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  Discussion on Help please - filly gets cast against fence regularly!
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Member:
lynnie

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 11, 2007 - 3:53 pm:

I have a weanling APHA filly that is stalled at night (12x12) and in a large turnout (roughly 70 x 100) during the day. The fencing in the turnout is wooden posts with non-climb horse fence. Without fail, I have to go rescue this girl anywhere from 1 to 3 times a week because she lays too close and/or rolls into the fence. Luckily, she's pretty good about just sitting there with her legs up in the air, waiting on me to do something about her situation. Does anyone have a suggestion here so that maybe I wouldn't have to continue worrying about when this girl was going to get hung up again??? Thanks.
Member:
bthcks

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 11, 2007 - 7:20 pm:

Is she in the same place? Like a nice sandy place to roll that she cant resist? If so, maybe making it uncomfortable with, say, concrete blocks or large rocks, adding sand to another place away from the fence, and pointing it out to her when you turn her out might be helpful.
Member:
hwood

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 11, 2007 - 7:45 pm:

That is a brilliant idea, Beth. I have heard that it is good to provide sand for rolling and to be sure it is in a safe spot away from walls or fences
. . . but I'm surprised you didn't suggest having a conversation with the filly and telling her that it really is a pain in the neck to have to come out and rescue her 3x a week, that she could die if she gets stuck and no one notices, and it would be better for everyone if she'd just roll in the middle of the pasture. Would be a great experiment to see if the conversation works before any other adjustments.
Member:
bthcks

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 11, 2007 - 11:20 pm:

Holly!! I'm still laughing!! Actually that's Lynn's job - when she shows the filly the new rolling place. Of course, it wont hurt to start talking now if it will take a few days to set things up. It seems to me, in my limited experience of communicating, that young animals are a lot like young human animals. Setting up what to expect and talking ahead work pretty well. But neither one has a lot of experience in using the thinking side of their brains yet. Gotta start tho.
Member:
hwood

Posted on Tuesday, Sep 11, 2007 - 11:45 pm:

Truly, Beth, I really am interested to know if Lynn's filly will listen to her pleas to avoid the fence area.
I'm hoping to find that I can train my horses classroom style. I'm gettin' older, and less strenuous training would be perfect.
Member:
vickiann

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 - 6:25 am:

Horses like to remake the lay of the land in sandy conditions. One of mine used to try to dig to China if he was on one side and the other horses on the other side of fences. We would have to get the tractor out to fill the craters. Are there horses on the other side of where she casts herself? I would suggest putting up some rows of hot wire on some of the longer insulators or bring it out off the fence with some PVC. The idea of concrete blocks would make me worry about injury to legs and feet. But I don't know much about dealing with very young horses.
Member:
mrose

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 - 10:41 am:

Holly, I have long thought that video monitors in each stall with training tapes looping constantly would be the way to train. Why not skip the "middle man" and have the horses learn right from the pro him/her self?

Beth, I am truly convinced that horses stay awake nights trying to think up ways to confound and frustrate us. If you can get this problems resolved, your filly, being a bright young horse, will quickly think up something else.
Member:
hwood

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 - 11:32 am:

Awhhhh! That would be great, Sara. A bit expensive, but maybe if we all chipped in we could rotate and share with the DVD system . . . LOL . . .
subliminal learning horse-style.
Member:
ekaufman

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 - 2:49 pm:

Hi Sara,

I think it would be simpler just to bring them all of our cash (minus gas money). That's what they want, and all our sweat and tears converting the cash into horse trinkets just delays the inevitable. I'm sure that filly wouldn't get cast if her owner just dumped all her available cash and valuables in the soft spot!

I was showing my daughter an old horse catching trick where you crinkle a twenty and they come. We tried with a one and a twenty-- guess which one they came to? Good thing my horses can't (yet) count to a hundred!
Member:
bthcks

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 12, 2007 - 9:51 pm:

This discussion seems to be getting a little off track - and we havent heard from Lynn yet.
Interesting trick with the $20 - if I had one, I'd try it. Spent my last at the feed store!
And you know what they say about young horses - keep them busy, or they'll keep you busy. Or was that children? Applies to both, I guess. Someone seems a little sour about clinicians. Watch them free on RFD-TV. Trained my horses via RFD=TV.
Member:
lynnie

Posted on Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - 11:42 am:

While I would certainly agree with Elizabeth (I have a mare that is happiest & healthiest when I am throwing cash at her, and the filly subject of this post is her daughter) I was looking for a solution to my problem here guys (LOL)! I don't think it matters if I whisper at her, cuss at her, or play DVD's for her all night long, she's still gonna get stuck against that darn fence unless a solution is found :o)
Member:
dove2

Posted on Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - 12:47 pm:

Can you "baby-proof" the paddock and modify the fence to make it more yearling friendly? If the no-climb fencing is getting her stuck, perhaps remove it from that area for awhile.
Member:
ekaufman

Posted on Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - 3:21 pm:

Ok, so I would be inclined to get some pea gravel and spread it very thinly (not to cover the dirt, just to ensure it isn't comfy to lie on) along that length of fence to form a "poky moat" (only dry) about 4-5' wide. I think your best bet is to convince her not to roll near the fence, and no horse I know wants to roll on small rocks.

But see what I mean? Now you have to spend money and spread gravel-- it would be simpler if she'd just take a bribe and change her ways....
Member:
mrose

Posted on Thursday, Sep 13, 2007 - 6:30 pm:

Something we've done in the past is line the fences in the paddocks with snow fencing. This is the plastic mesh type fencing you sometimes see around construction sites and at ski areas to direct traffic flow, or to prevent snow drifting. In snow and construction areas it's usually bright orange, but it comes in green and black also. We attached it to existing fencing with plastic ties so it was good and taut. This kept foals and young horses on the right side of the fence, and from getting stuck part way under. Maybe it would work in your situation?
Member:
dsibley

Posted on Friday, Sep 14, 2007 - 8:03 am:

While you have that conversation with the little gal, my recommendation would be to tell her how very much you WANT her to cast on that fence. Every day, twice on Sundays. Then you will be sure it will never happen again!!

One of my yearling fillies went thru a spell last fall where she wouldn't get up...to the point where she would poo lying down. She wasn't cast...she would always be right in the middle of her pen. Strangest thing...like her legs went to sleep or something. No evidence of any other problems, I would pull her up, she'd wobble around until the circulation got better in her legs, then she'd be perfect. She did that for about a month, worried me to death. Suddenly stopped just AFTER I called the vet and he suggested all sorts of expensive testing. I told her how excited I was that I could spend my money on her and not on the mortgage! She has been fine since.
Member:
qh4me

Posted on Wednesday, Sep 19, 2007 - 10:33 am:

I have 2 yearlings right now that do the same as yours Lynn. They always roll too close to the fence. Not always in the same spot, but always near some part of the fence and it worried me to death that they would get hurt. We just brought in a load of sand and put it in the middle of the paddock, threw in a couple of construction cones to keep them busy and that is now their favourite spot. They now stand, play, roll and sleep in that spot.

Best of luck!
New Member:
rbounds

Posted on Thursday, Jul 10, 2008 - 11:40 pm:

I know this is an old post but ...
If your horse's water and food aren't by the place where she/he is casting themselves, they have plenty of room to move around in pen, and they have an alternative place to roll you can try this.
Go up to the Dollar Store and go to the perfumes. The cheap imitation knock-offs tend to work best. You're not looking for the stinky ones but the strong ones. Pick one that has an over-powering scent. Take it home and spray one squirt of perfume on the outside of the wooden post on either side of where she/he casts themselves. Turn them out and coax them over to that spot, if they snort and shake their head you've found the right perfume. If not you'll have to keep looking for a scent they don't like. When you walk up and you can't smell the perfume anymore spray another squirt (wood will absorb the smell so it should be at least a day or so). Eventually they'll start to associate that section with the smell they don't like and avoid it. Probably anywhere from 2-4 weeks.
My first horse Clyde taught me that one, I was very excited about my first perfume set, he was less than thrilled :|.
Member:
mrose

Posted on Friday, Jul 11, 2008 - 12:14 am:

R Bounds, great idea! I'd bet that trick could be used in other situations, too.
Member:
paardex

Posted on Friday, Jul 11, 2008 - 3:49 am:

That's a perfect idea!
Thanks![we will finally stop smelling of stables though I myself prefer stablescent over a lot of perfumes]
Jos
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