Advice needed!

[cloverleaf1985]

Ok i have a 13hh welsh gelding and a 15 month old dartmoor filly. they are turned out together and have been for a while. they are both looking rather on the podgy side and im worried about them getting lammi. i used to bring welshie in during the day to give him a rest from the grass but they are quite attached to each other and spend the whole day calling if i leave her out. the stable i have is 12' x 14' and i was wondering whether there would be enough space for both of them as the foal needs to be in aswell really. i could section off field but grass is quite rich so i don't think that would really help. i put them both in stable this morning and watched them for 10 mins but welsh started nipping foal and putting his ears back. does that mean he is just asserting his dominance and will leave her alone or is he likely to bully her all the time? i put her back out just incase. Sorry it's long but i have no idea what to do! Help please

 

[kerilli]

that's quite a big stable, so they should be alright... the problem is that if he does start bullying her, she has nowhere to escape to.
can you make a small pen that attaches to the stable, almost using it as a field shelter, so they can come and go?
i'd bring them both in and give them a few different piles of hay, so no squabbling hopefully, and watch them for an hour (well, take a good book and keep an ear open!)
the 13hh definitely needs restricted grazing if he's looking fat. i don't think laminitis is as likely in youngsters, cos they put lots of their energy into growing. if she's looking podgy, are you sure she's not wormy? just a thought.

 

[Michelle73]

I have a similar problem - gelding and mare been together for around 4 years and now don't like to be apart - only under sufferance. I tried them in the stable together but it didn't work, not enough personal space for them. I have had two horses sharing stables before but they were always 3yrs or younger and had grown up together which is somewhat different. Now as the gelding has so much more work than the mare and can have more grass, I put him out with the mare in our "starvation paddock". Once or twice a week she's allowed a binge on grass with him but they can always see each other. So cutting a long boring story short, I'd section off part of the field as a starvation paddock then you can become a "fence fiddler" like me and decided exactly how much grass you want them to have. You can have one in, one out, both in, both out or both in starvation and move the electric fence out by one or two stakes so that you don't feel guilty!!!

 

[Turnover]

I quite often keep my retired 16.3 irish X with his best friend 38" sheltland in the same 12 x 12 stable. Especially around firework night as the little one gets very scared and looks to the big one for comfort. Given the chance they will always stand in the same stable together. Never had a problem..

 

[amandathepanda]

Is the stable in a yard or directly in the field? I would make the yard horse proof & leave the stable door open so the baby can't get cornered to restrict their grazing that way. If you just have a stable in the field, set up electric fencing aroung the stable to create a small yard (do 2 or 3 strands as we all know what native ponies are like!) and if you can utilise pallets in a safe way to make the fence more pony proof do that. They will soon graze down this area, it's safer than shutting the two in together and it is an effective way of controlling their grass intake. Letting native ponies get obese & laminitis is equally as cruel as starving them so well done for spotting the problem! Just remember grass can really grow in September & October and ponies often get laminitis with the autumn 'flush'

 

[cloverleaf1985]

The stable is part of a block in a livery yard and their field is behind the stable yard but about 10 foot higher! so i can't fence around stable which is a pain. im going to try and fence off some of field but as they are fat already and the 'flush' is coming im worried that even them eating the grass down is going to be too much. i may try them together this sunday and watch them for a while. thanks guys!