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Veteran
Posts: 154
 
Location: Tennessee | We just built a new house, and from the looks of it, it is probably going to be about 3 or 4 months before we get our barn finished. One of our horses is very high maintenance, which happens to be my main mount, and does not look his best when not stalled at least during the night or during bad weather (rain, snow, etc.). All of our others seem to handle it just fine! Wondering if anyone has ever had this issue or could offer any advice??? We do have W-W panels set up in the pasture to feed everyone in morning and night, but I am at my whits end as to what to do to keep this high maintenance horse looking good. He is blanketed, is on nutrina safe choice senior, alfalfa pellets, free choice grass hay since our pastures are not as lush during the winter months, & I am getting ready to start him on THE Muscle Mass (hoping that will help fill his top line out a little better). Any words of advice would be greatly appreciated! |
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 Owner of a ratting catting machine
Posts: 2258
| Electric fence is a cheap and quick solution. I don't hesitate to block off a corner for one with special needs to make sure they stay right.
Right now I have a small round pen made of light panels up for my mare that can't blend.
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| Somewhere I saw a picture of a really cheap shelter - t-posts, cattle or hog panel curled over for the top and tied to the posts to hold in position. Put plastic or a tarp over the top and across the back. Not the prettiest, but very cheap and functional. Sometimes if the weather is bad enough and depending on the horse, they will wear a blanket all the time, even out on pasture. Not preferred but it does help my thin skinned horse. |
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 The Vaccinator
Posts: 3810
 
Location: Slipping down the slope of old age. Boo hoo. | classicpotatochip - 2014-01-01 2:52 PM
Electric fence is a cheap and quick solution. I don't hesitate to block off a corner for one with special needs to make sure they stay right.
Right now I have a small round pen made of light panels up for my mare that can't blend.
Good advice!
Providing this horse his "own space" as suggested would reduce his stress and assure he is getting as much hay as he wants / needs. You would be able to make he has his own hay supply 24/7. You can purchase solar-powered fence chargers pretty cheap to charge a small area. Most people do not realize how stressed a horse can get in a herd situation.... Some horses just do not do well in a "herd" dynamic. They need to be around other horses -- just not in the herd.
I am not a fan of running my horses in a "herd" due to the stress and chance of injury, plus horses getting run off of hay during winter. I prefer to have individual pasture turn-outs for each horse. My horses see one another and are happy to have "friends", but I am not stressing about having a horse run through a fence, getting kicked or not getting all the forage he needs. In some instances, I will place two horses in a turn-out if they are "extreme" buddies and share/play well together.
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"I want to be an outrageous old woman who never gets called old lady. I want to get leaner and meaner, sharp edged and earth colored, 'til I fade away from pure joy." |
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  Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | if you can spend some money for a portable shelter .. we have bought portable garage things.. and used them.. it helps them get out of the elements.. keep blankted as much as possible if cold out .. scroll down you can get tall and small for one or two horse or bigger.. a one car carport with sides. etc... http://www.thecarportdepot.com/carports.aspx |
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Fire Ant Peddler
Posts: 2881
| Here's mine. I had them put 2-two car carports together. I put up two 12 X 12 panel stalls but there is room for three. You probably only need a single carport for one horse. You have many options for walls. put it somewhere your pasture horses can use it as a run later. I would not run the metal all the way to the ground. Also had it built 1 foot tall.
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Veteran
Posts: 154
Location: Tennessee | Thank you all for all of the advice! We do have about 10 acres fenced off with electric tape. Definitely going to look into everything that has been mentioned! |
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 Ms. Manners
Posts: 1820
Location: Oklahoma | If he is blanketed, try to always have an extra blanket on hand so a dry one is always available to switch out if needed. A carport with at least one side covered with a canvas tarp or plywood as a windbreak is a great option as well. |
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