Horse kept alone

[alibali]

There's nothing more pitiful than the hopeful whinny of a solitary horse when you ride past and the longing way they stare after you as you leave. It breaks my heart. I've had to change several hacking routes over the years as I just couldn't bear it Please anyone who thinks this is ok, reconsider.

 

[Steerpike]

There's nothing more pitiful than the hopeful whinny of a solitary horse when you ride past and the longing way they stare after you as you leave. It breaks my heart. I've had to change several hacking routes over the years as I just couldn't bear it Please anyone who thinks this is ok, reconsider.

Same here, there are a couple of horses local to me kept on their own and they don't have horses near, I try not to ride past as it's so sad seeing them trot over to see me go past.

 

[SibeliusMB]

My experience with the importance of companionship:

When I moved Sig to the UK he was put in individual turnout (24/7 on grass) at the yard manager's insistence, because that's just how they ran their yard. He had a horse immediately next to him and others just across the walkway, all in their own little grass paddocks. I felt awful because every time I arrived he would start SCREAMING for me, and same after we were done and I went to leave. He seemed so desperate for attention and touch. He couldn't interact with any other horses because of the electrified fencing, and the yard owners again insisted that seeing other horses was enough. He had always lived in a natural herd environment prior to that and I just felt like he wasn't happy, despite being the perfect gentleman when I worked with him. I argued for a companion, and the yard eventually (months later) threw a mare in with him, but it was too late.

Three months after the big trip across the Pond, and just a few days or so after getting a friend, Sig started colicking almost weekly. We had him scoped to find grade 3/4 ulcers. While the trip was surely the start of the stress, him being forced to live alone for the first time in his life absolutely exacerbated it and drove the ulcers to getting that bad. Since then I've always insisted he live out with a group, and he's not had any reoccurrence. Not saying that will happen to your mare but I do believe they need companions and relationships with their own kind to be happy and feel safe.

Best wishes in whatever you decide!

 

[poiuytrewq]

There's nothing more pitiful than the hopeful whinny of a solitary horse when you ride past and the longing way they stare after you as you leave. It breaks my heart. I've had to change several hacking routes over the years as I just couldn't bear it Please anyone who thinks this is ok, reconsider.

Agree, it’s horrible. The little mare I have here used to live alone and was “happy” yet everything I rode past she would be calling. The hedges were so high she didn’t even see other horses ride past, just heard and desperately called.
She’s now in a group of her and 4 others and is much happier.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

For all those stating individual turnout is cruel well You cannot make other liveries put their horses in with yours. End of. I’m not buying another horse and paying another livery just to have a horse in the field with mine when everything else about the yard is perfect and he can groom and interact over the fence.

I also kept Kia himself because other than the fact that I was the only other livery on the farm the place was perfect and until I got eowyn (who my partner paid the livery for and bought for me) I wasn’t just getting another horse for the heck of it. He certainly didn’t suffer and honestly didn’t give a sh!t about her when she was there.

It might be that you don’t like it but you don’t have to insinuate or even outright state that people who do things different to your opinions are cruel to their horses. Mine want for nothing and never will.

 

[alibali]

For all those stating individual turnout is cruel well You cannot make other liveries put their horses in with yours. End of. I’m not buying another horse and paying another livery just to have a horse in the field with mine when everything else about the yard is perfect and he can groom and interact over the fence.

I also kept Kia himself because other than the fact that I was the only other livery on the farm the place was perfect and until I got eowyn (who my partner paid the livery for and bought for me) I wasn’t just getting another horse for the heck of it. He certainly didn’t suffer and honestly didn’t give a sh!t about her when she was there.

It might be that you don’t like it but you don’t have to insinuate or even outright state that people who do things different to your opinions are cruel to their horses. Mine want for nothing and never will.

I'm sorry this discussion has obviously upset you. It is not my intention to upset you further however I respectfully must disagree with you, your horse wants for companionship, though the circumstances you describe could be much worse as your horse can touch, groom and interact with neighbours so his socialisation is only restricted not completely deprived.

I put my money where my mouth is having bought and paid the keep for a companion for 17 years now. In my mind it's his 'job' to stay alone in a field for several hours without fuss while I ride my other horse and to generally be amenable to all comers and low maintenance for me. I didn't buy my companion pony 'for the heck of it' I bought him because I have a duty to look after my horses psychological and emotional needs as much as her physical needs.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

For all those stating individual turnout is cruel well You cannot make other liveries put their horses in with yours. End of. I’m not buying another horse and paying another livery just to have a horse in the field with mine when everything else about the yard is perfect and he can groom and interact over the fence.

I also kept Kia himself because other than the fact that I was the only other livery on the farm the place was perfect and until I got eowyn (who my partner paid the livery for and bought for me) I wasn’t just getting another horse for the heck of it. He certainly didn’t suffer and honestly didn’t give a sh!t about her when she was there.

It might be that you don’t like it but you don’t have to insinuate or even outright state that people who do things different to your opinions are cruel to their horses. Mine want for nothing and never will.

Sadly your horse does want for something - a companion! No-one is saying that you should buy another horse, or even pay livery for a rescue, if you prefer not to but you could organise a companion, or 2, by some other means. The fact that yours can groom over the fence is in part, mitigation against being alone. I wouldn't keep a horse that way. It's not quite solitary confinement but OP is talking about keeping a horse entirely by itself, which is solitary confinement.

 

[Burnttoast]

I'm sorry this discussion has obviously upset you. It is not my intention to upset you further however I respectfully must disagree with you, your horse wants for companionship, though the circumstances you describe could be much worse as your horse can touch, groom and interact with neighbours so his socialisation is only restricted not completely deprived.

I put my money where my mouth is having bought and paid the keep for a companion for 17 years now. In my mind it's his 'job' to stay alone in a field for several hours without fuss while I ride my other horse and to generally be amenable to all comers and low maintenance for me. I didn't buy my companion pony 'for the heck of it' I bought him because I have a duty to look after my horses psychological and emotional needs as much as her physical needs.

Love this post.

 

[Snowfilly]

For all those stating individual turnout is cruel well You cannot make other liveries put their horses in with yours. End of. I’m not buying another horse and paying another livery just to have a horse in the field with mine when everything else about the yard is perfect and he can groom and interact over the fence.

I also kept Kia himself because other than the fact that I was the only other livery on the farm the place was perfect and until I got eowyn (who my partner paid the livery for and bought for me) I wasn’t just getting another horse for the heck of it. He certainly didn’t suffer and honestly didn’t give a sh!t about her when she was there.

It might be that you don’t like it but you don’t have to insinuate or even outright state that people who do things different to your opinions are cruel to their horses. Mine want for nothing and never will.

Yours wanted for nothing except for one of the most basic needs of any herd animal.

At least the grooming and interacting over fences in your case kept it from sliding into outright cruelty but this isn’t a case of opinions or differing ideas. It’s not acceptable to keep a horse isolated.

 

[exracehorse]

I have four. Two are ridden by my sharer and myself at the same time. Two are left behind. I can’t leave one on their own. No other horses around. If you have a companion. Then that may freak when you ride your horse. So.. you then need 3 .

 

[Cortez]

I will repeat, because people are now getting a bit judgy: not every horse likes or needs to be with a companion, certainly most do but it has been my experience that some either don't care one way or the other, or actively hate sharing their space with another horse. Herd bound horses are a nightmare and it is part of being a domesticated horse to be able to be alone for at least some of the time, something that should be established and maintained by regularly moving horses in and out of the herd/pasture.

 

[scats]

I will repeat, because people are now getting a bit judgy: not every horse likes or needs to be with a companion, certainly most do but it has been my experience that some either don't care one way or the other, or actively hate sharing their space with another horse. Herd bound horses are a nightmare and it is part of being a domesticated horse to be able to be alone for at least some of the time, something that should be established and maintained by regularly moving horses in and out of the herd/pasture.

And I think this is where there difference is. If you have a horse that you have tried in a herd/in with others and it’s obvious that it doesn’t work, then that’s one thing.
But having a solo horse and making that decision yourself because it works better for you or you don’t want to get a companion, is entirely different.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

And I think this is where there difference is. If you have a horse that you have tried in a herd/in with others and it’s obvious that it doesn’t work, then that’s one thing.
But having a solo horse and making that decision yourself because it works better for you or you don’t want to get a companion, is entirely different.

And it is very different having a horse which chooses not to spend time with an available herd, from the owner deciding that the horse doesn't want to be with other horses.

 

[alibali]

I will repeat, because people are now getting a bit judgy: not every horse likes or needs to be with a companion, certainly most do but it has been my experience that some either don't care one way or the other, or actively hate sharing their space with another horse. Herd bound horses are a nightmare and it is part of being a domesticated horse to be able to be alone for at least some of the time, something that should be established and maintained by regularly moving horses in and out of the herd/pasture.

When I walk past the lone horses I can no longer bring myself to ride past every one appears calm and content. They are habituated to their conditions and have learned to live with being alone. To any owner visiting they would appear to be perfectly happy. It is only when they see another horse that their longing for company becomes apparent.

The number of horses who don't care whether they have company or actively prefer solitude is vanishingly small though it suits many owners to tell themselves otherwise. I've ridden/handled probably knocking on for 500 horses over the last 40 years and have yet to meet one that truly doesn't care whether it has company or not (many are perfectly happy with a human substitute whilst they're working). I accept with your much greater experience you probably have met a few.

I couldn't agree with you more regarding the need to train horses to cope with short periods (hours) alone as part of domesticated life. That is very different from keeping a horse isolated on a long term basis.

 

[poiuytrewq]

There was a horse at a yard I worked on, he was my favourite, I rode him every day and looked after him as if he was my own. It was a RS and he was supposed to be a RS horse but turned out completely unsuitable but the elderly owner adored him and so kept him anyway.
He couldn’t be turned out with others. He was vicious, I never actually saw it myself as I started working there after this had all been established.
When the owner retired I asked if I could have him, she said she would have loved that but that she could never risk that he got turned out in company and as a result he was pts She was a fantastic horse woman and I really rate everything she ever said so there are defo horses that do need to be turned out alone, I do accept that.

 

[LadyGascoyne]

Mimosa would be fine on her own. She isn’t a very horsey horse. She is fine turned out individually or turned out in a herd but will generally take herself away to the other end of a field from the other horses.

I prefer to turn her out in a herd for exactly the reason that she isn’t very social with other horses, and I think she needs to work on that. She isn’t a human, as much as she wants to be, and she has to learn to find company in her horsey friends.

The horses are on individual turnout for a couple of months whilst away on livery because that is the livery yard’s way of doing things, and they are absolutely fine. When this busy period is over for me, and I bring them home, they’ll be expected to go out together and work through social adjustments to settle on a herd dynamic that works. Yes, I’ll be nervous for a few days but that is the burden of being a horse owner. I wouldn’t have anything on individual turnout without an exit strategy and only for a short period of time.

 

[paddy555]

I will repeat, because people are now getting a bit judgy: not every horse likes or needs to be with a companion, certainly most do but it has been my experience that some either don't care one way or the other, or actively hate sharing their space with another horse. Herd bound horses are a nightmare and it is part of being a domesticated horse to be able to be alone for at least some of the time, something that should be established and maintained by regularly moving horses in and out of the herd/pasture.

I agree. Humans have read the book and it says horses need company, to groom etc etc and they shouldn't be kept on their own. However herds are created by humans. They are a collection of horses that humans have chosen to put together and often in a pretty small space. A natural herd is very different and over many many acres.
There are people, some post on here, saying their horse gets hurt in the herd, knocked around, is at the bottom of the pile, is scared of the other horses. Sometimes those, "lower class" horses do better out of a fear/bullying situation. Would you insist that scared horse was forced to live as part of a herd because the book says they have to live in herds.

Then there is t he single horse that one gets a companion for. The human chooses the companion in the hope they will be a good match. Or they find someone who will put their horse in with theirs. Those 2 horses can be immediately bonded, can get to accommodate each other or one can get very badly bullied.
The friend a horse wants is very often not the friend or friends a human chooses for it.

 

[Jacksie]

I’m not the most sociable person in the world, but even so I still enjoy going out on occasion (with my husband or a friend) and being around others whether or not I choose to interact with them. I wonder if some horses are the same. They may not wish to be turned out with another horse but equally may not wish to live alone either. I cast my mind back to Covid restrictions and it really made me think about what we as humans do to animals. I realise I’m not the same species as a horse but they are herd animals.

 

[Ceifer]

I'm sorry this discussion has obviously upset you. It is not my intention to upset you further however I respectfully must disagree with you, your horse wants for companionship, though the circumstances you describe could be much worse as your horse can touch, groom and interact with neighbours so his socialisation is only restricted not completely deprived.

I put my money where my mouth is having bought and paid the keep for a companion for 17 years now. In my mind it's his 'job' to stay alone in a field for several hours without fuss while I ride my other horse and to generally be amenable to all comers and low maintenance for me. I didn't buy my companion pony 'for the heck of it' I bought him because I have a duty to look after my horses psychological and emotional needs as much as her physical needs.

I have my two at home but they turn out next to each other. My big horse was gelded at 10 having served as a stallion for several years. His previous owner did try him in with a gelding but it didn’t end well. I don’t want to risk having two injured horses and a massive vets bill. They have post and rail fencing so they can groom each other - which they do frequently but if the big horse is getting too much for the pony, the pony can (and does) walk away.
My companion pony in a way is behaviourally more difficult than my ridden horse but he will happily be left alone for periods of time if I’m riding or competing as long as he has food.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I agree. Humans have read the book and it says horses need company, to groom etc etc and they shouldn't be kept on their own. However herds are created by humans. They are a collection of horses that humans have chosen to put together and often in a pretty small space. A natural herd is very different and over many many acres.
There are people, some post on here, saying their horse gets hurt in the herd, knocked around, is at the bottom of the pile, is scared of the other horses. Sometimes those, "lower class" horses do better out of a fear/bullying situation. Would you insist that scared horse was forced to live as part of a herd because the book says they have to live in herds.

Then there is t he single horse that one gets a companion for. The human chooses the companion in the hope they will be a good match. Or they find someone who will put their horse in with theirs. Those 2 horses can be immediately bonded, can get to accommodate each other or one can get very badly bullied.
The friend a horse wants is very often not the friend or friends a human chooses for it.

We had 2 mares that absolutely did not get on, to the point that they couldn't be grazed together. We separated them but they lived with other horses that they did each get on with. In some ways, I think their active dislike of each other was a kind of enrichment of their lives and a definite improvement on having to live in isolation

 

[catembi]

If you're going to get a companion, I would suggest getting one with similar needs to your horse. I have an ISH, an ex racer, a Dartmoor with EMS and a Shetland & it is a pain in the a**e trying to manage all their different needs. The biggies need to eat, eat, eat & the littlies need the opposite. Trying to manage EMS & lami adds a whole layer of faff that I could do without!

On the 'solitary horse' thing, normally I would totally agree that they should have a companion. However, I used to hack past a field with a solitary horse which used to gallop about & upset whatever I was riding. One day I happened to come across his owner & she said that she had tried everything over the years to get him to live with another horse, but he had hated & attacked whatever she put in with him. So there is the odd one that prefers to live alone.

 

[TheMule]

I think most examples of horses 'preferring' to be on their own is where they've been poorly socialized or kept in unsuitable conditions which lead to them not having the skills to live with others.
My gelding is an interesting one because he has been kept in a small group all his life but he won’t tolerate many other horses since his original herd disbanded, so I have to be quite careful. He is paired up with my ex-racehorse who is just slightly dominant but without being arsey when he gets a bit boisterous and it works perfectly, they're great buddies.

 

[Puzzled]

They are herd animals and need other equines close by. I have a policy where I won’t sell a horse to a home where they are the only equine, I just don’t think it’s fair no matter how happy they seem.

 

[Michen]

For all those stating individual turnout is cruel well You cannot make other liveries put their horses in with yours. End of. I’m not buying another horse and paying another livery just to have a horse in the field with mine when everything else about the yard is perfect and he can groom and interact over the fence.

I also kept Kia himself because other than the fact that I was the only other livery on the farm the place was perfect and until I got eowyn (who my partner paid the livery for and bought for me) I wasn’t just getting another horse for the heck of it. He certainly didn’t suffer and honestly didn’t give a sh!t about her when she was there.

It might be that you don’t like it but you don’t have to insinuate or even outright state that people who do things different to your opinions are cruel to their horses. Mine want for nothing and never will.

I totally sympathize with this. Boggle used up all his lives in having a friend when on livery. Eventually I actually DID buy him another horse as I was the only one happy to risk a horse with him! And actually he never left a mark on him.

It’s very tricky when you have a horse whose dominant or bossy.

I do personally feel that company over a fence is sufficient for some (not all) horses, if they can mutual groom and whatnot. Whilst not perfect, neither are many things about how we keep horses.

 

[meleeka]

It might be that you don’t like it but you don’t have to insinuate or even outright state that people who do things different to your opinions are cruel to their horses. Mine want for nothing and never will.

What do horses 'want' though? I expect most of them just want a full belly and a herd. They probably don't want a yard that's perfect for their human. That said, I think there's a big different between horses that can touch/groom other horses over a
fence and one that is properly alone.

 

[Pinkvboots]

I wouldn't keep a horse alone it's cruel, individual turnout is different as they are surrounded by other horses but some don't cope with that either.

 

[rabatsa]

A fair few years ago my RDA group gained a lovely driving pony. She was a forest bred NF who had been bought at the draft sales. Once in her new home she was kept as an only pony. Broken to drive she moved on to another home where she was also an only pony. When she arrived at the RDA she was frightened of the other ponies and always grazed alone. Many years later she retired from RDA and came here to live out her days, she happily slotted into my little band and was really one of the girls for the rest of her life.

She had had to relearn how to be a pony and needed the security others offered to really become the pony everyone wanted. However in her 12 years within the group only two people were able to catch her at will. The group organiser and landlady was not one of the two, so I got called in several times at short notice to do so. We all felt that was because she did not want to be removed from home.

For anyone who attended the RDA national carriage driving holidays at Escrick 15-20yrs ago that pony was Belle.

 

[tristars]

I put one With another in the day at certain times but not at night and only while grazing as one can be naughty, the stallion can groom over the fence with his son and always can see or be next to other horses, it's a balance between interaction and safety, kick Injuries can be fatal or life changing, it's our job to keep them safe while in a domestic setting, and it requires huge efforts and a lot of thought. One large mare is very bonded to a small pony but small pony has ems so all the time its management intensive,if you don't have the time or facilities to faff about too much stress, said small pony is an angel with me and an evil witch of the first order with large geldings. And horses do call out to others when they pass hacking, ours scream and gallop up and and down the fence no matter how many friends they are grazing with! I would be wary of taking on a companion unless it can have a similar life style and needs. in the past I have had horses in fields miles away on their own and they were relaxed and enjoyed the fresh grazing for a while, then returned home after their holiday, the important thing Is to study each horse, which clearly would be too much effort for some people

 

[I'm Dun]

Using the extreme outliers that have psychological damage as proof that its ok to keep horses alone as it suits you, is one hell of a stretch.

 

[Cortez]

Using the extreme outliers that have psychological damage as proof that its ok to keep horses alone as it suits you, is one hell of a stretch.

I can assure you that none of my “Greta Garbo” horses have or had psychological damage, that’s a ridiculous assertion based purely on your own prejudice and projection. In my extreme youth I took part in studies of mustang herds in the wild in Montana and there were certain horses that lived alone, usually males, but also sometimes older mares. This was by choice, they were not bullied out like the young stallions that often formed bachelor herds of their own. It’s not common, but it’s also not unnatural. Please don’t allow your opinions to become absolute in the face of actual evidence.