Dilemma....temporary company - yay or nay?

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MizElz

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Right, as most of you know, Ellie is a 'lone horse', and has been for the past two and a half years. She is perfectly happy with the situation (if you disagree with me, I am only too happy to invite you to come and see my horsey and tell me she is lonely/unhappy/depressed/anxious
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) So please, let's not turn this into another 'I-don't-agree-with-keeping-horses-alone' / 'you-shouldnt-have-a-horse-if-you-cannot-provide-for-its-basic-needs' conversation! Sorry if that sounded patronising; I just want to ensure that this thread doesnt end up taking the same route my previous posts on the same subject have gone
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Anyway, our distant neighbours have a lovely old boy - the same horse I posted about a couple of weeks ago re. his unsoundness, and their dilemma over whether to have him PTS if the prognosis is not good. Basically, they have now had him x-rayed and it isnt looking too good for him, but they have been told that he is 'too fat' for them to give him the necessary injections prior to further examinations. Personally, I do not think the horse is hugely fat; he is a cob, and as such is quite a naturally sturdy boy, but I have seen far bigger than him
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But that is by the by; the bottom line is that he needs to be kept pretty much on starvation for a couple of weeks before they can investigate further. Now, the family are really going through the mire at the moment; their 17 year old daughter is undergoing cancer treatment, and is very, very ill. They dont have a suitable paddock for him at home, and I'm sure you can imagine the strain they are all under - really, the horse's lameness is the last thing they needed. At the moment they have left him with another friend who has a bare paddock for him; I'm not sure how permanent this arrangement is, however.

We're just wondering whether to offer to keep him with Ellie for a couple of weeks. Her paddock is very small - quarter of an acre - but we're currently having to strip graze her down the far end because she's eaten one side right down, but wont, by choice, eat the really long stuff! At the house end of the field there is hardly any grass, so would be perfect for starvation purposes. They could then come up and see him whenever they want - its five minutes walk down the hill to their house - and Ellie would have some company, albeit temporarily.

What I dont want to do is upset Ellie at all. As I said, she is perfectly content on her own at the moment; the cows are out in the field every other week or so, so she does have some company. The last thing I would want to do is reintroduce another horse, only to then take him away again just as they bond. We've ridden out together in the past, and Ellie adores him (I dont think its reciprocated though!
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So is it a bad idea to have the old boy here, even just for a couple of weeks? The other problem, of course, is if it rains - both of them would need to come off the field as it floods VERY easily and will get churned up - so if the weather took a sudden turn, the horse would probably need to go back home as we only have one stable (they have no stables, only a field shelter). And this, of course, may just cause them more problems; it could be easier if they leave him where he is at the moment.

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hiya,

By reading I think you know deep down that it wouldnt be that wise for the old boy to come stay..

I can see also that you have a heart of gold and you want to do the right thing, however,
1. your paddock is small and needs to managed very carefully if you want it to last.
2. As you say what happens when the weather changes?
3. Ellie is happy, i think by introducing then taking away another horse might upset her.

Just my thoughts anyway
 
I am in a similar situation (ish)...My horse has three friends with him and a friend of mine kept her horse Finnigan on his own and he was perfectly content but we all felt sorry for him and invited him over for some summer loving. The only problem is that he loves his new friends and is really enjoying herd life (grooming, racing around, afternoon snoozing etc). I feel that if he had to go back on his own now, he would get very depressed.
So in a way, if Ellie is currently content, I would not upset her routine.
 
I wouldnt! With regards to your first comments, many horses are kept and are perfectly happy alone, they adjust, I cannot believe that people think they have the right to judge and comment on such a thing! I certainly wouldnt want to upset her by introducing a companion, that may cause problems for her if he is later removed and I wouldn't want to 'upset the apple cart'. She may be perfectly happy because she has adjusted but if given the experience may find she prefers company and then will feel lonely/stressed if it is taken away. You may end up with separation anxiety problems and find your partnership with your mare ruined, whether long or short term, it isn't worth the risk. It is very sad for your friends horse but it is not your problem and I personally would not risk my horse being made miserable just so I can help another, belonging to someone else, out. I hope that makes sense and doesnt sound harsh but you have to put your own mare first.
 
Ellie is probably content because she doesn't know any different in her current circumstances, and sorry having kept horses for more years than you've existed, she would be happier with company, but horses have to accept what facilities we can offer, so I'm not teling you off! (but disagreeing with you because I know I'm right
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and yes, I am being patronising...)
I think it would be a bad idea for her to offer her company then nothing again.
The biggest comfort for a horse is to have another keep guard whilst they sleep, and you're effectively offering her that for a while then removing it.
I kept a horse in my back garden in a stable for years, so yes, they do adapt and like human company, but don't kid yourself they like it..
Unless you can keep the cob permanently it's kinder not to offer at all.
 
I think its a really kind thing for you to be thinking about but would have to say no, My horse is with others but they have individual t/o paddocks which he was fine with until over the winter i got the chance temporarily of a big dry grassy field with a mare he gets on well with- it was brilliant but when he had to go back in his paddock a bit of a nightmare he became very attached and difficult. I think if you are lucky enough to have your horse so settled i would be very reluctant to risk ruining things.
 
Thank you everyone for your comments!
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You all seem unanimous on this issue; therefore I think my mind has already been made up. You're right, I think deep down I know it wouldnt be fair on Ellie, I just want to help out, you know? They're in a really bad place right now
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Henryhorn, I completely see what you are saying, and dont think for a second that I dont agree with you!
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I know my situation isnt ideal, and one day I hope to be able to change it! She is a happy girl; I go out every day and give her a back scratch (last night she had a scratch all over with the use of a feed scoop - strange horse
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) But I know that in an ideal world, it would be another horse fussing over her, rather than a silly, non-Equus-fluent human
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And actually, I appreciate your matter-of-factness; its when people make persistently snidey, derogatory comments that it gets my back up!
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Hence my little bout of self defence at the beginning...

Thanks again everyone xx
 
Difficult one.. I kept my little Welshie on her own for over 2 years and she was more than fine (although I had a conscience about it!) Never neighed or got stressed when she saw other horses hacking by. And when I had a horse on 2 weeks trial she was fine and was a little upset when we took it back (wasnt suitable) for about - ohh - all of 10mins and then went back to her normal self. She is a very independent pony though so quess it depends on your girls personality. Now she is with 2 others - she is quite happy, does get upset when seperated (ie. neighs a lot if either of the others go out etc) and I like seeing her with company but she gets cross with the others, particularly at feeding times or if others get attention etc - she never used to put her ears back and she does now if the others walk past her - all natural herd instinct - in one way her life is harder because she has to be part of a herd and deal with separation anxiety, fight for food, in other ways she has company ..some more natural. Sorry bit long reply - but in short - my mare was fine with temporary company but I didnt have the problem of only one stable and the grazing and iminent weather changes and she is a laid back girl with hardly any issues (except brooms!) and we dont ride her. In your case I might be reluctant (I am thinking of my other mare who is a stress bunny so I wouldnt do that with her) but horses do adapt given time.....
 
not had chance to read all of the replies but i think that its a fab idea but you have to put yours first and i imagine it could upset her, him coming and then going. as you obviously want to help them, and you mention you are strip grazing at the moment, do you have any spare electric fencing you could lend them so they could make him a bit at home? mind you, thats still him being at home as it sounds as if they have enough on their plates with their daughter. mmmm, maybe where he is now will be able to keep him a little longer?

just realised, my post isnt much help at all! sorry! if i was you, i would prob take the horse on for a few weeks, and then when he goes home, buy a shetland - but thats how i have ended up a mutiple horse owner!
 
Every creature should have a friend.......

Although I am a fine one to talk, sat up here on a cloud all alone.....*sniffs*

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i would be reluctant to take him in. Its kind of you to consider it. If i remember rightly didnt you say a while ago that Ellie doesnt have alot of grazing? and you wanted to extend her paddock? adding another horse into the equation will just strip her paddock bare. At the end of the day its your choice but i wouldnt do it for the sake of my own horses grazing.
 
Glad you understood.
I kept my 15 2 hh in a stable at the bottom of my garden, and used the two next door gardens as turn out areas. The horse was very clever and used my dad's cabbage patch as his own muck heap, reversing carefully every time to plonk the muck right on the target.
Around that time I went to a lecture at the Riding Club on keeping horses, and the bloke announced that all fields should have a 25 foot gap fenced in post and rail between paddocks to avoid horses touching each other.
He wasn't at all amused when I called out "That much is a paddock round here!"
I think we all do the best we can for our horses, and who is to say a horse is less happy on it's own than one who is constantly bullied in a big field?
They are after all only existing because we want them, so perhaps they have to accept less than perfect grazing at times including companions.
My horse developed a great sense of humour when he got bored, he could escape from any sort of catch we put on, and when we added a self closing gate he simply held it in his teeth, pushed or pulled it towards him then shot through the gap. the return journey to his stables would be a full canter at the offending gate, whack it out of his way then run off bucking.
He used to play games with me too, so it isn't that bad an existence, just not a choice a horse would make for themselves, which you understand.
I think it was kind of you to think of offering, but best not to..
 
Yup, I think I've made my mind up not to offer! I've just spoken to our other neighbour, and apparently it seems like they're quite happy to leave him where he is for the moment, so I'm sure it will all end up ok!

I know people who have kept horses in their back gardens, too! When my mum was a girl, she lived on a council estate, and one of her friends kept a donkey in the garden shed
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I think my point behind my defensiveness is that although a horse is at its happiest in company, that doesnt mean to say it will be unhappy alone, if you get what I mean? Some would; I dont doubt that for a second; I'm just lucky I have a mare who has actually adapted to a lone existence very well!
 
Lol talking about horses in back gardens. there is a very chavvy part of Swansea where the horses are tethered next to the roads and it has been known to see a horses head looking out of the upsatirs window of the houses...
 
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