Individual turnout

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Cash

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The yard that I'm waiting for a space at sounds absolutely perfect (cycling distance from home, 2 mins from the station, great facilities, nice airy stables, etc etc) except one thing..they only really offer individual turnout (if you have two of your own ponies, they can share, but generally people don't share with other people if that makes sense?). The fields are pretty close together, they can all see each other etc- but does it deny horses of 'socialising' oppurtunities if they aren't turned out with others?
 
It's not the end of the world but it's not ideal
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Do they say why?
 
Our yard is indervidual TO and it works well. They can all talk and scratch over the fence though.
My new TB isnt that keen on it though and she just jumps back in with her friend.
You can tell that some horses dont like it but most settle to it and at least you dont get fights and kicks etc
 
I turn mine out individually. They can all groom over the fence etc. They are all more than happy with that. I find it works well as you have less risk of kicks etc (having had a horse bullied in the field when we were at livery). Also they dont get particularly attched to each other so if you go to a competition they dont keep screaming for their friends!!

Having said that there will be some horse who dont like going out in their own but i've found that the majority take to it really well.
 
We have individual turnout now and all horses can 'chat' over the fence and there are hardly any injuries sustained. Its great! We have to turn out together in the summer if we want the horses out 24/7 and there are always loads of injuries, reminds me why i opted for individual turnout in the 1st place!
 
I prefer that. At my current yard i have my 2 out together but i could have them seperately if i wanted. I'd much rather have it this way as before my horses were often kicked and regularly coming in covered in sweat from running round. None of the horses seem to mine, infact many seem to prefer being able to talk to other horses over the fence, but not being chased about or bullied.
 
I would see it as very beneficial having the option of individual turnout personally, most horses on my yard are in their own paddocks all next to one another, all except the large gelding field.
My mare shares with one other quiet mare which suits me fine, as at my last yard my poor mature 19yr old 14.2hh mare was bullied and attacked by a 17hh gelding and sustained various injuries so i would rather have the choice
 
Yes, I think so.
At my last yard my horse was turned out by himself as he was the only gelding and they didn't want to mix them. He was out in a square paddock doing the same thing by himself day in, day out.
Now he is out in a huge field that is divided my a stream and trees etc and he is out in a mixed herd of c. 15. He is SO much happier and I would never willingly choose individual t/o again. Just my thoughts of course!
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I am at a yard with individual turnout. The horses can groom over the fence and are very settled and happy. There are no nasty kicks when they come in. It also makes worm control easier with worming combined with poo picking.
 
Hate it with a passion. I've had horses breifly on individual turnout and they were stressed and unhappy.

If you watch horses socialising normally in a herd there is no way they could do even half of it over a fence.

As for the 'less attached' angle - that just means they haven't got any proper friends! (and it made my clingy horses 100x worse when she went back in with friends. )
 
I hate it personally. I've never had a horse who was happy being turned out alone but some people's horses are happy with it. If the yard is perfect in every other way then you could try it for a few months and see how your horse copes with it. I wouldn't move somewhere that only offered individual TO though, I don't think it's fair on the horses.
 
I've only ever had individual TO and it is fine. Preferable even with a competition horse IMO, and there are never any livery arguments about 'your horse kicked mine' etc.

The yard I am on now has group TO except for my horse, who is a grumpy miserable animal whom the other liveries have no real desire to go into a field with (not that he's ever done anything but he looks cross enough!), plus he is a complete pain as he will posture and posture and then wonder why he gets the crap kicked out of him. He's fine with one other equally low down the pecking order horse, but TBH I don't need the hassle and worry - but I like to have a sound horse to compete every week!

He certainly doesn't worry about being in individual TO - in fact he will stay out even if everything else has disappeared and be fine with it.
 
I wouldn't have anything else now, having been at a yard where the situation around the gate in winter was just plain dangerous as the other liverie's horses had no manners at all. My 2 mares are in together as I am saving 1 paddock for the summer and just using 1 while it's wet, and my lad has settled really well on his own, no kicks, bites wrecked rugs etc.
 
My horse would not be happy with individual turnout, she was on it for a few months and wasn't happy at all. She's a very sociable girl and is usually grazing next to or grooming another horse. I would hate it
 
On your yard we have a mix with some individual and some sharing . I personally like toto having his own feild as he is grumpy and wont really tolerate a feild mate and also theres no arguments over poo picking, kicks,ripped rugs etc All of our feilds are pretty much next to each other so they could easily groom over the fence
 
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