Dilema over companion - need some advice

cblover

cblover

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Bare with me....I’ll try to keep this simple.

I own a Clydesdale and my own place. 3 acres near to where I live. I would never keep one horse alone but don’t want to buy another really, as one day we will breed a foal so i will have two then.

Over winter I’ve had a friends pony as a companion but he’s been sold...i knew this before he came and I’ve now got another one of hers. I’m really grateful she’s allowed me to have them on loan but she doesn’t keep her horses the way I keep mine. She’s a lovely person and a good friend but with regard to regular worming, teeth and decent food....she leaves a bit to be desired. The one I have now is full of worms, poor condition and god know when his teeth will of been done. He’s 18 this year...and my god can he eat. I can’t fill him. I know summer will be better but I’m not sure I’ll have enough grazing. I’ve never worried about summer grazing before either.

Practicalities aside, this level of care doesn’t sit well with me. Of course it works both ways, but I know I’ll be ploughing money and time into him and he’s not mine at the end of the day.

What would you do as a companion for my Clyde? It’s a no win situation I feel....I don’t want to own a second horse.....but need another as a friend....a loan horse needs cared for just the same as a bought one.....this one is poor and will cost me a fortune.....don’t want to upset my friend......the list goes on.

Help!
 
how about one from WHW or bluecross, they are always crying out for homes and should come wormed,teeth done etc and as they belong to the charity they can go back if necessary,,
 
Perhaps contact one of the reputable charities to see if they have something of a similar size to your Clydie, who needs a companion home. Then you could tell your friend that you think it will be better for your horse and the companion for them to be similar sizes, far better for them to be able to do mutual grooming etc.
 
You’d still have routine costs like worming and teeth regardless the pony came to you. You have a pony on loan so you don’t have the responsibilities of your own presumably or is the owner keeping the pony and you are offering free grazing?
 
The rescue centres round here only have small, laminitic ponies at the minute.

I have him on loan but he’s come in a bit of a state.
 
I was thinking of maybe a donkey or two. I’ve a friend with 14 donkeys. But they don’t have the same dietary needs as a Clyde obviously. Could be left when I take my Clyde away for the day.

The one I have now doesn’t like being alone....does settle after a while apparently. Well we’ll see on Sunday because I’m loading up and going to an IH clinic for an hour or so.
 
cblover said:
The rescue centres round here only have small, laminitic ponies at the minute.

I have him on loan but he’s come in a bit of a state.
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Try horses 4 homes.
I saw a 17hh 'companion pony' on there, once, and I know there've been a couple in excess of 16hh so may suit. Or if you don't want a small laminitic pony get an ex racer - they're for the most part lovely kind things and plenty in search of good homes - and tend to be poorer doers.
 
Well worming and teeth aren’t that expensive and any horse you have you will have to pay for that anyway. If those are dealt with then it’s likely that the Horse will do much better on less food.

I’d have to attempt to give the poor sod a nice life or try to educate my friend. I just couldn’t tolerate that kind of care or rather lack of and see that person as nice. I would have to say something.
 
Take the human factors out of it. Is your horse happy with his current companion and are his needs met?

If they are then the current pony is worth the investment of time and money. If not, then explain to you friend your horse needs a long term option the pony can't provide, and go to a charity and rehome a better companion for your horse.
 
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I have always found it slightly strange that when people loan out a companion they don’t contribute to the costs. I always have, from my point of view I pay all feed any vet etc and in return my oldie gets 24 turn out on a full livery like arrangement, the loaner is expected to care as if their own etc
 
You really need to worm him now regardless of what you decide to do, he will be shedding eggs etc and potentially contaminating your pasture for years. Get him fenced off in a corner whilst you do it for a few days and get rid of all the droppings which contains the worming chemical, it will help to preserve your dung beetles. Personally, if you can keep him long-term, I’d just worm and do teeth, he’ll probably need less food then as he’ll be able to utilise it properly.
 
I think if you want a better quality type of companion (for wànt of a better description), just ask around, for instance a friend of mine has a 14 hh native, only 5yr old, has early onset of some kind of arthritis I think, field sound.
They are out there
 
OrangeAndLemon said:
Take the human factors out of it. Is your horse happy with his current companion and are his needs met?

If they are then the current pony is worth the investment of time and money. If not, then explain to you friend your horse needs a long term option the pony can't provide, and go to a charity and rehome a better companion for your horse.
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Yes we had the perfect companion and looked after him as though he was ours so he got the same treatment and more because he had a few extra requirements and also ate more. We were more than happy to do this for him and give him the care he should have had previously.
 
I agree that you need to establish whether this horse is the ideal companion for your horse, everything else aside. If he is not happy alone when you leave for clinics, or requires a completely different diet than your own, then the horse for me would be no... Sometimes things just don't work! Try not to feel bad about it.

As said above, I am sure that there are plenty of suitable, low maintenance companions around you. If it was 1 of mine that I wished to retire I would actually be gladly paying you for the field grazing and paying for their needs.. almost like a retirement livery agreement. Could that work for you? You have the land.. why not make it worth your while.
 
Arzada said:
Yes we had the perfect companion and looked after him as though he was ours so he got the same treatment and more because he had a few extra requirements and also ate more. We were more than happy to do this for him and give him the care he should have had previously.
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This. As far as I am concerned my companion pony is doing a job for me, so they get the same care as the ridden horse. They have a tetanus injection (not flu though), teeth done regularly and on the same worming regime as horse. They have food and supplements that are necessary, mostly smaller quantities of what the horse gets.
 
Personally, I have a couple of little rescue ponies as companions, they are great, but also ex polo ponies make excellent companions, they are bigger, not laminitic, and so easy going, easy to handle etc.
 
The most important thing to me for a companion is that it is happy to stay on it's own when I take the ridden horse away. If it can do that then the care it gets is exactly the same as I would give my own horse and I don't expect the owner to pay for anything. I have a loan agreement and the owner or I can end the arrangement with a month's notice.
 
If its doing a job the cost of worming and teeth are really minor. If you get one from a charity you will have the checks, have to go and get it etc, and it may be no more thrifty than the one you have.
I had a pony out on loan last winter, it got swopped with another one in the summer. When I asked the loaner why she hadn't sent it back sooner, its bloomin started to headshake so no good for LR, why he was out on loan, 'but he was no trouble' and I think that is the key. Plus you can send it back quickly, and hopefully low transport costs.
I would do what others have said, section it off, worm it and get its teeth done when you next have the vet out, its going to cost you about £50.
 
I had the same situation a few years ago when I had a friends pony to stay as a companion . I was shocked at the state of her when she arrived I couldn't believe my friend had let her her get like it. However my mare loved her and the pony was so happy to be looked after she looked like a different animal after a month or so . So I looked at it as a win win situation.
 
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