Crew yard type stabling

Flowerofthefen

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I think next year i may have to make the hard decision for my old lad. He looks fantastic, is sound, is eating well but has totally lost his spark. He currently does a fantastic job of keeping my ridden horse company. If I do have to make the decision I will have to get a pony companion. Currently my boys are in beautiful old big brick stables. The yard also has crew yard type stables, quite open with big gates on the front. My ridden horse has a phobia of door ways which we manage but the gate would solve this. My idea would be to section a bit off in the crew yard for the pony at the back and have my ridden horse at the front for easy access to ride etc. If YO would let me put them in there I would need to do a bit of work with the partition and block a bit off where the rain drives in if the wind is wrong but other than that I can't think of any negatives. Who else keeps their horse in this type of set up? Does it work well?
 
No advice about the yard I'm afraid, but would you consider a cushings test for the oldie? If you do go with the plan of using the gate, maybe cover the bars with a lightweight mesh to prevent a leg being caught up.
Yes I would consider a test. He also gets bad mud fever. A few days ago I cleaned his leg up and I'm not sure if I've made it sore. I will do all I can for him before making the call , I've had him 20 years.
 
I took out 4 internal stables to open up a large area which mine have free access to this winter.
It's still early days and there is plenty of grass outside so they aren't coming in as much as I expected - but maybe that will change when the grass runs out !

More space for them to wonder around sounds good to me.

Would the pony have to be separate? If it's a big open yard area then couldn't they come and go together?
 
I took out 4 internal stables to open up a large area which mine have free access to this winter.
It's still early days and there is plenty of grass outside so they aren't coming in as much as I expected - but maybe that will change when the grass runs out !

More space for them to wonder around sounds good to me.

Would the pony have to be separate? If it's a big open yard area then couldn't they come and go together?
It would be used as their stabling and they would have very different feed requirements!!
 
No advice about the yard I'm afraid, but would you consider a cushings test for the oldie? If you do go with the plan of using the gate, maybe cover the bars with a lightweight mesh to prevent a leg being caught up.
The gate at the front is already horse proof!! I would just need to make sure the partition is horse proof.
 
OK so by crew yard you mean just a normal stable type arrangement but with gates instead of sold walls ? Apologies if I've misunderstood.

Rather than a much much larger free area?

I would just write a list of pro's and con's - if essentially the two horses are in separate stables in both situations, then it's just whether the gate front vs. stable door front is worth it for your horse.

I would cable tie sheet wood over a gate if it was used to shut them in. Just to be on the safe side.
 
I’d definitely get your oldie Cushing’s tested asap as a matter of priority. Dullness is a known symptom of untreated Cushing’s.

Not sure of Liphook lab opening times over Christmas. I had both of mine tested (bloods pulled) a week ago today, and the results came back on Monday. The samples are sent by special overnight delivery.
 
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