Foals as a companion

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happyhac

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Sadly I will be losing both of my companions horses next week, one was planned. He's 27 with only a few teeth and doesnt winter well. We made the decision last year. Other one is my horse of a life time ex eventer, she's close to thirty and this was to be her last winter. She had a bad colic attack a few days ago, had the vet out, jabbed her up and she ok now. Lucky it's half term, I didnt have work and they live outside my house. But after seeing her so poorly, I've made the hard decision to have her pts. The thought of coming home and finding her suffering again fills me with dreed. I'm completely devasted
 
Sorry Phone has posted early and I can't edit it for some reason. Right......Try again

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Sadly I will be losing both of my companion horses next week, one was planned. He's 27 with only a few teeth and doesn’t winter well. We made the decision last year, so I’m fully prepared. Other horse is my horse of a life time, she’s an ex eventer, close to thirty and this was to be her last winter. Sadly she had a bad colic attack a few days ago, had the vet out, jabbed her up and she ok now. But after seeing her so poorly, I've made the hard decision to have her pts. The thought of coming home and finding her suffering fills me with dread. I would rather a week early, than a day late. I am completely devastated and still in shock.
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This will leave me with only one horse, a 3 year old 15.1-2 section Dx. There are horses in the field next door and she’s not one to fret over being on her own, but I’ve been offer a section A filly foal. I am worried as the filly seems so small, would she make an ok companion? It’s been a long time since I’ve had a foal. Obviously they won’t just been turned out together. I would most likely keep the filly stabled over the winter and bring my other horse in during the day or night so that they can get used to each other over the door, etc. Then come spring, hopefully they will be turned out together. I had planned on getting a small pony in spring (have a young niece and god daughter) as a companion, but everything is happening so quick, I haven’t really processed it all.

Does this sound reasonable? Any advice or help appreciated.
 
A foal as a companion to me doesn't seem like a great idea. Your other horse is 3 so I guess you will start to ride him next year so then the foal would need a companion as youngsters need company.
I asked around and aquired a sensible older pony to provide a constant companion to my youngster for when I take her mother out riding.
You will probably find that you need 3 horses which it seems like you have had in the past.

Best wishes for when you have to say good bye to your older faithful friends it sounds like you have had them a long time and they are much loved.
 
My main worry with your post was you seem to be suggesting foal would be stabled 24/7 over winter, have I misunderstood?.
This would be so so bad for foal and I don't see how it provides company for other horse when that one is turned out
 
A sec A would not need stabled over winter. I have a yearling as a companion and she stays alone when we go out riding. It's all about what they get used to.

I wouldn't rush into getting anything tho, you might be better with a second one you can ride or a friend can ride out with you. This is what I have done so now have three lol

Sorry about your old horses. Sad when they get to that stage.
 
I appreciate that you want a companion for your remaining horse but I don't think it is fair on a foal to stable it all winter. Foals need to play out and enjoy being babies imo.
 
Thanks for the replies, the filly is currently stabled, so if I was to have her, I didnt want to change her routine too much, too quick. I'm very lucky to have my own stables and I rent 3 paddocks directly outside my house, so turnout is available for her, I'm just worried about her getting hurt etc. Dont worry she would not be locked up 24/7, but I am aware that foals can have little self preservation and I'm just worried incase she has a silly moment.

To be abit more clear, they would be stable either in the day or night,(so they can have a sniff of each other in a safe environment) and then, as long as she looks settled, I would turned out in seperate padddock supervised, until I feel happy, but by spring they will hopefully be out 24/7 together, sooner if they are happy together. (she would have in hand turnout twice a regardless) It would make things alots easier for me if they were out together 24/7 asap really.

I want to make she 100 % comfortable with my mare before she has any kind unsupervised turnout.

I'm not really after a second riding horse, just want something small and I'm hoping she'll be a nice childs pony in a few years time.

My main worry is that she looks so small and will get hurt. Does anyone have experience of using a foal as a companion? and how did they go about introductions etc?

I just dont want to make the wrong decision.
 
A foal is not going to have much of a life this winter if it is basically on its own, sniffing noses is not good enough in my view a foal needs to have a companion living with it to show it how to behave, give it support and confidence, there was a thread last night about a foal that keeps jumping out because it feels alone and stressed.
If you want the foal get another small companion for company then it will never need to be on its own.
 
Unless your horse is a real meany I can't see a problem. The foal will be submissive and copy your other one. I'd not have a foal if I thought I wouldn't turn it out with the other one pretty much straight away as I wouldn't want a foal living in solitary (including over the fence in solitary as its not the same as actual contact). Obviously I'd keep her routine for the moment and probably stable for a few days to make sure she was settled. Sec As are extremely tough clever wee things so I wouldn't be particularly worried unless your horse didn't like small ponies or something!
 
People have goats and sheep as companions and that seems to work well

Why not get them to meet first and take it from there? I would probably give it a try but give the foal the same routine as the horse with regards to turnout

In an ideal world the two would be out 24/7 just being youngsters but I don't think a half/half arrangement is so bad considering the foal has lived in all it's life so far
 
I'm having a pretty **** year really, lost my old faithfully first pony in jan to crushing diseases. I had him for 23 years. My second pony is the one due to be pts this week, he's 27, had him 18 years and now my beloved mare is due to be pts as well, who I've had for 12 years, who I thought was 25, but the vet thinkings she's much
closer to 30.... completely gutted really.

So now I'll be left with one... possible 2 if I take on the filly.....

Just dont really know what to do for the best.
 
Really sorry for you OP, youve had an awful time.

Personally i dont think a foal with a 3 year old is a great idea. Yes it could work, but why not get an older pony , something that could give a lead to your 3 yeard old. Plus it would be much better for the young children to have something a bit more 'been there and done it'. Prices are low at the moment so you could get a bargain.
Plus your 3 year old would benefit from an older wiser head when you want to start doing more.

Best wishes, and hope all works out.
 
A foal as a companion in principle isn't an issue but to develop properly physically foals need to have as much turnout as possible. Also to develop properly mentally you really mustn't keep the foal on it's own for more than a few days. They are pretty tough so after a few days of nose sniffing they;ll be fine in together, most of what you see in horses is posturing and the foal would be more likely to injure itself trying to get to the other horses if kept on it's own.
 
I recently swapped my sec a mare for 2 colt foals as they are intended ponies for my girls. I also have a dx who is 3. They all get on famously in fact i can't keep them in separate paddocks as they keep getting out to be together!! They are out in the day and in at night. My big fella gets on better with the foals than he did with the mare. So it can definitely work ;-)
 
Thanks for all your input guys. It's something that i'm really going to have to think over, its not a decision I'm taking lightly. If anyone does have more experience of turning a foal out with another horse I'd be grateful to hear your views etc.

My 3 year old is more of a rising 4 year old and has been professionally backed and is hacking out. She's having a little break at the mo as her primary teeth are wobbly, but I'll keep her ticking over the winter. She very sensible, not aggressive, but tries to boss around with the gelding..... Doesnt work too well as she is completely ignored..... she's never been turned out with a younger horse before and that my main concern.


Why can't these things be easy?
 
Hi. I've got a 5 year old and got a yearling to keep him company both geldings, I know it's not the same as a foal but it was the best thing I've done its lovely to see them play and the big boy is very good with him . 5 year old is 17hh and yearling is 12hh they look like mare and foal . Good luck xxx
 
I had a foal in with a 17yo gelding almost immediately. The older one normally fights but loved the foal. They would gallop about and play together all day. They fed from the same feed bucket and shared a stable.

Lots of people believe babies should always have other babies as companions, but it can work with older horses and as yours is only three it should be okay.
 
Not my own but a friend got a foal partly as a companion to her older horse and partly as she wanted it to become her riding horse when the other retired. She turned it out with a Shetland to begin with. She took the shoes off her older one when they went in together. The older one did not like the foal much but later got too keen and hated leaving it. The problem was that the foal had to be stabled part of the time as was on livery yard which required it. It never got company of its own age either and had some but not major behavioural problems. I do think a foal will do better with another its own age as well as an older one around. Another concern I would have with a Welsh A and a much bigger horse is how you manage them with the same amount of grass without muzzling the Welsh A when it gets older. Like others I think you are better off with companions the same age or older than your 3 year old.
 
Coco - i really feel for you in this situation - just becarful what you get - my new horse to replace my big lad and keep the little lad company - got sick within 4 days of having her with strangles and then jumped on me and broke my leg on Tuesday. She was only 3 and youngsters are more prone to this

With your paddocks it should be easy to keep them seperate - and like i say i know its overkill but i would not wish these last 6 weeks on anyone

If you do buy a youngster - please make sure you know its history - i had quaranteened for 14 days, i just wish i had done 21 days to make sure - ie no nose to nose contact - washed my hands and changed boots and clothes - and get some virkron to scrub off your tools.

I hope everything works out for you - your being very brave and doing the best for your ponies.

God bless

GW
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