How come horses can be kept in a field by a fence they could easily jump?

Answer 1

Why would they want to? They get fed and cared for and have no reason to jump over the fence, unless they get chased by something that might hurt them.

Answer 2

Because as long as there is everything in the field that the horse needs, they're not really worried about getting out of it. Horses like habit, routine and safety. If they feel safe in their field they'll stay in it (this is evidenced by the fact that a horse tends to feel safe in it's stable, and then if the stable begins to burn, the horse will be so terrified that it won't want to leave, as it has identified the stable with safety and therefore wants to stay in the 'safe' place). In addition, horses on their own are fairly laid back beasts and won't really take the trouble to jump if they don't have to. They are also herd animals and feel that safety is in numbers - they are not going to leave their companions for the danger of being on their own (a horse's brain still believes that there are sabre tooth tigers behind every bush, it's the instinct of a prey animal, and their brains tell them that 8 eyes and ears are better than two, therefore it's best to stay with the other three in the field then head out on your own).

Saying that, I used to work in a number of different riding establishments and we had a few that had learned to open gates, stable doors etc when they felt bored. Some horses will learn to jump the fence and then there's no stopping them! Cloud and Bella used to pop over the fence and wander off all the time - Cloud had be kept with a specific group of horses to feel happy enough to stay put. In fact, that's the reason the barn ended up with him - his owner wasn't doing anything with him, he was bored and used to jump out of his own field, trot up the hill and jump into ours, so eventually the owner gave him to us.

A horse that is being bullied will often jump out of it's field to get away, and if a stallion is in a field and can see or smell a mare in season it'll try to jump out now matter how high you make the fence (and end up injuring itself in the process).

There is a certain amount of conditioning involved, as a person above has noted, but please note that a horse is never a pony! A young horse (or pony, for that matter) is a foal (a male horse is a colt until it turns four, unless it is gelded. Then it's a gelding, no matter how old it is. A female horse is a filly until it turns four), not a pony! A pony is a type of equine that is 14.2hh (147.5cm) or less, and a horse is a type of equine that is 14.3hh (149cm) or taller. Ponies and horses have different attributes, confirmation and personalities and should not be confused with each other. There is one exception: an arab (or arabian, for Americans) is always a horse no matter how tall it is, it is never a pony.

Answer 3

I have seen horses kept with no fence- just a ditch about 12" across. But horses cannot 'just jump.' They need a big runup for high ones, and why bother when a. the rest of the herd is with you anyway, b. food is plentiful on this side of the fence. A good height of fence for horses is one they think they can't get over. My horses are more likely to kick at the fence and bring it down rather than jump it.

Answer 4

Horses are herd animals. They live in family groups. They get to know their owners and accept them as part of the herd, and horses don't like to leave the herd.
They feel secure in their own territory. They can be scared into jumping out of the field, if there is a dog attack or those lovely people you sometimes get who think its funny to terrorise them; but they prefer routine, their own stable and their familiar surroundings.
Most horses are capable of jumping out but they only do it if they are unhappy or scared. Its nothing to do with training them not to jump the fence, or that they are too thick to do it, and electric fencing is rarely used with horses; its just down to understanding the species and good management.

Answer 5

Haha.... many do jump and escape and eat the grass on the other side of the fence.... a lot of horses haven't actually fine tuned this skill though, it's not a natural act for horses in the wild unless they are in danger. It is us humans that guide them on how to jump particularly with a rider on their back... most horses don't like to do it though.

Fundametnally domestic horses are pretty lazy too!

Answer 6

depends on the horse! I've got a couple who have a sense of humour & think it is very funny to fence hop whenever it suits them

horses often have to be trained to jump anything larger than a small thistle & they don't usually have the natural inclination to jump anything big unless there is a rider on board telling them where to take off & encouraging them to jump.

most domesticated horses are very happy witht their natural environment with ample food & water, their herd & they are within their comfort zone - an area where they know they will be safe from predators. unless you have a cheeky horse like the ones I've got, most horses will not consider jumping out unless something really scares them like a dog chasing them or a very low flying plane

Answer 7

they just dont need too. most horses are happy with the life they have, where they get fed and watered and pampered. they have no need to jump the fence. but some horses get bored in the same pasture everyday and need to explore. two of my horses do that, but they're too lazy to go and jump the fence. it takes up too much energy. they walk along to border of the fence until they find the weakest spot. then they push on it and lean on it until one day it just breaks. then they are free to go where they please!! also, some horse owners put an electric wire over the top board of the fence, and after awhile the horse learns he can't escape.

Answer 8

It could be that they are trained not to jump the fence---horses are highly trainable you know...and timid enough not to just go for it and screw what the master says. They are timid. They usually don't want to jump over anything unless they are trained to do it or they are really scared...notice when a person is trying to train a horse to jump and the horse freaks out and stops just before the gate.

Answer 9

Thats because the fence that they can easily jump will usually be an electric fence....so unless they horses want to get zapped up the ar$e-they soon realise that its not worth the hassle, a real pain in the ar$e.....


ha ha ha!!

Answer 10

Theres like an invisible fence and if the horse try to pass the fence the foot gets stuck. But they can only move if they r going backwards when the foot gets stuck.