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Discussion on Pacing mare
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Member:
Twhgait
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Posted on Saturday, Sep 30, 2006 - 10:29 am:
I have a 10 year old mare that has exhibited anxiety in the past by pacing one side of a fenceline. She goes back and forth, over and over. The first time I saw her do this was when I had them boarded and they weren't getting enough hay (a long story, but she lost about 100lbs AND was pregnant and her dam DrOpped about 200lbs). I promptly moved them to another facility where they were fed properly and didn't see the behavior again unless it was getting close to feeding time. She's never stall-weaved. They have been home with me for a year now and I haven't seen her pace the fence at all except for the 4th of July holiday when fireworks were going off everywhere). I've recently bought some new grass hay (very fine stuff, I'd say good quality) that she didn't seem to like so much. I try to keep hay in front of them as often as possible. Since the hay switch and decreased pasture time, I'm now seeing my mare pacing again. She'll start as soon as the hay is gone and continue until more hay is put out (or she's turned out on pasture). This could happen for hours, as I work full time. Both she and her mother are very obese and would benefit from DrOpping some pounds, but I also have a yearling that I'm trying to keep nutritionally sound. I don't have a problem doing free choice hay, but again, I'm worried about their weight and all the problems that go with that. Is there anyway to curb this behavior WITHOUT the hay? I should add they are out 24/7 with a run-in. The only thing she's "confined" from is the grass pasture (which happens to be my backyard as we are currently leveling and planting their pasture for next year).
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Member:
Kthorse
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Posted on Saturday, Sep 30, 2006 - 5:21 pm:
Can you get some not so nutritional hay that has less calories that she can nible on without the worry of weight gain. Most horses like to nibble all day. Just a thought.
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Member:
Twhgait
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Posted on Sunday, Oct 1, 2006 - 10:07 am:
Thanks KT! Having had to search for barely "good" quality hay for a year, I know exactly where I can get the "not-so-good" hay! It's scary what people try to pass off as good quality horse hay. But that's a whole other subject....
I did put out some first cutting stuff I had left over the first day I caught her doing this and she wouldn't even touch it.  She's a very picky eater. It usually takes her a good couple weeks to get used to eating different hay.
Because it was the weekend, I was home and able to watch her more closely. Seems like when she's full, she's fine. I threw them out 2/3 of a bale at 7:30am-it was gone by 12pm and she was pacing again by 2pm. I didn't put them out to pasture until 4:30. She paced the entire time.
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Member:
Tuckern
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Posted on Sunday, Oct 1, 2006 - 12:28 pm:
Hi Kim,
I have a pacer too. My mare paces when she's nervous/anxious about something, and when she's bored. I've been able to control it somewhat by putting toys in the pen that she can play with. I also make sure to interact with her in the evenings after work, that seems to help too.
She still paces sometimes, and I've talked to the vet about it, and he said that it hurts us more to watch them, than it actually hurts them. When your mare paces, does she work herself into a sweat?
Nicole
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Member:
Hwood
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Posted on Sunday, Oct 1, 2006 - 12:46 pm:
Toys sound like a good idea, or anything that will break her pattern . . . What kind of fence do you have? I wonder if you hung balloons or Jolly Balls or horsey pacifiers from the fence if that would give her pause? Also, I wonder if varying her feeding times is an option? I had a friend who was a farrier, and he fed all all different times of the day or night . . . Figured it kept the horse's systems flexible and kept them from expecting feed at a particular time each day. Don't know if it that is valid scientifically for the digestive aspect, but he never did have any colic with his horses and they all seemed content.
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Member:
Twhgait
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Posted on Sunday, Oct 1, 2006 - 4:25 pm:
Nicole, so far no sweating, which really surprises me seeing as though she can keep it up for hours if I let her, LOL! It's been cooler temps here though! I was actually kinda hoping she might lose a little weight from all this activity  , but that didn't happen during the 4th either (and yes, she did work herself into a sweat then). I love the toy idea, I wonder if I hang something in the tree for her? Holly, I have a electric rope fence...I hardly ever put it on, but I have plenty of trees to use (and one that has a branch right in her path along the fence, haha!). The varying feeding times might work with her too....I just looked outside and she's pacing again...and we are about 2hrs from supper! Pretty similar to yesterday. I would say she does anticipate her meals......
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Moderator:
DrO
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Posted on Monday, Oct 2, 2006 - 7:41 am:
I agree with the idea that the best fix might be free choice stemmy hay.
DrO
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Member:
Twhgait
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Posted on Monday, Oct 2, 2006 - 3:15 pm:
Thanks DrO, I think the free choice hay will be the trick too! I put out some toys I had yesterday and she pretty much ignored them...in fact, she stepped right OVER them to continue to pace. Sometimes I just don't know about her....
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Member:
Canter
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Posted on Monday, Oct 2, 2006 - 4:18 pm:
Just a thought...what if, (in addition to the stemmy hay), you broke up her "path" of pacing. If she only paces back & forth behind the gate, perhaps a couple of solid jumps (something she can't simply step over) placed strategically against the fenceline would make the pacing more work than it already is...and hopefully not worth the effort.
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Member:
Stina
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Posted on Monday, Oct 2, 2006 - 5:17 pm:
I had a friend who placed heavy duty panels on the ground where her horse paced and that solved the problem. Concern would be that the panel would separate at a weld, but her didn't due to the gauge and construction.
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Member:
Tuckern
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Posted on Monday, Oct 2, 2006 - 10:21 pm:
I tried "blocking" the direct path where my mare paced, and she either just went around it, paced on just one side of it, or found another side of the fence line to pace! Go figure. My mare was not swayed at all.
Kim, I wonder if your mare would be interested in the toys that have food treats in them? I know they make those ring looking things that you can hang up. And there are others that the horse moves or plays with, and treats fall out. Maybe something to get her thinking about the toys. My horses didn't take to the toys either, until they figured out that some of them have food!
Or, here's another thing to try. Get two of those rope hay nets, put one inside the other, put hay in it, and hang that up. With it being doubled, she'll have to work harder to get the hay out, and maybe keep her busy longer.
Nicole
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Member:
Twhgait
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Posted on Tuesday, Oct 3, 2006 - 8:30 pm:
Hi everyone! The line that she paces is from corner to corner, about 75 ft long. I don't think blocking her path will stop her; that girl is on a mission! Nicole, I'm thinking my mare would do the exact same thing! During the 4th of July, she paced the other side of the fence, now she's pacing the side that's next to the backyard...I really think she's just trying to tell me how very hungry she is!!
The toys are all laying out in the pasture, ignored. Oh well. I love the hay net idea! I actually have two of them that I use for shows! Yesterday and today I've been keeping hay in front of her, she's not paced at all that I've seen (although I had a nice wasted pile of hay in the mud that they walked on). The hay nets might just do the trick!
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Member:
babychop
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Posted on Monday, May 19, 2008 - 11:22 am:
Ugh, my mare is a stall pacer as well. I see the last post on this is a while back but thought I'd add my 2 cents worth as I just found it. I've tried all of the above and none of it worked for me. I finally resigned myself to leaving her out all day to roam the property & this works best for her. One vet told me she just hates confinement. I tried giving her extra bermuda, alfalfa & orchard hay on different occasions and the only thing those accomplished was a costly vet bill for colic once she went beyond her customary 4 flakes a day, anything less & she lost weight, anything more & she would colic. She briefly stops when she foals but after about a month she's back at it. She's just happiest free, can't say I blame her. Hay nets only postponed the pacing, as soon as she was done she'd pace again, and her stall is huge, she just wants 'outside the box'. Anyway, good luck with it & please post again if you come up with a solution!
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Member:
paardex
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Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 - 4:23 am:
Andrea, my mare Margot was a stallpacer in Holland, in france she learned to live with the box open all the time. Just as with yours it works best for her and just as with yours she resigns herself to being stabled[at the studfarm at home she tried to demolish the boxes]for a little while when giving birth and having a small foal. As soon as she is rebred they put her back in pasture all the time[climate of Normandie is ideal for these horses grass being available almost all year and not to bad weather]
In Holland she got so upset by being stabled during the night that at first being left out in the morning she dug holes in the pasture and ate sand[I posted varies times about her and her ridiculous behaviour ] After a while always having her box open she went to sleep in the box with her head out[!] and settled down.
If your mare is doing fine this way I would say: give her what she wants if not she certainly find something more horrible.
Jos
PS Good thing you chose the Rubinstein blood never heard of problems in this field of them!
 They just grow fast!
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Member:
babychop
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Posted on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 - 10:42 am:
LOL! Thanks Jos! I needed a good chuckle this morning - what a time you had! I've never had one eat sand out of spite! Well, since I live in San Diego county in Southern California it's mostly desert out here & minimal grass (except in my gully where it tends to sprout up) but they do have lots of stinging nettles to munch which I've read is a good coat supplement (of all things!), and she loves bamboo too which we have plenty of. She's fine being in her extra large stall & box overnight but beyond that the pacing is constant. I guess that's just who she is but that's okay, I've got enough fenced land to keep her happy. Thanks again jos! I hear ya on the growing fast ~ I do like my colt & have a sneaking suspicion he may go premium at his inspection this August(wish me luck!)...
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New Member:
equisag
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 6, 2010 - 10:50 am:
I have a mare that not only paces in her stall but works herself into a sweat and has recently started bucking in the stall and is almost hitting the metal partial roof. It always happens when her "neighbors" are let out in the arena or go out on trail, and will last until they return. Since I never know what time of day the owners will show up to let them out, it is difficult to go to the barn at the same exact time or even have my trainer do it.
Does anyone have a solution to this? I'm afraid she'll eventually hurt herself.}}
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Member:
stek
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 6, 2010 - 12:17 pm:
Hi Connie, welcome to HA. Yours is a difficult problem and a common one. Your mare is experiencing separation anxiety when her herd mates are removed.
There are many ways to work on getting over separation anxiety, a search for the terms 'herd bound' or 'barn sour' will probably yield much good advice.
When faced with this problem I think one of the most important things you can do is make sure your horse is in a safe environment, that they can't get themselves hurt on anything in the stall.
Many horses are happier in a stall with a secure run if that is a possibility, as they are able to see around them and feel less claustrophobic. Some horses are also happier if they can hang their heads out of the stall door, though some will try to go right over/through a dutch door if it's not formidable enough.
I have one horse that no amount of operrant conditioning or consoling could cure of pacing when his buddies are removed, it is just a fact of life for him. So long as he doesn't hurt himself I essentially gave up on curing him. One thing I've heard of that I haven't personally tried is to use a stall mirror to keep the horse company that is left behind. It might be worth a try?
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Member:
lynnland
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 6, 2010 - 2:53 pm:
Hi Connie,
One idea that might help a little is an acrylic mirror in her stall. When I got my horse he had never been stabled and was doing some walking when he was in at night. The stable design did not allow him to see another horse (although he can hear the horse beside him). His mirror is always covered in DrOol and as soon as we got it it was obvious he was spending any non-eating time beside it (i.e., big piles of manure in one place). We also put one up for the old horse in the herd that tends to get ignored by the others. He also spends a lot of time looking in and DrOoling on his mirror. As long as she is not aggressive towards other horses it might help.
Lynn
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Member:
mjq1
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 6, 2010 - 6:40 pm:
Kim since you stated that your mare is over weight and she is outside with adequate room, why not let her pace? She is exercising and since she is not underweight and not confined in a small space what does it hurt? I would either give her very small meals many times a day, or a lower quality hay free choice and let her walk.
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Member:
maggienm
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 6, 2010 - 7:41 pm:
Kim, where did you get your mirror?
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New Member:
equisag
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 6, 2010 - 8:59 pm:
Hi
Thanks to you all I am ordering a stall mirror first thing in the morning (thank you Zoe). I think she misses the "herd" and the mirror should help. Connie D
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Member:
mrose
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Posted on Wednesday, Jan 6, 2010 - 10:00 pm:
If a horse paces up and down a fence and always turns in the same direction, which they usually do, it will affect the wear on their feet and cause imbalances if they don't have shoes on. Depending on how slick the ground or deep the mud/snow, if they spin when they turn and again in the same direction, they can injure a tendon or knee.
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