could see what I was dealing with on a daily basis. I threw logs and tires down in her “pacing path” and it slowed her down the first few days but then she just “arc’d” out into the paddock and dug a new trough 10-15 feet in from the fence line instead. The previous owner said she never exhibited this behavior with her at all. At her new home, she is pacing as badly as she did here, so who knows what the truth is …
One suggestion offered was this - apparently its been used with success with neurotic horses:
OK - I have a good friend that is a vet and acupuncturist and another friend who runs a his own big place in the States - both suggested a staple in a pressure point under her forelock. XXXX has tried it twice - both for abnormal mare behavior with foals. Once it was immediate fix, other just so-so. I found the following from a vet study manual for equine acupuncture…
Da-feng-men (#1)
Great Wind Gate
Main point (GV-24) is on the dorsal midline at
the rostral end of the forelock. The two auxiliary
points are 1 cun ventrolateral to the main point.
Wind pattern, encephalitis, tetanus, shen
disturbance, hyperactive behavior (sedate
by pointing needle toward tail, can also
implant a gold bead or suture material)
So - might well be worth a try. The mare left before I needed to get to this stage - might be worth a shot for you
Good luck![/QUOTE]
Oh wow! A staple? Not sure if we have an equine acupuncturist in the region but something to consider if I get desperate :).
She hasn’t been stalled for a long time (since I got her 8 years ago - she was some of the time when she was racing before that), but it would be interesting to see whether she was peaceful in there or just as stressed.
Stereotypy behaviors are similar to compulsive behaviors in humans. In most fence/box-walking cases, you have to give them a few days to settle, not just throw them in a completely different environment and scratch your head when their issues aren’t demystified. The more changes and things you add into the equation, the more likely you are to encourage the compulsive-coping behavior.
When I was a BM at an eventing facility the box-walkers were paired with a buddy, or two – and the behaviors usually receded after a week.
Well - unfortunately in this case, 3 months later there was no improvement and now 2 months later at her owners home, it is still exactly the same. The herd mates are all together at the other end of the paddock eating and she is mindlessly pacing back and forth at the fence line. She had “0” interest in buddying up with my mare at my place and “0” interest in her new herd mates. She cares exactly “0” that she is all by herself. She is happy pacing, in her own little world …
She would be happiest if she was in her stall 24/7. That’s the only time I ever saw her truly happy and settled
I have a fence walker, so last spring when I had to do an assignment for my graduate level Behaviour and Welfare course on a stereotypy guess which one I did? Please go read it as basic Fence Walking 101, then come back.
I think your horse is telling you she needs more companionship and she wants it with those ponies. Is there a reason they can’t all be together?
My mare will walk the fence of a 42 acre pasture if she’s not satisfied with her companion. Luckily, I have friends that are more than willing to let me borrow buddy horses. She’ll walk the fence of the corral regardless of companionship, luckily she’s only in there at night in the winter and when the grass is too sugary to be out 24/7. I’ve just had to come to terms with the fact that I’m going to have to put new gravel in her ruts periodically and keep shoes on her so she doesn’t wear her feet off.
[QUOTE=SuckerForHorses;7863030]
As anxious as this horse is, is she on an ulcer preventative? Have you tried ulcer meds at all?[/QUOTE]
I have a fence walker…he also doesn t want a friend…he will kick,the eye s out of any horse in his space. Tranq does help break,the cycle and dark also will cause some let up.
He wants to be in his stall, ridden daily and left alone. Smart athletic and talented. No mean or neurotic to ride. He was scoped for ulcers and has the healthiest stomache you can ever wish for. He also will eat ever scrape of bedding if his hay suply is exhausted and is not obese . Blood and fecals are negotive for problems.
So he gets 30 minutes out with flake of hay, ridden groomed and his stall.
