do you turn out in big groups??

Not my choice what happens at the moment as the yard has individual turnout. I've been at other yards where there were mixed and single sex herds and the problem wasn't the horses, it was the OWNERS! I couldn't cope with their weird antics......feeding IN THE FIELD (:eek:), not poo picking, not turning up for days etc etc.

My horse doesn't seem to care either way - he is very dominant and has only ever had one small scratch on his flank when he was in a group, always been happy to be left out on his own, always first at the gate - leaving a trail of destruction behind him.

I like having my own turnout. I can make my electric fencing as straight and neat as I like :D:D

If I had my own land again it would def be a big group as I'm sure I'd find myself accidentally acquiring a few more........;)
 
We do, they all get turned out together (three large geldings, my small gelding and a large mare) and they all get along just finee.
We recently just got a filly, so now everything's changed. She was kept in her own little bit, with the old gelding and the mare on her left and Sam on her right. We've now got her in with the gelding and the boys and mare are all next to her.
 
Mine are at a gelding only yard. There's two herds of 6 for the winter and once the hay's cut they all go onto 20 acres of hayfields together. We're quite a sociable bunch and all ride out together and go to competitions together so even when they're in separate fields they still see a long of each other and there's not trouble when they go back in together. They do tend to stay roughly in their own herds though, albeit grazing fairly close to each other, two distinct groups of 6 within the big group of 12. I think as long as there's enough space, any number can work.

I don't think I could put them in individual paddocks. Archie is everybody's friend (he even tries to say hello to the stallion we have to ride past) even though he's bottom of the pecking order and would be way too lonely on his own.
 
Not at present.

My two are turned out together, just them. Fany is more than happy in a big herd. But Captain is a nightmare with other horses, just doesn't have very good horsey manners. I think it is because he is Dutch born and they keep theirs separate. He is happy to be turned out alone, but actually gets on surprisingly well with Fany, she won't tolerate his nonsense but is not aggressive, just stubbornly refuses to be bullied.

FDC
 
There are only 6 horses at our small block of stables away from the main yard but we have the most grazing! So the 2 old geldings are turned out together. They used to be turned out with my Fjord gelding and yearling colt but the yearling terrorised them so now he's in a separate field with the Fjord who is teaching him so manners! There were 3 mares, my KWPN mare, a Friesian mare and a 3 year old KWPN mare who was forever kicking and injuring my mare. Luckily the 3 year old has gone to the main livery yard so now there is peace and quiet in the fields. We don't have huge fields, more like 1/2 acre paddocks but we can take 1 horse out without any problems as the 1 that is left can still see and interact with the others.
Huge groups sound like a nightmare.
 
Ours are all kept together in one herd of 5 - all geldings, we have never had a mare in 20 years - no loss imho :p Thats due to always having at least one gelding who was a d*ck though - current is a v riggy (although not a rig) 14.2 pony, who is 25 so should know better!

It does take a while to introduce newbies, at least 2 months to do it well, starting with the lowest of the pack and working upwards - think thats just our herd dynamic though, the boss 14.2 pony, and his paid thug, a 16h conn x TB are a complete pain with new ones!
 
Yep, but only because there's no choice at my yard! Luckily my field is massive though, with lots of different bits of natural shelter and they spread the hay out evenly in lots of different piles so as of yet, no incidences. Hoping I haven't jinxed it now :eek: xx
 
all of mine have been kept ina variety of situations:

2, 3, 4,5 up to 10 both mixed sexes and ages- foalies, yearlings, oldies, and in mare only herd while i was away at uni, with the horse at a local livery yard.

never had a problem with any of these situations. saying that my horse tends to be at the top of the pecking order wherever she lands, so that may be why...! :D
 
When we had our own place, everything was turned out together, whether mares or geldings - the most we ever had was seven. We never, not in 12 years, had any problems at all - new horses or ponies were just introduced carefully, and they all had enough room to settle their own scores.

When we moved Ellie to a livery yard, the policy was for single sex, small group (3-6) turnout. I would never, ever do this again - it was a nightmare, not just for Ellie but for many of the other horses who were there. I saw one timid little Arab mare receive a thumping double barrel in the belly by a huge cob mare, and now I wish I had made the decision to move Ellie, there and then. As it was, she ended up being kicked a few weeks later by the same horse - and not just kicked; she was cornered and really laid into, all of which was witnessed by the other horse's horrified owner, who was the one who initially tended to Ellie and called the vet. We thought we were going to lose her - initially we feared that she'd shattered her hock :( Thankfully it turned out to be more minor once the swelling had come down, but when the YO refused to even contemplate separating the mares up (either into smaller groups or individuals) we made the decision to move Ellie as soon as she was well.

Now we have individual turnout; each paddock backs onto at least one other, so they can still be sociable :) It works perfectly for us, and this is what I would always choose when at livery. If I had my own land, I would be more inclined to integrate - but then the choices and decisions would be mine to make, rather than being ruled over by a YO.
 
I have 3 horses at home and they are in neighbouring separate electric fenced patches. They moved around the field as the grass gets eaten. My mare is pretty easy going and you can out her out with pretty much anyone, but the pony is in fattys corner so is separate, and my sisters horse does nothing but really bully the other two, so separate patches they have. Once the field starts to get wetter in the winter (and rugs are on so electric fence becomes less of a threat!!) they will be out together, but I have found that this is the best way to manage them at this time of the year
 
Personally I would never keep my horses on individual turnout. They have been out in a pair when one is injured but are generally better in a bigger group 3 to 7 as they become too clingy and can get irritated with each other in a two.
Almost every horse I've ever known has been happier in a mixed herd environment, it's usually bad grazing managment that causes issues I've found or the owners whinging that causes bad feeling.
 
mine are out in a pair. i hate it as theyre both so clingy and you cant take one out and leave the other in....

but i have so much more grass and so much less mud than when i was at hp, and luckily lexi is so chilled, as long as theres food, shes happy.

If i could pick turnout, i would have about 4 horses out together i think, in a huge field.

Personally OP, i wouldnt worry. Boys will be boys and even when theyre out by themselves thet still manage to injure themselves. Sash came in with a lovely gash on his head. Though hes not got access to anything sharp...???

Horses are mostly happier in herds i think :P
 
I have, one winter I had 23(not all mine) all together in a bit under seventy acres. Provided you have the room for every horse to have personal space, don't let them get tight for food, and no bullying personalities in the group (a herd boss is ok, a bully who hounds and targets the horses it doesn't like isn't) it worked well.
 
Hated individual/ pairs turnout. Was at a place where they split mares and gelding, and allocated them into fields where personalities matched. However where I am not the yard is turned out as a herd, only about 15 horses which is wonderful because they all have their place in the herd, all their stables face each other and they all just get along. X
 
Our horses go out in herds (on a DIY Livery yard), we seperate mares and geldings and theres about 7 horses in each group. We also have smaller paddocks adjoining the main paddocks so new horses can be introduced to the herd slowly by noseying at one another over the fences etc and we usually put one of the quiet horses in with the new horse for a while so it has a buddy when it eventually joins the herd. They get on really well and are all really relaxed.

My youngster went straight out with the rest of the boys at 6 months old when he was strong enough and they treated him like their own foal, never had any problems, theres a mixture of old and young so therefore the youngsters could play and the oldies could discipline and show them the ropes - but it also keeps the oldies fit and mobile having the youngsters around. Totally depends on your horse though and how they take to a group dynamic. :D

Occasionally sheep and cattle are put in with the horses as well and the horses never bother with them, my youngster just hid behind one of the older horses for a while until he was brave enough to understand they wouldnt do him any harm!
 
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Kal is currently out in a herd of five (geldings only) and is very happy - horses all polite/no issues removing or turning out. Comes in with the odd scrape, but he's only been in the herd/at the yard for a week and a half so as the newbie he's trying to find his place in the herd (and being firmly put in his place by the others!). At previous yard he was out with 6 others (again, all geldings) - that also worked well. Prior to that, though, he was either on his own or in a pair and it made him miserable.

When we had the mares, they were in a large (10 horses) mixed herd with no issues - except that one gelding became a pain at the gate.

As others have said, this comes right down to the individual horse.

P
 
When I was on livery- we had to turn out in groups of up to 20......my horse had a fractured cannon bone from a kick.....and following that the groups were split into smaller ones of maximum 10- which was better.

Luckily I now have my own place- my 3 horses go out together. Since moving (18months)...I've had no field injuries and no rug damage;)
 
Have done both.
Hovis is currently on a yard with individual turnout but the ability to groom over the fence and surrounded by other horses. Hes a chillaxed dude with most things so it doesn't seem to bother him.
We had to retire Sid due to a kick caused when they were at another yard in a gelding only herd. The gate way at night during winter was frankly a scary place to be and thats when Sid got hurt. He broke his leg but thankfully survived although will never work again.
Our friends mare was not so lucky a year later (the yard didn't change anything after Sid got kicked), she was kicked and was pts on christmas eve two years ago.
Sid now lives in a group of 8-10 others but they are out 24/7 so theres no gate way pile up as they are not expecting to come in. They're all retired and so theres very little movement between them anyway. He loves the compnay and would be utterly miserable on his won.
I'd like Hovis to have company but as long as he gets human interaction he seems happy and i'd rather that than him get hurt. He's such an easy going chap he's always at the bottom of the hierachy.
If i had my own place with only my horses then they'd be out all together no question but on a livery yard i have to say i think individual turnout is easier.
 
well its day 2 of group turn out, they are mostly ok but have spats of reveresing into each other and squealing, I am hoping this will stop in time as it worries me!
 
our yard has a bit of everything.

There are 2 fields with single horses, 3 fields with 2 horses, 2 fields with 4 horses and 1 field with 6 horses.

Most are mixed sex fields and we never have any problems.
 
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