Companions

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Rachellouise1

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Evening all, just posting for a friend - she not a member yet....
She has bought a horse and took delivery of him today - he is on his own at her house. The vendor has told her he likes company, would any of you be prepared to use a goat/another form of companion rather than a pony?
I know they are herd animals but not long ago there was a vote and some people do keep them on their own, any pointers would be helpful as I am stumped. Thanks in advance.
 
Gosh this is a difficult one innit. I'll probably be shot down in flames for saying this, but I'm keeping mine on his own at the mo; having taken him away from a working livery yard where there were loads of other horses, I brought him back to my yard at home, having been promised faithfully by someone-who-shall-remain-nameless but they are probably on this forum! that I could borrow their pony when I needed it. Well that just didn't happen, the daughter got precious over the blimmin pony and it was here for a few nights and then taken back again, so my poor old chap was left on his own.

I won't graze horses with sheep, having had a livery a few years ago who tried to kill them by slamming his front hooves down on them, then trying to pick them up in his mouth and shake them around. Yes, seriously, this did happen, so I won't do it ever again.

Donkey? Wellll, I know some people do, BUT I live not a million miles from the Donkey Sanctuary in Devon and some years ago asked about re-homing one of theirs! Nope they said! But I better not say any more on open forum. And of course there is the issue of lungworm with donkeys, which I guess modern wormers would deal with, but I'm still a bit old fashioined and we were told in pony club never to graze a donkey with a horse.

I have room for two liveries but no takers at the mo, which would solve my problem totally; so I'm reluctant to take on a "companion" (can't afford another horse anyway, full stop).

I've been to stables where they had chicken roosting in the stables at night, so perhaps that would help? Also we had a cat a few years back who'd do gymnastics in the yard at night to entertain the horses. Also I've heard of places where they had a dog kenneled in the yard and the horses bonded with that.

Sorry no experience of goats - I do know tho' that they're right b*gg@rs to fence in and you've got to really stockproof your enclosures with sheep wire, thoroughly. Also they'll eat everything: whether its precious or not, they'll eat it.

So mine is on his own at the mo; chilled out and laid back - not pining at all, and until I get some liveries here, hopefully soon, there's nothing I can do about it.

Sorry, I haven't answered your question.
 
We have a solitary sheep who shares a stable with, and is very attached to, our elderly cob mare. They share a field with 3 other mares though, I would never keep a horse on its own and TBH I think that they really need equine company of a similar size to their own, in order to be able to have a similar regime and to be able to groom each other. I have to say that I think it would have been better to sort this out before bringing the horse home. Mind you the first horse we bought, we didn't know where we were going to put him, never mind who with!
 
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