I have no idea if I've done the 'right' thing....

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MizElz

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...but I dont care!
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Bloody mare, the clue as to her mood was all in the face this morning:
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She hasnt been turned out for ages, so I thought I would make the most of being at home and put her out for the morning. Lately she has been very intolerant of being in the field; after 10 minutes she will start careering round and round, until I'm forced to get her in....by the time I've taken her (middleweight, full neck) rug off, she looks like this:
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Anyway, I decided today I wouldnt bow to her every whim, as I do normally. There is no reason she cannot stay in the field as she used to, quite happily. The ground is not boggy, the fence is secure, there are no tractors/pipes/cows/scary things going through the field today, and so she should be fine. Not so. Instead of bringing her in when she began her normal galloping/screaming routine, however, I went out and stripped her of her nice warm rugs, and replaced them with a simple waterproof sheet that I normally use in the summer. That way, I figure, she can charge around all she likes and get as hot as hell, without lathering! And if she starts to behave herself, well she should be warm enough from all her previous silly antics.

The look on her face as I walked back out of the field was a picture; I'm hoping I may have outfoxed her this time.....but I doubt it!
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She's been a 'lone' horse for the past 2 years...before then she was in a yard but still was always turned out alone! So she has no excuse now! She hasnt been out for a fortnight because the farm (we rent our cottage) have been muckspreading in her field, and as I go to uni each day, I wouldnt want to leave her alone with that going on!

She's out there neighing her head off now, but I'm not listening, not listening!
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I went to spy on her a minute ago and she was actually grazing....
 
i know exactly what you mean. i have the same issue with mine but not unitl you need to bring her in. i would do the same as you. normally mine will settle down after a while but needs a bloody good groom when i do manage to get her in!
 
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She sounds terribly unhappy.......

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I would tend to think more 'naughty' than 'unhappy'
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Methinks Miss Ellie is just a wee bit accustomed to getting her own way all the time! As I've said before, there is no reason she should not be able to stay in the field, and it is the same field she has behaved perfectly well in for the past two years. The other alternative is to let her in the yard - and then she cranes her neck as far under the fence as possible to try and grab the scraps of grass that are growing on our drive! You just cant win!
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i,ve never felt happy with lone horses , some may tolerate it better than yours but all in my opinion should have company at least for part of the day

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That's very easy to say, but we have no other option! We don't have the finance, space or time for another horse - we once had five, but have had to downsize dramatically due to various family issues
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We're lucky enough as we are to be able to keep Ellie at home - very generous landlords - if this wasnt possible, I doubt we could afford livery fees elsewhere
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I am aware that keeping a horse alone is not ideal; however when faced with no alternative, what would you have me do? Sell my horse?
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I'm afraid the general assumption that "if you can afford one, you can afford two" is not always correct. In some cases, yes, but not in others. In an ideal world, all horses would have a companion of some sort, but this is not an ideal world, and I am doing the best I can for my girl. Would you rather see two horses skinny, neglected and unloved together, or one horse kept alone who, although lacking company, has a shiny coat, a sparkle in her eye, everything a horse could want for, and the full attention of her owner?

Aside from all that is the fact that, as I have said, this whole 'I'm going to run around and neigh my head off until you bring me in' thing is a new habit; in the past, she has always been fine and, IMHO (and I do know my horse, inside out) a happier horse than when she was in the proximity of others.
 
Shes doesnt sound like she's running around to be "naughty"..... I agree with the others she sounds anxious to me. Could you not look into getting a small companion for her, on loan? As you keep her at home surely that wouldnt cost all that much more, most shetlands etc live on thin air!
 
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poor love, I hate seeing horses kept alone. I agree, she sounds miserable and/or anxious.

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Have to agree

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I think so too. It doesnt sound like a naughty horse.

She sounds anxious/insecure, perhaps because she is out there alone all the time, she may feel safer in her stable.

If my horse was lathered like that after only being in the field a short while, I would be very concerned.
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what if she really hurt herself?

what about a sheep or something as company?
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What about rehoming one of the OE horses... get it for free - surely sharing your horses food and hay won't be a huge cost to you.
 
Mizelz, you've been so good lately, are you bored at home today and fancy a fight?

Personally I think some horses can live alone quite happily others can't.

I think posting a pic of your horse in that state is pure madness.
 
Have to say I agree re her being unhappy. I had to keep my mare alone for a short period (4 months) many years ago as parents wouldn't let me have another there and I was too young to have any real say in the matter. She seemed OK at the time but TBH it has affected her for life, she is really clingy now (never was before) and gets very upset if any of her field friends are taken away. Thankfully she is now with my gelding who doesn't really give a stuff, so that calms her down, and two other mares who keep themselves to themselves.
I woudln't ever do it again, and wouldn't have in the first place if I had had any way in it!
Could you not het a loan companion? There are plenty around, and say an 11hh pony wouldn't take much feeding/grazing?
 
I have now been forced to keep my girl on her own as the other horse we had with her has now gone off to be a college horse..

She has always been with others and for the first two days she will be keen to get into her stable to see if she has company and then keen again in the morning to get out (again to see if there is company) but after the two days she relaxes and becomes quite happy.

When i had another horse come to stay you should have seen the faces she pulled when he was given attention! when she is on her own she gets ALL the attention, which she loves!

I always ensure i ride her each day and let her 'speak' to the horses down the lane in the field, she has her squeel with them and then walks off.

I would love to AFFORD another for company but i sadly have to work full time and ALL my money goes on her alone, what wouldnt be fair would be to get another which i couldnt afford to look after!
 
I think she would benefit from a small companion if you could get one, Im not judging you, but I also hate to see horses kept isolated, after all they are herd animals.
Really hope she calms down soon.
 
How much grazing have you got? Could you not let someone be a livery (cheap)? Or is the stable in a position that she could be left with gate open and stable open (with no feed in) so she could wonder in and out as she pleases?

We have found and this is with more that one horse we have owned. If we turn him out in a field he has been sharing with another horse he runs up and down shouting. If we turn him in another field were he has only been on his own no problem.

I am sorry everyone seems to be getting at you and I can understand your problem. Let us know if things improve or any of the suggestions may be an option (good or bad).
Is she still running round.
 
Diesel Dog - don't patronise me, please. That picture is one I have previously posted on here, as some may remember, and I dont recall anyone else accusing me of 'madness' because of it. Am I cruel now for turning out my horse?


Don't think we havent considered the idea of a shettie/sheep/donkey etc....the concept sounds great, but although our current situation as far as our house is secure, there is no telling what may happen in the future. And having been in the position before where we lost everything, I dont want to put myself in that same situation again. If our landlords suddenly served notice on us, finding another willing to allow us the freedom our current one has would be near impossible. And affording livery for two would be something we simply could not manage.

GinGin - it is easy to sit back and say that sharing Ellie's hay and food would not make much of a difference, but what about farriers fees, vaccination costs, and, lo and behold, vets bills if something goes wrong? would you be happy for me to sit back and say, ah, companion pony has gone lame, but I can't afford to do anything about it - its only a companion? sorry, but I think that is madness. Please everyone, do not judge a situation you have no real knowledge of. There are far more 'cruel' practices that deserve your attention.
 
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That's very easy to say, but we have no other option! We don't have the finance, space or time for another horse

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Even a shetland would do! Anything's better than being alone..2 years without any company is unbelieveable. (just read last post soz) If getting a companion is so hard perhaps loaning or selling would be kinder.
 
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GinGin - it is easy to sit back and say that sharing Ellie's hay and food would not make much of a difference, but what about farriers fees, vaccination costs, and, lo and behold, vets bills if something goes wrong? would you be happy for me to sit back and say, ah, companion pony has gone lame, but I can't afford to do anything about it - its only a companion? sorry, but I think that is madness. Please everyone, do not judge a situation you have no real knowledge of. There are far more 'cruel' practices that deserve your attention.

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Good point. I don't think people should have horses if they can't afford to keep them in their happiest and healthiest state.
 
Ok, but if you had one on loan and explained to the owners that is you were to lose your grazing the pony would have to be returned? I'm just thinking of our pony as an eg, I'd happily have let her go to someone as a companion and continued to pay for things like vaccinations, as it would have saved the cost of livery and the time commitment of mucking out etc every day.
I agree that some horses perhaps can cope on their own, our old neighbour had one who always seemed ok, although she did spend a lot of time calling to ours accross the fields. But the way you have described your horse's behaviour would lead people to assume that she isn't very happy?
 
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GinGin - it is easy to sit back and say that sharing Ellie's hay and food would not make much of a difference, but what about farriers fees, vaccination costs, and, lo and behold, vets bills if something goes wrong? would you be happy for me to sit back and say, ah, companion pony has gone lame, but I can't afford to do anything about it - its only a companion? sorry, but I think that is madness. Please everyone, do not judge a situation you have no real knowledge of. There are far more 'cruel' practices that deserve your attention.

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Good point. I don't think people should have horses if they can't afford to keep them in their happiest and healthiest state.

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And that also means providing companionship for them as stated in the Animal health act...
 
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She sounds terribly unhappy.......

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I would tend to think more 'naughty' than 'unhappy'
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Horses nearly always behave the way they do for a reason. Most horse behaviour is down to natural instincts.

I think she sounds quite stressed. I know if my horse is first out he wont completly relax until another one is turned out, he doesnt go charging but he does whinny and check the whole field for another horse, however when there are other horses he usually grazes alone. I am lucky as his field is very natural and there are around 40 horses in there.

I would look into why your horse is acting like this and certanly would not ignore her, she is trying to tell you something.

Obviously you know your horse better than I do but if it were mine I would be worried.
 
she needs some mates! or A mate!!

can't you get a cheap shetland or something?? can't you get shetlands these days for a couple of hundred quid??
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i don't know much about the market for shetlands
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Diesel Dog - don't patronise me, please. That picture is one I have previously posted on here, as some may remember, and I dont recall anyone else accusing me of 'madness' because of it. Am I cruel now for turning out my horse?



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No I think you are cruel for turning your horse out in a MW rug when she gallops around so much she ends up in that state. As you have just said you have posted this pic of her before it is obviously not something that she did this morning. So why have you continued to put her out in a rug that is too warm for her?

If you actually read my post you would have seen that I said I had no problem with keeping horses by themselves.
 
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