Box walking

[EmmaSwann]

My gelding (19 year old Irish cob) box walks really badly.

We've owned him since he was 3 and he's always done it but we kept it to a minimum by getting to the yard first (6am) and turning him out.

We tried leaving him turned out 24/7 but then he just walked up and down by the gate wanting to come in.

Due to change in work circumstances I've had to put him on part livery so now instead of being first out, he has to wait his turn. Consequently the box walking has got really bad. As soon as he spots the lady who does all the horses, he starts going round and round and round.

At the moment he's particularly bad. Theyre out at night and in during the day (approx 8am to 3pm) and because he's full of grass, he doesn't eat his hay and spends all day going round and round. I've tried leaving him out but when the others come in, he frets in the field.

He's on mats with a small bed because he just trashes it with his constant walking round.

Does anyone have any tips of things that might stop him?

Thanks

[Thundersky]

We've never been able to stop a box walker or fence walker. Not helpful but I'd only suggest getting him in a herd with 24/7 turnout.

[Retrainingaracehorse]

Clutching straws here but what about muzzling him when out so he doesn't eat so much grass then is more likely to hay eat when he's in? I once very successfully used something similar to this on laminitic pony living out 24/7 on lush grazing.
Also agree with 24/7 turnout on good grazing with a herd although appreciate this might not be realistic for you.

[Retrainingaracehorse]

Oh and why cant the livery yard turn him out first?

[EmmaSwann]

Yes I was thinking 24/7 turnout in a herd but he's getting on a bit and not sure how he'd do over winter out 24/7.

24/7 isn't possible at current yard due to the ground being very wet during winter.

I'm strip grazing him at the moment so could give him less of a strip so he's a bit hungrier.

Yard owner does turn him out first but she arses around a bit before doing so. I can't really tell her to change her routine to suit him as she has another 9 horses to see to as well.

[Retrainingaracehorse]

Ive wintered out very successfully admittedly on really good grazing (55+ acres for max 8 horses) all sorts of horses, TB's arabs old and poor doers. All were really well rugged up with top quality rugs with neck covers, and fed hard feed in the field twice a day. Three were hunter clipped and hunted very successfully. One hunter (an ex TB) came to me as an arthritic very poor doer and looked like a beef bullock by the end of the winter. I had plenty of natural shelter.
The other thing we were on chalk so they and myself weren't struggling throw a couple of feet of mud all the time mud rarely reached their fetlocks.
Where I am now again there is plenty of quality grazing but I know its going to be really muddy in the winter, mud to their knees if last year is to go by so although my horse could live out as he has before the mud I think will be the thing that makes me bring him in at night.