Cruel to be kind............

................or just bad management on my part. Wolfie clearly isn't coping with being kept in the stable for full days. The field isn't getting split until the beginning of June so I need to have a rethink. Yes, it is for his own good that I am trying to keep him off the grass (although I am not sure of the benefits of this as and am sure that he probably goes out and gorges himself over night). I'm going to try next week having him brought in at lunch time, so he's standing in for a shorter length of time. The whole situation is not ideal and to me the only sensible solution is to have the grazing restricted immediately, but it's one of the difficulties of being at a yard and I'm not in charge. I understand why people use grazing muzzles, but it's not something I would want to do and feel that Wolfie would not cope well with it. Fortunately, Button's field has much less grass in it, although I'm sure he is already stalking up for winter.

Wolfie still seems to be intent on establishing his position within the herd. When I turn him out, he looks for C. (the horse who kicks him), gallops over to him, bites him on the hindquarters. C then moves out the way and Wolfie eats the patch of grass where C was standing. I've also seen him galloping flat out after C. It appears however that C. most of the time now tries to get out of Wolfie's way and does not appear to be entering into any full on confrontation with him. Wolfie is instigating all of this, but even when he bites or lifts a back leg, there is no real intent to do any damage. I rarely see him kick and most of the time he just makes threatening faces (which to be fair are not very threatening). C. has never came in with any wounds apart from a grazed nose (Wolfie lost a tooth and almost an eye so it balances out). It would appear that Wolfie is getting his way and has moved up the line. J and M are top of the herd and they seem to have a mutual agreement in leadership. Wolfie sees himself just behind those two. I dread to think what will happen if he ever gets any ideas about taking those two on.