Companions

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HelenMac

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Please give me your advice on companions for your ridden horse.
Smaller pony? Older horse? A retirement horse owned by someone else?
The more info the bettter.
Thanks in advance.
 
we give out companions a lot and being a good companion is a proper job for a horse. you need to consider
- weight - will your grass cause a horse to get laminitis or have weight issues
- playfulness, will the companion be too old or too young to match your horses needs. will it be too rough or too boring.
- clinginess - some pairs, especially mares can get bonded and are a nightmare when you take one away
- hardiness - is the companion hardy enough to live out
- health - if you take an older horse you need to be aware of future costs like cushings tablets, arthritis medication, extra feed/hay/ruggging
- being highly strung - will the companion lose their mind when the other horse goes out of field, will it fence walk/jump out etc
- ease of handling - can you easily catch it for farrier/ vets.
lots of charities will have companions available for foster, and thats often handier as they can help sort one that suits.
 
These are all great considerations but how will you know about clinginess or if the two of them will even like each other until you’ve tried them?
 
I have had some great companions, and really only one that wasn't, but she was a rescue so it was hardly her fault.

My horse was 16 hands and I must confess that the 13.00 Highland was probably the most successful, he was the boss but he was a perfect companion - got on well, easy to catch, never kicked or bit horse or people, good with farrier and dentist, vet.

The others were smaller. My horse didn't like the rescue mare, and it took him a long time to like the most recent, larger than a Shetland, but not much larger. I always felt that the problem was that they weren't the Highland as they had a very close relationship. My horse bullied him to start with and he got some bite marks on his back, but after quite a long time they got on well. He too has proved a perfect companion pony (available if anyone wants one!)

If one needed weight watching I used electric fencing to make a small pen and my horse got more ground. I used to put them in the stable if I was out riding and if I was away at a show I got someone to put the companion out when I had gone and never had any trouble.
 
paddi22 said:
we give out companions a lot and being a good companion is a proper job for a horse. you need to consider
- weight - will your grass cause a horse to get laminitis or have weight issues
- playfulness, will the companion be too old or too young to match your horses needs. will it be too rough or too boring.
- clinginess - some pairs, especially mares can get bonded and are a nightmare when you take one away
- hardiness - is the companion hardy enough to live out
- health - if you take an older horse you need to be aware of future costs like cushings tablets, arthritis medication, extra feed/hay/ruggging
- being highly strung - will the companion lose their mind when the other horse goes out of field, will it fence walk/jump out etc
- ease of handling - can you easily catch it for farrier/ vets.
lots of charities will have companions available for foster, and thats often handier as they can help sort one that suits.
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These are all great considerations but how will you know about clinginess or if the two of them will even like each other until you’ve tried them?
 
Definitely similar grazing needs will make your life easier.
Neither of mine are natural leaders so on occasion have 2 scatty horses. They share a field with my cousins 2 older ponies and they are more sensible and calm so have a better influence on them and give them confidence if they are worried about something.

Unfortunately you just won’t know how they will get along until you get them home.
 
My first companion was a Shetland from a charity. He was 18 months and huge fun, but quite time consuming in his own way. By the time I sent him back (as I had 2 competition horses and no need for an extra companion) he was lunged, long reined, backed and had been showing. He was quite destructive of fences and prone to weight gain, as well as he could kick a punch to my bigger horse.

The second was my retired competition horse. That was nice as I could give him a fab retirement. He did a bit of gentle hacking, which was also nice.

My last one is Rigsby. He is a 15.1 cob cross and was medically crook when I bought him. He was supposed to be a field companion but kicked my new horse a few times so now they are side by side companions, adjacent field and stables. He is also ace, has to have grass restricted but then we don't have much land so that is OK. He is also a huuuuuge character and is rideable, giving a lot of people a lot of fun.
 
Some really good suggestions and points so far. My only add on, which Red has already touched on, is that it costs the same to keep a rideable as non rideable horse so I tend to try and have a companion that is rideable, even if it's limited, due to age or health conditions, as having a horse that can be a nanny out hacking or do a bit of light riding when the ridden horse is out of work is very very useful.
 
My first two (teenage Sec A mares) came as a pair from a Welsh Pony rescue charity. They each had medical problems but were very sweet and had been well handled in the past. Treatment was quite pricey and I carried the cost myself. Unfortunately they were also like a pair of street fighters and decided to bully my youngster. After they kicked a few chunks out of her they went back to the charity without issue.
My current companion is a delightful little 13hh cob from Horseworld in Bristol. He was born there, is 3 now and will be with me for 2 years total before going back to be re-homed as a ridden/driven pony. I could adopt him, but he'd be wasted with me - he's going to make a great kids pony. Horseworld pay for his medical care and also dentist, worming, vaccs, although this is only because he's a fixed term foster rather than adopted fully.
 
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