Horses who are turned out alone....*pics*

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Smallhorses

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Ok so Pony has continued to be very naughty with his field companions despite being in individual turnout (but with electric tape only). Since his move to my yard he had become a right cocky git!

The YO has now put him in a field which is secured by wooden posts and proper wiring. The only problem is that he is now away from his herd. He can't see them but can hear them if they neigh. He has been in there for 4 days (not all the time as he has been ridden etc).

I went to see him this evening (having been away all day, ridden yesterday) and he just looked bored and lonely. I felt so bad which is making me feel like a rubbish owner :( I brought him in and freeschooled him and he whizzed round (I regretted doing that as I have to ride him in there tomorrow!). He seemed fine albeit preoccupied looking for his herd.

The grass is great though! :D and it is right by the yard so he can see the comings and goings during the day :)

He doesn't appear to be stressed or neighing constantly - just bored. I am worried he will act like a git when I ride because of his bordem too.

Is it ok for him to be away from his herd like this?! Am I being over paranoid?!

This was him when I saw him this eve, he didn't come over to me, or follow me up. He just stood there:

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Help :confused:
 
Mine's out on his own; although he can see the rest of the herd in the field across the road, plus close to the house (I keep him at home) - and he copes very well with it. He sees quite a lot of the herd as his field is right next to the yard so when they come in for whatever reason they can all "talk" and rub noses etc plus he hacks out with them sometimes.

Umm, you'll hate me for being this nosey OP, BUT what's the yellow flower growing in the background of your photo? Sorry to be picky, but its not ragwort is it??? If so, I'd be getting a working party up at your yard to clear it PDQ.
 
So he can't see any other horses? He may settle down, but I would have thought that he'd be better off if he has other horses in view.

Almost all the horses at our yard are on individual turnout, but all have neighbours, all have visibility of others, and the layout (who goes in which field) is considered very carefully. The result of this careful consideration is a lot of happy, calm, contented horses.

My mare was stress-y and not easy to handle to & from the field when she was in the paddock at the 'top' of the hill from where she could see all the comings and goings of the rest of the herd. So, even if she and her neighbours were completely undisturbed she would start to stress when a horse way over the other end was being moved. Now she's in a field in the 'valley' she's completely chilled even at bringing-in time.

Whilst neither of these is absolutely like your situation, my point is that individual turnout can be fine, but you do need to get the location/neighbours/views and routines working with it too.

Good luck, I'm sure you will find a solution.
 
Heehee, no its not ragwort. I'm obsessed with clearing the stuff! Its buttercups and another yellow flower which is harmless.

I was hoping you'd say he'd be ok as I haven't allot of choice at the moment. My other horse had terrible separation anxiety and this is one thing that is very beneficial for that. He sees his buddies as they walk past and he's not completely isolated. I an thinking of getting a sharer to keep his occupied a bit more as in only ride 4 times per week (twice during the weekdays).
 
Hi, i dont like horses being on their own - some love their own company so fair enough, but generally they are gregarious creatures and need company. I personally dont like the fencing your boy is exposed to and would opt for an inner lining of electric tape.
 
The only problem is that he is now away from his herd. He can't see them but can hear them if they neigh.
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TBH if my mare had been put on her own like this when she was on livery, I'd be looking for a new yard. Equine company is number one on my list of essentials and one of the main reasons that I bought my filly when I knew that I was moving and no longer needed to have her on livery (I am now able to use my parent's field).
 
Our old TB was very agressive with other horses in his space so had individual turnout. BUT he could groom over the fence and was always next to or within sight of (one paddock away) another horse.
He was fine but he would not have been happy to not be able to see his "friends" or not be able to sniff and groom over the fence. Your horse looks rather alert, as if he is looking out for others. This may be over humanising him on my part but they are herd animals and, I believe, need the company of others to feel relaxed and safe.
 
You guys are now gonna hate me even more for this. The muck heap is at the top of his field by the gate. He is well away from it when he goes into his field though. This isn't good is it?
 
I keep my horse at home on his own and he is fine. For the first year or so he had my old mare as company, but used to keep away from her. She had to be pts 2 years ago, and my immediate thought was to get him a friend, but he just didn't seem bothered- very chilled and happy. We are accross the road from a livery yard so he sees horses several times a day, and their jumping field backs onto my field, so there is plenty going on. Others may not agree, but it works for us :)
 
The muck heap is not ideal but we have the same. It is not the end of the world. I would look at seeing if he can either have a companion in with him, or, if he is agressive towards others, someone right next door to him. Could you double electric fence with "dead space" between them? We do this with our 3yo and his brother. They play very roughly together and to prevent injury they are each with a quiet older horse with double electric between them. It works well provided the battery for the fence is well charged:rolleyes:
 
Good advice guys. You've made me feel a bit better that I'm not a total cowbag. I think its more me worrying than him. He was grazing when we left which was nice. Maybe I should consider myself lucky to have a lush big field!
 
i would put some electric fence to stop your boy getting caught on that mesh fence. If he should get his foot caught (esp if he has shoes on) then he could do some serious damage to himsel. theat mesh fencing is not good around horses - your YO should know better than to put that up.
 
I certainly wouldn't want to keep any of my horses like that. Horses are herd animals, this means that they should be able to touch each other for mutual grooming, not just see similar animals in the distance. Your horse looks hypervigilant, in other words he cannot relax because he is the one who always has to be 'on duty' watching for the predators - he doesn't realise that there aren't any wolves in Sussex. Again he needs to be in a herd, so that others can take turns in being on watch.
I don't know the history but is there no way that he could be in a paddock with at least one other equine?
That fencing isn't the best for horses either - if he rolls he could get a leg through those squares and if he is shod he could get a wire between the shoe and the hoof - very dangerous.
 
tbh my horse is out on her own but she can see other horses - can not always be in touching distance but can see them

i wouldnt be happy if mine couldnt see other horses tbh.....

Mine stands there glaring at me when she sees me and i do feel that bit of guilt but tbh i feel happier with individual turnout as they are "safer" (injuries )!
 
Do you mind me asking what he is doing that has got him sent to coventry like this.

I personally wouldn't have any of mine in that situation, I know they are "animals" but they are herd animals generally and I personally believe they do need company of their own kind even if it is accross the other side of the fence.
 
Could you put some electric fencing in front of the fence to keep him away from it? Or, and this may be a daft suggestion, but it is my understanding that the problem with the fence is the 'hoof sized' squares in it. It looks to be 'tight' and not sagging, so is there a way to weave some sort of thick tape or similar along the fence, to fill in the squares, at least as a temporary measure?

I know its not ideal, but maybe worth a go? Horses are a worry!!!
 
Smallhorses said:
Yes he was turned out in company. 4 others :( I am starting to feel a panicky about this fencing now. Damn damn
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So he's just been a typical excited/unsettled horse in a new home and hasn't been allowed to settle in with his new herd.

If everyone there is over-cautious about injuries, how about you offer to have his shoes taken off and turn him out with one non-aggressive, bigger than him gelding (if possible). Once he has a friend and is settled, you can then introduce him to the rest of the herd. Then once everyone is happy and calm, put his shoes back on if you want.
 
I bought a very large tank of a gelding who was very agressive with other horses putting him in individual turnout just didnt work, he would break fences or jump out.
Luckily i have my own place and it is just my horses in the end we took his shoes off and turned him out in a very large field so the others could get away if need be.

He was a bit stroppy at first but settled fairly quickly two years on he has actually learned to make friends with the others and stopped the kicking, he does take alot of managing if bringing a new horse in as funnily is very over protective of the herd.
I think mine just didnt have any social graces with other horses, i am not sure what kind of experience of other horses he had but he certainly didnt know how to behave around them he is much more relaxed about things now.
I dont think he would have improved or settled if we had not put him in a herd he needed to learn how to behave with horses.
His previous owners had never let him be turned out with others because of his behaviour.
 
I would always prefer to keep my horse alone, if the horse seems settled and happy then there is no reason you shouldn't. Saying this last week, my mare was kicked by other horse as they were quite boisterous, she was pts the next day, she was being looked after by someone else and had been with these horses for a fair while. I would never ever risk this again, as I've had it previously where I have been the one who got hurt. So I think to the OP if your pony is happy and settled, like mine is now and has some interaction with others during the day even just over the fence is enough. The pony I have now I would not like to put with the other horse in our field as she will kick out at him as he's quite riggy and would not like to ever have like what happened last week, losing the horse of my lifetime :( it may not hAppen today or tommorow but it can always happen
 
would not like to ever have like what happened last week, losing the horse of my lifetime it may not hAppen today or tommorow but it can always happen
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I'm so very sorry, what a terrible thing to happen.

Injuries and sometimes fatal ones are a risk, but I believe that unless a horse has a serious behavioural problem (very rare), that it is a risk worth taking. My horses' mental wellbeing is very important to me. Horses will always be at risk from injury even when they are on individual turnout.
 
I wouldn't be too keen on my horse being on his/her own unless able to interact with horses over the fence. Even then it's not an ideal situation.
 
ok my old boy is old and he does wait for the horses in the next field to come out. But he is fine on his own(although I dont like this but he is ok and spent the winter in a field ..very greedy so keeps busy with his food etc and is quite a chilled nature, I think I worry more than he does) As soon as the neighbours are out he goes to the opposite side furthest away and carries on with his world!?!

But just looking at your horse he looks very preoccupied and it seems unfair to hear other nearby horses and not see them. I think that could be worse? But he may not get on with one horse so perhaps find one that he does? My gelding is better with a gelding. The mare he lived with was a nightmare...they drove each other mad in equal measures. But if you think he is not happy he probably isnt. He sounds like he could be unsettled. If he is fixed on the other horses he doesnt look like he will be listening much to you?I hope I am wrong?

If he has caused problems it shouldnt mean solitary etc, they all handle it differently, I think the herd is best though. They will have scraps and thats normal, we hope they dont end up injured but thats the herd etc hierarchy. Agree find out how he lived before etc. Company is better even if over the fence nearby?
 
Smallhorses, just to quote from your other thread:

"All the horses are in individual fields. The mare just down from him is in season. Pony has a bright idea to cause some havoc so decides to plough through the stripped electric fencing his field to get into the one next to him Once through he proceeds to chase the horse round for a bit before double barrelling the horse causing a nasty cut on the horse's hock. He's now lame Pony then moves on to the next field ploughs through that and chases that horse round before cornering him. He then breaks through that electric fencing - which is on but clearly not on a strong enough power to stop him - and jumps into the mare's field."

So, you've got a new pony who is used to being out in company. He's moved to a new place then been put into individual turnout. For a pony that's used to being able to fully interact with others, the fact that he could see other horses over the fence may not be much comfort. He's reacted as many would, and now he's being kept in complete isolation.

This could go one of two ways I would guess. Either he'll settle down, bond with you and become really easy to deal with. Or, he won't handle this huge change in his management and you will suffer various behaviour and insecurity issues from him as a result.

Would you consider moving him (yet again!) to a yard where they have safer fencing, do turnout in small groups and handle introductions gradually and considerately? That's what I'd be looking for I'm afraid. I know a very good yard in E Sussex that would probably be able to help you with that, but the downside is that you have a short bit of roadwork on quite a fast road to get to the excellent hacking.

I'll add to that. If he does start to have behaviour problems as a result of his isolation they can be very difficult to deal with, and it can take a long time to re-establish proper herd behaviour if you try to put him back in with others. So if you feel in your guts that he isn't dealing with this well, I wouldn't hang about too long before sorting it out.
 
Faracat said:
I'm so very sorry, what a terrible thing to happen.

Injuries and sometimes fatal ones are a risk, but I believe that unless a horse has a serious behavioural problem (very rare), that it is a risk worth taking. My horses' mental wellbeing is very important to me. Horses will always be at risk from injury even when they are on individual turnout.
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This is how I feel about it really. I'm fortunate that we have our own land but we have always turned all of ours out together (and we've had various different horses and ponies over the years) without any major problems. I appreciate that it perhaps isn't suitable for all horses but I really believe that the vast majority are better off with company.

My stepmother's horse was put down this morning because she broke a leg just hooning around in the field. I'd rather my horses had a good mental wellbeing and ran the added risk of a kick as a tragedy can happen anytime and I don't think it's worth lessening a horse's quality of life for a "what if".
 
HollyWoozle said:
This is how I feel about it really. I'm fortunate that we have our own land but we have always turned all of ours out together (and we've had various different horses and ponies over the years) without any major problems. I appreciate that it perhaps isn't suitable for all horses but I really believe that the vast majority are better off with company.

My stepmother's horse was put down this morning because she broke a leg just hooning around in the field. I'd rather my horses had a good mental wellbeing and ran the added risk of a kick as a tragedy can happen anytime and I don't think it's worth lessening a horse's quality of life for a "what if".
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I would never say leave a horse on its own, my horse who was pts and my pony were turned out stabled(would stand in same stable together) everything together as they got on like a house on fire. My pony always has interaction and at very least can see horse, although other horse is besoted and spends most of his time at the fence trying to touch her. But still wouldnt turn out tog all the time the occasional hoon i dont mind but she would be the one causing the damage as she has one hell of a good set of legsand i wouldnt know what to do if anything happened because of me.

OP leave him see if he settles, can he see others? Also let them have interaction ven if it is just a walk past so he can act like a horse or get a super strong charger, saying that we've got one that supposedly holds tigers in, but dosnt hold pony in when she decides to leep 5ft over
 
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