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

The whole thing is inordinately difficult if you've bought a pony that is as aggressive in company as your little chap.

No one in their right mind would want to put their horses in with yours or even next to him. I know I wouldn't.

But what living situation was he in before you bought him?

Was he in a large herd where he was the boss? Or was he the bullied one?

I used to not agree with horses living alone, but I've got several friends who have single horses that live on their own, most starting out with a companion horse that has since died.

And surprisingly, all of their equines seem very happy and settled in their new situation.

So I think, unless you can find another livery yard with good fencing as Tinypony suggests, then really, what you're doing now is the next best option.
 
Madhossy, if you read the thread you'll see that he was kept in company before smallhorses got him. If he was settled in his situation maybe it would be OK, but he patently isn't. Smallhorses has had some confidence issues in the past and I think it would be very sad to see these aggravated because her pony is becoming stressed as a result of the way he's being kept.
I don't think he's aggressive, I think he's just a horse being a horse. I suggested a yard with good fences, but only so that introductions can be done properly. I wouldn't use the good fences to keep him alone forever, I'd introduce him to a small herd and then have him living with company.
I have dealt with several horses that had problems being out with others. One was labelled aggressive, but he was as he was because he'd reacted badly to being kept alone for a long period of time. Once I got him paired with the right horse, he was able to go back in the herd. The other horse, for reasons I never got to the bottom of, was terrified of being out with other horses (and had other behaviour problems). In his case the answer was the same, treat him considerately, pair him with the right horse, then gentle introduction to a small herd.
I think Smallhorse's pony got het up because he wasn't used to being alone. Then he went through the inadequate electric fencing. They all got wound up, as they do when that happens, and unfortunately this pony was the one that made contact. A one-off caused by the wrong management for the individual pony.
 
What is he doing to the other horses to have to have been separated ? I've just read the rest of the thread so has been answered, what about the higher electric sticks you can get so he can see the others
 
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I think Smallhorse's pony got het up because he wasn't used to being alone. Then he went through the inadequate electric fencing. They all got wound up, as they do when that happens, and unfortunately this pony was the one that made contact. A one-off caused by the wrong management for the individual pony.
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I agree with this 100%.

We know that he was happy and non-agressive in a herd recently. It is the move and the different style of turnout that has upset him. Going through electric tape in a bid to be with the other horses will result in him being in 'flight' mode and is not an example of how he would behave normally (if he was introduced to other horses carefully, he should be fine).
 
I don't like individual turn out simply because my perfectly mannered WB turns into a cheeky little sod. He needs a herd environment to keep him in the right pecking order, he is not the only one I have had like this either
 
I have just had to split my three up, as one of them is agressive. However, he is just an electric fence away from the others, and has respect for the fence (as we make sure it works properly!!)

I tried for three years to have him in the same field, but as one of my others (top horse) has got older, this one has got worse. To compound it all he wasn't gelded til he was 5. It got to the stage where he chased my old boy into the fence, so now he lives alone, and occasionally has the little mare for company - he still chases her occasionally but she is better at getting out of the way!

I would bite the bullet, invest in some of those higher elec fence posts, some decent tape and construct him a paddock of his own where he can see the others.

If I had a geldign that would stick up for himself, i would happily put my pony out with his as I feel it would level things out a bit.
 
I think this is a pretty appalling way to keep the pony. He's done nothing wrong, other than break through inadequate fencing.

He needs, and should have, company.
 
If you have to keep him in a field to himself I personally think they should be able to still see other horses close by, so they can still interact over a fence for a scratch and a sniff etc, In fact I’d say it was better or at least less confusing for a horse to live completely alone without any equines near by (if needs be) than to be near some but not quite near enough, specially when trying to settle into a new environment.

But I do sympathise with your situation, I can’t have my lad with any other horses so he has to have a field to himself, it is a shame and I do feel sorry for him sometimes but at the same time you have to respect the fact that yes he causes problems and it’s not fair on other liveries or him.

He next to the other horses and if they want they can go over to him and do what ever over the fence. Took him a week or so to have a sulk (should of thought of that before he decided to bites chunks out of the only one that could go in with him) but he’s ok, as long as there’s plenty of snap and he gets plenty of attention he’s seems ok with it now but if I was to take him to a new yard and expect to do the same thing in a field where he knows there horses but can’t make contact with them over a fence, then yes he’s be threating like hell.

I think it's a case of meeting him half way and finding a field so he can at least feel at home with some equines even if he's not actually in a paddock with them.
 
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Sorry, but hate that fencing. For a short while, Kal was kept in a field with similar, wire fencing. On the day we moved him, he managed to slice clean through a section of his fetlock . . . luckily he missed muscle/tendon/anything scary, but he took a piece of flesh (not just skin) off about the size of a 50-pence piece. He still has the scar. I don't want to think about how much worse it could be.

Please consider putting up electric fence a good couple of feet away from that mesh fencing so that he can't hurt himself . . . or consider moving him to a yard with better fencing and where he can be turned out with others.

P
 
Faracat said:
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.
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He's not shod x
 
I don't think there is anything wrong with individual turnout, but I do think they ought to be able to see the horse in the next paddock. I think it's less than ideal to put a horse out of sight, but in earshot of other horses. It is very likely to cause silliness when he does see other horses when you hack out. Not all, but some horses can be very stupid about things like that.
 
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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Sorry, don't want to worry you even more about that fencing but about 2 months ago at the yard where my boss'es horses are a shod mare caught her front foot in it pulled backward to free her foot and I don't know how she managed but she broke her leg + got an open wound on her chest and had to be put down. :-(

Sorry just read he is not shod...
 
amymay said:
I think this is a pretty appalling way to keep the pony. He's done nothing wrong, other than break through inadequate fencing.

He needs, and should have, company.
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This. Is there a bigger more dominant horse he could be paired up with as a buddy and then sensibly reintroduced to the herd with the pair of them. As a herd animal, I feel very sorry for him. He is in a strange environment, strange people and strange horses and he is left on his own. With a bit of extra effort and management he could be reintroduced to the herd.
 
Oh sorry :o That's not feasible then. Looks like better fencing separating them then or move yards. I keep all mine in a herd and always have, if I anticipate any ructions then I put my gelding out first who is boss but protective. Good luck though, I just dislike seeing the little guy like that.
 
I would be moving yards if I were you - your pony looks unsettled and very alert, and will not ever relax in his current living conditions. My horse ploughs through all electric fencing, but we have properly fenced paddocks in which to keep the herds; if all we had was electric tape, I would have moved by now.

Hope you get it sorted:)
 
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