Individual turnout

Sarah Sum1

Sarah Sum1

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Hi, those of you who's horses have individual turnout, do your horses mind being on their own? A yard i have seen has this and each paddock is seperated with electric fencing, so they see each other but are obviously seperate. I'm worried in case new horsey will try to join neighbouring horse. Or does this kind of arrangement work well? thanks
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Our paddocks are separated with different groups of horses in each one. As there's only 2 horses in my field they get left on their own quite regularly but as there are other horses in the next fields they are usually fine. We have had incidences of horses breaking through the fences into neighbouring fields but only when they were being too boisterous, not because they were on their own.
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It probably depends on the horses, some are fine on their own, others not. Hope that helps
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D has individual turnout and has never jumped out into one of the other fields to join another horse although she has jumped the electric fencing to get out of her starvation paddock so I know she's quite capable of it.

In an ideal world I wouldn't keep her on her own but she has other horses all around her and she can and does groom other horses over the fence.

For me the ability to manage her weight by giving her exactly as much grass as I felt was suitable was worth swapping into an individual field. She has never been healthier.

The only comment I would make is that I wouldn't do it if it was a young/old horse or one that wasn't worked much. D is ridden for at least an hour 6 days a week and frequently goes on long rides with other horses. If she has a couple of days without being ridden you can see that she wants some stimulation and will "play" with me when I go into the field.
 
Depends on the horse really. Our old mare would hate that arrangement and would run up and down and get upset. On the other hand our big gelding hates other horses in his space and has had individual turnout for the last 6 years. He is so agressive towards others we won't risk someone elses horse (or ours!) in with him. He likes a friend over the fence but needs his own space. He is fine with just two strips of electric fencing so I think it is psychological with him. I don't like large herds of shod horses together as I think the potential for injuries is huge.
 
Hmmm the horse i am interested in is 4 nearly 5
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so am worried as to wether or not this would work. She could have conatct over the fence but it worries me that she is young and may not like it. It is a great yard though in other ways.
 
Richie doesnt mind being on his own most of the time. He is a buggar when in with others ie eats tails,rugs and even had a go at manes so other than putting muzzle on(which i aint prepared to do as he needs grass as only 5 and still growing) he has to go solo
 
we have individual turnout, my went from being out with other to by himself at rising 3. he was fine the only thing he doesn't like is if the horses in the paddocks next door go in and he is left out but the worst he does is pace around
 
All of ours have individual turnout - it means grazing can be managed, no scrapping and injuries, no arguements over food/hay, no torn rugs and no arguments over poo picking. They all have buddies over the fence so get to groom and hoon around. My friend bred her gelding here and he has been on is own paddock since he was about 3 and is absolutely fine. In an ideal world they would hang out in a herd but in their 'natural' state there is no such thing as geldings, hedges,fences or shoes!! O and we have never had a problem with anything jumping in/out of paddocks.
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I like individual turnout, never had any problem with it myself, and it solves almost all problems of someone elses horse kicking yours and any ensuing vets bills...

Where I am now, each of us have allocated grazing for our ponies. It is up to us how we use it, currently my 2 (mare and gelding) share their grazing, I used to split it when I had 2 geldings because one hated sharing with anyone else and would fight... The other livery there keeps her gelding on his own, he doesn't mind, the only time he gets cross and runs up and down the fence line is when I move the fence posts so mine get more grass...
 
Bloody hate it. Had and know horses on it and they are so much more stressy and tense then when in a group of friends. Most horses resign themselves to it but I refuse to believe more than a tiny majority enjoy it. It's a step too far in compromising their 'natural' lifestyle for our convinience in my opinion. 22hrs of no-friend lonliness for 2hrs of my pleasure and easy is not acceptable.

I have 2 horse that would become unmanageable with no friends. One in particular I suspect would become frankly dangerous. The other lived on individual turnout before I got her and it's totally messed up her head and given her awful seperation anxiety issue. The other two would accept it but be unhappy. However they're the type of horses who are so good and tolerant that it'd be hard to tell.

They all love their friends and spend many happy hours grooming and playing and generally just chilling together, nose to tail. They couldn't do that over a fence.
 
i have individual turn out and my boy hates being on his own but with this turnout he feels dead close to the horse next door so he actually thinks he his in with them any way!x
 
We aren't allowed individual turnout where I am, grazing is split between mares and geldings, and to be honest I prefer it that way. Genie's out with six other mares, they are an extremely settled group (touch wood that I haven't jinxed it!), with enough room that if they want some personal space they just move away. All too often I'll find the main group in the first field and Genie on her own in the second field (usually at the far end so I have to trek there!). I think it does work for SOME horses, but wouldn't work for Genie.
 
One of my horses has individual turnout but is close to other horses.
Never had a problem and he much prefers this as doesn't like people coming in and out his field.
 
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