How to convince a pig headed mare that stables are not Satan's work :p

Jessey

Jessey

Well-Known Member
Dec 20, 2004
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Suffolk, UK
Its torrential here this morning, raining cats and dogs, so I traipsed through the mud to hang hay nets in the stable for the ponies (they have free access), I grabbed jess by the rug and led her over to see but she was having none of it, so I led hank in by the mane and she promptly charged around and screamed for him to come back out to which he obliged. I really don't care if she wants to get wet and cold, her choice, but little hank does like to go inside and she just won't let him :( on Saturday he went in to nibble hay and she promptly charged in there and chased him out :( Mardy cow! I've left the hay in there, I'm hoping her belly will override her stupid head on this one.
I'm going to go back to feeding her in there daily, and I'll put some straw down (its just a dirt floor at the moment), what else can I do to convince her? Its a huge stable with a door at either end and masses of head room, and its nice and light during the day so don't think its that, it is free standing and when we had the bad winds my neighbor's lost their shelter and I was worried it might go but that was only one night it had me worried and it never did actually shift and she has been in there since though she spends a minute then walks out, goes back for another mouthful and comes back out, then again and so on.
 
I sometimes struggle like this with ours! Chloe eventually finds a way of sneaking back in - she hates rain despite being a cob! Madam's belly always gets the better of her, let us hope jessey is the same! It's a power thing making their mates stay out........
 
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If they are together Andi would chase Sonny out too
Even with the goats Sometimes Kinley will chase Danni out of the clubhouse.
He just goes around to the old clubhouse then here comes Kinley bopping around to
chase him out of there.
So sometimes it looks like "musical goats"
Animals that are best buddies can still be such brats sometimes.
 
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I have had them separated for the last 6 months with Jess's lameness and recently if hank went inside she would scream and carry on until he came back out because she couldn't see him. She's just feeling very precious at the moment!
 
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Jess is just Jekyll and Hyde sometimes, I went up prepared to deal with a tantrum tonight, put her feed in (with the uneaten hay nets from this morning) and shut both doors and nothing, she looked over the door a couple of times and stood contentedly munching her feed then this mornings hay o_O I left her a good 15 mins then opened the doors, she wandered out for a drink then back in to continue eating hay, I really don't get her sometimes :rolleyes:
 
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There is a pecking order at ours, the trouble is mine doesn't appear to understand it!
She got moved off a pile by the entrance so went out. Next minute she ploughed back in and scattered the lot who had to reshuffle completely.
She is safer outside!
 
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Poor Hank it must be so hard for him to be dragged away from his haynet, especially as munching is a Shetland favourite pastime :D. Mares are so opinionated and stubborn at times that I think it may be hard work winning Jess round to your way of thinking ;), our fell doesn't like being in but if there's a haynet or food she's happy, she's very food orientated which in these types of situations works in my favour. Good luck. x
 
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