Mary Allen
When horses rush on their way to pasture, it is not only annoying but dangerous for everyone involved. Reason enough to establish good take-out and bring-in habits.
On the way from the stable to the pasture or the paddock and back again, horses and people are often in a hurry in equal measure. The four-legged friends look forward to grass, exercise, and their fellow dogs in the morning and often know in the evening that concentrated feed is served in the box. There is usually a long to-do list waiting for their owners or the employees in the stable in the morning after they have been brought out, and in the evening you don’t want to lose too much time because of the longed-for end of work or the dressage lesson on the way from the pasture.
“Quick, quick” is, therefore, the motto for the pasture path in many riding stables: sometimes the boxes or the pasture gate are simply opened and the horses run free. At first glance, such routines save time, but in the long run, they cause several problems and, in the worst case, accidents.
Unfortunately, it happens again and again that people are overrun or kicked by excited horses on the pasture path when letting go, catching, or taking them out. “Many people underestimate both the danger of such situations and the devastating effects that bad habits have on the rest of the community,” says Carmen Zulauf, horse instructor. Anyone who allows their horse to run into the pasture behind their fellow horses in the morning shouldn’t be surprised if it runs after the other horses in the group without being asked or if they don’t let themselves be led calmly to the stable on the rope in the evening.
It’s Easy to Solve
It’s easy to solve, and when hauling in becomes stressful, the final riding lesson is rarely harmonious. Unfortunately, most horse owners also forget how easy it is to get the problem under control, Zulauf regrets.
The goal should be to have each horse, halter and rope calmly led to the paddock or back to the stable. In the pasture, you don’t just let go of the horse, but at least turn it with its head back towards the gate, so that in the end the human moves away from the horse and not the horse from the human. This avoids the horse bucking and starting to gallop and potentially kicking you.
For this to work, the horse owners should agree with each other or the stable owners should set up clear rules. And of course, the horses must have had a certain basic education. “If a horse generally cannot be led calmly and safely, you should first practice it in a less exciting situation, such as groundwork on the arena,” advises the trainer, who teaches mainly in French-speaking Europe, but also offers courses German, English, and Italian are available.
In Carmen Zulauf’s experience, dangerous crowding at the pasture gate often occurs when the supply of feed on the pasture is poor and the horses want to eat in the stable in the evening. Riots can also arise when someone fetches their horse from the pasture with carrots or treats. Then the buddies usually want something too. Even when horses are fairly new to the herd, it can be difficult.
Rope & Whip Can Help
Anyone who then wants to bring in their lower-ranking horse, for example, without it being bumped into by its buddies and without other horses running through the gate as well, should quietly, but definitely, use a long, personal space between you and your horse Defend with a rope or whip. Of course, this also presupposes that all horses are familiar with a rope or switch and know what you want to tell them with it.
“Such situations are always delicate and it is important to be able to read and assess the behavior of the herd,” says Zulauf. “Depending on your own experience, interaction in the herd and at the pasture gate, you should therefore take an experienced trainer or at least one helper with you.” Ideally, one should not rush into the crowd of herd, but only go to the horse when it is free and calm. If the situation nevertheless becomes precarious, it should also be stopped in an emergency. On the other side of the fence, you can then think together with a calm head and find a solution. This saves everyone involved a lot of stress and prevents injuries.
Zulauf has also seen horses that are very attached to their peers run through the fence or try to jump over it if left alone in the pasture. Of course, something like this must be avoided at all costs.
How easy and safe it is to get out and in depends primarily on the basic training and good habits as well as the knowledge of the horse owner. But the goal also plays a role. It should be easy to open and close with one hand.
Gate is Better Than an Electric Fence
In general, real metal or wooden gates are better than a simple electric fence closure. On the one hand, because many horses are afraid of the possible electric shock and because they get restless and anxious at the entrance and exit. On the other hand, a gate is usually easier to handle and makes it less likely that other four-legged friends will escape in addition to your horse.
However, since you cannot always influence the type of gate in the boarding stable, you should at least make sure that the horse goes through calmly. “You have to practice that just like a new dressage lesson or a new task in groundwork,” says Zulauf.
If a pasture or paddock is near a road or another source of danger, it can make sense to install two gates a few meters apart for safety reasons. If there is enough space, you can also delimit a 20 to 30 meter long part of the pasture and create a capture area. “This is done especially in breeding operations with larger herds when the pasture is two to three hectares or even larger,” explains Zulauf. The flock is then allowed to feed in the capture area. That way everyone is quiet and there are no scuffles or crowds at the gate. Another, convenient advantage: Thanks to such a pen, you don’t have to follow horses that are difficult to catch to the other end of a large pasture.