Horse and pony sharing a stable? Is it safe?

[Lexi90]

So I won't go into details because I'm writing this in a bit of a rush, but I would like some opinions.

Is it too risky to stable a standard sized Shetland with a Thoroughbred? They get on well in the field, but I'm just worried about her potentially bullying him in a small space at night. The Thoroughbred is the one in charge of their little herd, but she let's him eat her feed out of her bowl at the same time as her and I've never seen her bully him outside.

It's either sharing with her, or being out in the field by himself (he gets terrible separation anxiety) so I'm not sure what to do. The size difference is just so much.

Opinions?

 

[milliepops]

is it a standard size stable? 12x12? i personally wouldn't want that as i feel like it's a bit small. My TB takes up most of the stable when he lies down for example.
i have had 2 horses sharing a 12x24 stable for ages and that works fine if they get on well. Does TB need to be stabled overnight or could they live out together?

 

[Gloi]

Could you make him a little pen outside the stable so they can still see each other.

 

[tatty_v]

We have a very large stable (not sure exactly on size but it is huge!) so we subdivided a little “Shetland pen” inside it. So they technically share but can get away from each other!

 

[PapaverFollis]

I had a 15.2hh WelshD type and an 11.2hh Welsh A sharing an approx 16ft by 20ft space for a few nights. They get on well and will share a net. Big horse very dominant though and it was OK as a temporary arrangement but I think the pony felt a bit put upon and I wouldn't have wanted it to be permanent.

 

[teddypops]

My 14hh and my 11.2 shared a big stable no problem but they were both unshod and very calm, nice ponies.

 

[meleeka]

If the stable is big enough I think it’s preferable to leaving him out by himself. My mini is free range and goes wherever he wants, yard or field. One of the others is the yard and an open stable so he generally goes in with him.

 

[TGM]

I've had a Welsh A and a 16.2hh WB/TB share an open stable before (so a 12' x 12' stable with the door open onto the yard and field (a bit like a field shelter). I'd be a bit wary of having two share a standard size stable with a closed door though. I've also seen a set up where a shetland and big horse shared with a pen outside the stable door and a slip rail across the open stable door so the big horse stayed in the stable but the shetland could escape into the pen if they wanted to.

 

[Lady Jane]

How big is the stable?

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

When I first got my shetland I sectioned off part of my other ponies huge stable, nearly every morning they had managed to get in together so I eventually removed the partition and since then they always just shared a stable, but the other one was only 13hh so they had plenty of room and got on really well.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We used to have a 14.3hh cob who shared her stable with a sheep. It was her idea though, she was a former broodmare and the sheep was the last one of a small family of 3 who she had taken under her wing when they arrived as a ewe and 2 lambs. The stable was no bigger than standard size and the door had to stay shut.

 

[Lexi90]

Thanks so much for all of your responses. It helped to know my concerns are valid, but also that it can be done.

I would prefer him to be in the field, so I tried that this evening and he freaked out. Raced up and down the fences and calling to the other horses, them calling back. It would have been cruel for me to leave him like that, so he's in the stable with her tonight. You don't get much more gentle than this horse, and I watched them for ages and they seem comfortable together.

She's only stabled at night when the weather is horrible during the winter and my pony is stabled 90% of the time by himself, so it's not going to be a really regular thing.

I'm not sure how big the stable is to be honest. There is room for them both to lay down, but it's not huge.

It's not possible to make a pen outside of the stable unfortunately, due to where it's located.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

If they are happy to share the stable/hay etc, they will sort it out so that they don't get tangled up when lying down. I have come down in the morning tofind 2 big horses in the same stable, twice over the years.2 different pairs of horses in adjoining stables have somehow managed to get the shared door open, both ended up in the same stable and shut the door so that they were trapped together. Of course,Idon't know how long they had been together but no-one had even a tiny visible injury.

 

[GinaGeo]

Depends how well they get on.

Two combinations of mine would choose to share. The common denominator is a very fair and non-confrontational lead horse who the others are very good pals with, but wouldn’t dream of questioning.

Mine have doors open and come and go. Quite often find two lying down in a stable together. They’re good at negotiating who sleeps where and communicating how to sort themselves out. The only casualty is sometimes some tail hair when their mate is standing on it whilst they’re lying down and some gets pulled out when they stand up. It happens very rarely though!

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

It CAN be done........... ours are on a Track system and the stables & yard/standing area is part of the track.

They are all unshod. There is plenty of room for them to move around and it isn't a case where they are shut into a stable with another horse - they are free to exercise their choice about what they do. Up till summer of this year we had three horses who were free to roam within two stables and a three-sided shelter.

It worked well. However: my lovely black mare (now sadly PTS) DID get my other little pony in the stable once - she'd trapped her in there and I could hear the poor pony squealing as big-mare was obviously repeatedly double-barrelling her. That was very hard to deal with. We realised within a fairly short'ish time (because of other obvious things) that this particular mare was in constant pain and this may have been one of the reasons for her doing this. Sadly there was nothing we could do (trigeminal nerve headshaking) and we PTS.

I am presuming OP that you'd be wanting to put two horses into a stable together and shut them in?? Umm, nope, I wouldn't, not without two escape routes from the area.

Livery has two in a bigger area (12ft X 24ft approx) but has a fence across. I wouldn't do it else.

 

[Pinkvboots]

We had quite a few pairs of horses and ponies that shared stables at the riding school and never had any issues, you just have to be good at knowing who will get on with who.