Keeping a horse by itself - your opinions

I think it entirely depends on the horse whether they are ok to be left alone when you take the other out. You don't know til you do it. I think though if they are quiet secure in their environment then they're not so bad. There is only one way to find out though!! May be worthwhile having someone watching the horse that's left whilst you take the other out, just in case it does get stressed.

We used to have one that'd go ballistic whenever it was left (it still had a pony and its best mate donkey with it) but he'd gallop up and down the fence and be lathered in sweat every time. Funnily he only stressed like this if they were in our far field. If he was in the near field where he could see the road and track (where we'd ride up and come back down) he was fine. He was an especially stressed type though!
 
I think I'd rather keep a horse with another equine companion rather than sheep/cows. There's a lot of little cheap unbroken ponies around or companions from the Blue Cross, etc so theres many options that don't have to cost the earth! It depends on the horse at the end of the day but I always think I wouldnt like to be on my own. Its nice for them to play together and groom each other, and I've only ever seen a horse fully relax when his friends are around him :)
 
I must be very cruel! I kept my last horse at home with the company of sheep and cattle nearby but without other horse company for about 5 years, had him as an unbroken 3 year old and lost him when he was 8 due to an ongoing stifle problem. Before this i had always had more than one horse. I loved him dearly, he had lots of love and attention and the best care a horse could have and was quite happy without other horses. he never screamed his head off or napped when I took him out and didn't get excited when we went to shows and he was with other horses. In an ideal world I wouldn't keep horses on their own but sometimes circumstances dictate and if the horse is not unhappy and has the company of livestock and people I think it is quite acceptable. I'm not saying every horse will settle on their own but mine was fine.
 
ladyt25 said:
I think it entirely depends on the horse whether they are ok to be left alone when you take the other out. You don't know til you do it. I think though if they are quiet secure in their environment then they're not so bad. There is only one way to find out though!! May be worthwhile having someone watching the horse that's left whilst you take the other out, just in case it does get stressed.

We used to have one that'd go ballistic whenever it was left (it still had a pony and its best mate donkey with it) but he'd gallop up and down the fence and be lathered in sweat every time. Funnily he only stressed like this if they were in our far field. If he was in the near field where he could see the road and track (where we'd ride up and come back down) he was fine. He was an especially stressed type though!
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Thank you.
Its such a huge decision to make. I'll give it lots of thought over the next few months.
 
I personally have never and would never keep a horse alone. I have at least 2 of every animal (including fish) that we have. I don't agree with keeping any species alone.

I just base this on the fact I would hate to live alone away from other people and I figure a horse or any animal feels the same way. In the wild I think I am correct in saying that animals live in pairs, herds, packs, shoals and there are very few that live alone. I think the male white tiger may be one that roams solo until the mating season.
 
mine used to be kept by himself as he was such a grumpy sod. now he's kept with a mixed group of 7 and he gets stressed when he's left by himself - he has a right strop when he's kept inside.
 
Depends...I think there are exceptions...

I think a horse, totally isolated, in a field somewhere 'hidden from view' would feel quite lonely.

But, a horse on its' own would cope fine being around other animals IE sheep/cattle in nearby fields. OR even if they are in a field near a village and people regularly pass by etc.

Just because horses are a herd animal doesn't mean there aren't anomalies, just as there are with people :)
 
mymare said:
No I wouldn't. They are natural herd animals. I hate seeing horses on their own.
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Brilliant!!!!
Evan better you are in scotland... just pop your horse in the field to keep my herd animal company will you.............. then come back and say that in a few weeks time. id love to find someone who was happy to have their horse chewed to bits by mine :-)
 
I don't mind if the horse is ok with it. My first pony actively preferred being alone and being a one and only, but with other horses she was always bottom of the pecking order, so being alone was probably more relaxing than being the herd doormat.
Otherwise, I'd prefer to have other horses over the fence at least. I keep my current horse in a field alone as I can't find a stroppy enough fieldmate to stand up to him. There are horse in his sight though, but no way would I let him even touch noses with them, he'd eat their faces off :( Special personalities aside, I ideally would not keep a horse alone.
 
OP, I agree with you. We have always kept ours with company. Admittedly it is much easier if you have your own herd - as we have had for many years now.
There are quite a few people in our area who do keep single horses, most with no company at all.
There is a horse near us which is living in a field on its own atm. There are many other horses around, which it can see but none that it can touch over the wall. It spends most of its time pacing along the wall side, looking at the standard-bred youngsters across the track longingly.
The last horse that lived in that field was a native which also spent a lot of time watching nearby horses and wearing a track along the edge of the field, eventually he settled down but I think it was a depressed acceptance and then he got laminitis and had to be pts. What a miserable existence!

ETA, I think those who are saying that their horses are quite happy/need to live on their own would find a vast difference if their horses lived in a small settled herd which stuck to the same routine, rather than living on a livery yard with lots of different comings and goings.
 
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It's cruel, there's no getting away from it.

Of course there are some that need to be kept alone to prevent injury to another horse (I've known some murderous mares) but in these cases they should be able to interact with other horses over the fence, or at least have others in sight at all times.
 
I know a few horses that live on their own. And they're fine.

My friends' pony did until she (the pony) died of old age. She'd had a companion up until the last couple of years, but he'd died, and she lived happily on her own thereafter.

She was a lot calmer and less neurotic.

Seemed very happy doing her own thing without worrying what the other pony was getting upto (he didn't go out at all anyway).

This pony lived behind my friends' house, so wasn't on her own as such, as friend pottered about before and after work and at weekend. She had a clutch of hens clacking about, and 5 cats ..... the pony honestly was, far happier on her own.
 
My horse is on his own and I feel really bad about it. He is however in the same field as others but seperated by electric fencing. He can touch, play with and see other horses but after fracturing his leg, long overdue with his antics, it was decided he was 'safer' kept apart. I used to stress like mad as every day I was faced with some sort of injury.
I hope one day I will be able to re introduce him into a herd but I am worried about how he will be. He has changed and when it is coming in time, he is dominant towards his old boss of the field. (The gates are next to each other) He is also a bit full on with other horses, as in just walks straight upto them, licks there faces, play bites and doesnt seem to have any respect for their personal space. He has always been like this though and its this that was the cause of him getting kicked pretty much daily.
 
My horse can't be turned out with Geldings, he bullies geldings, I think it's because he was gelded at 4 & has covered a few mares.Its safer for him & other horses to be on his own. He is fine turned out with mares, But most places only have same sex turnout. He can see other horses & can touch them over the stable wall.
 
years ago I did keep horses on their own and they didnt seem to be unhappy or stressed but since Ive been breeding miniatures and watched them living together in a herd enviroment I feel bad about it , now I can see the difference , they are MUCH happier with others , they have best friends and ones they dont get on with , ones they play with and different ones that they scratch and groom with, when one of them died I could see her friends grieve for her - true sadness, I would never ever keep one alone again and would never sell one to be an only horse either , its something I feel quite strongly about
 
I wouldn't do it, as having been around a horse who was on it's own for a few years...he turned into a nervous wreck afterwards and was totally neurotic when it came to being separated from his buddy once back on a farm w/ other horses.
 
sunshine19 said:
Is keeping 2 together more problematic? Is it likely to encourage separation anxiety issues?
I am toying with the idea of downsizing to two. One cob is very laid back and I know he wouldn’t bother being left behind. My Sec D is a bit more neurotic and vocal, but is quiet when left in his stable with hay. I only hack out for 40 mins due to my bad back. Does anyone else keep 2 together? Do you have to alter your routine by bringing both in when riding one?
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I keep 2, one is my riding horse and the other is his shetland companion friend. My horse can't be on his own, he goes absolutely mad. He'd been on a livery yard all his live with plenty of company until we moved to France and he came to live with us at home, so I had to invest in a companion. When I go riding I bring the shetland in to his stable as he doesn't like being in the field on his own, but he's quite happy to munch hay in the stable for a while. I never ride for more than 1 1/2 hours at a time and that works fine. It doesn't really affect my routine at all as I have to go to the field to bring the big one in to ride it's no bother to bring 2 i rather than 1. Hope this helps.

p.s Just noticed you're in France too, anywhere near Alsace by any chance...?
 
I personally would never keep a horse on their own although do know of people who do and it appears to work for them. Horses are herd animals and I feel should live with others.
 
I think it totaly depends on the horse.
Three examples are.
Lucy.
She realy didn't care if she had company or not. All she cared about was food :p ;) :D She could be in a field with 10 other horses and she would spend most of her time on her own. Not because she was bullied but because she was a misrable old cow ;) She was the boss, If everyone else was stood round the trough and Lucy desided she wanted a drink they would all move away from the trough. All she had to do was look at them and they moved out her way. I kept her with others and on her own whatever I had to do at the time.

Herbie.
He thinks he's a stallion. We've tried to keep him in with others but if he is in with geldings he tries to kill them :eek: If he is in with mares he tries to mount them :eek: Then he'll try to kill them :( Infact he'll try to kill anything that comes in his field (except for me :) ) He tries to stamp on the dogs and i've seen him chase rabbits out his field. He will happily live on his own. Currently he can see other horses but even if they go out he doesn't care.

Merryn.
He loves company. He's very sociable but also doesn't mind being on his own. I would always rather keep him with others but if I HAD to keep him on his own then I would but it would only be temporary as he loves to have a friend.

I have also known horses who I would NEVER keep on there own. They stress to much and it would not be fair.
 
All those people who use their (human) judgement to say that horses alone are fine, cannot possibly know that. Just because a horse is calm and doesn't rush around shouting for others, does not mean it is fine without other equines for company. Horses kept alone become more closely bonded to their human carers and people take that as them being contented. They are not. They have simply given up and cling to the only type of company they are offered. They are really sad and lonely. If you ignore a baby crying for long enough it will give up and accept the sad world in which it lives. It is so arrogant of people to make judgements that an animal is happy just because it seems calm and eats etc. The horse is simply making the best of it's very sad existence. Often horses kept in isolation and then put in with others will be very anti social because they have been psychologically damaged.
 
I really hate seeing horses kept on their own. They are social herd animals, and to keep them on their own is just not fair on them.
 
I would never keep a horse on its own, I consider it cruel. People that do have a thousand rationales and justifications, but that does not make it right.
 
jokadoka said:
I keep 2, one is my riding horse and the other is his shetland companion friend. My horse can't be on his own, he goes absolutely mad. He'd been on a livery yard all his live with plenty of company until we moved to France and he came to live with us at home, so I had to invest in a companion. When I go riding I bring the shetland in to his stable as he doesn't like being in the field on his own, but he's quite happy to munch hay in the stable for a while. I never ride for more than 1 1/2 hours at a time and that works fine. It doesn't really affect my routine at all as I have to go to the field to bring the big one in to ride it's no bother to bring 2 i rather than 1. Hope this helps.

p.s Just noticed you're in France too, anywhere near Alsace by any chance...?
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Thank you.
I think that is the only way it could work for me too. They both love food, so if they have a big pile of hay to tuck into, they will be content. They hack out on their own no problem, not nappy or vocal.
I'm near to Saumur.
 
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Wagtail Re: Keeping a horse by itself - your opinions

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All those people who use their (human) judgement to say that horses alone are fine, cannot possibly know that. Just because a horse is calm and doesn't rush around shouting for others, does not mean it is fine without other equines for company. Horses kept alone become more closely bonded to their human carers and people take that as them being contented. They are not. They have simply given up and cling to the only type of company they are offered. They are really sad and lonely. If you ignore a baby crying for long enough it will give up and accept the sad world in which it lives. It is so arrogant of people to make judgements that an animal is happy just because it seems calm and eats etc. The horse is simply making the best of it's very sad existence. Often horses kept in isolation and then put in with others will be very anti social because they have been psychologically damaged.


Well said Wagtail I absolutely agree!!!!
 
I would never keep a horse on its own. There is a horse on its own in a nearby village and everytime we hack past he always looks sad and whinnies after us. It's not good for their mental health - horses need a friend.
 
Well I must be very mean person!!!!!!!!

My cob lives on his own, and my Arab before that did as well (Sold him to someone on a livery yard and he was just the same).

I think saying if you can not afford 2 then you shouldn't have 1 is very unfair and uncalled for!!!!!!!!!! My cob had a "friend" that we had to have PTS last year, he can see othere horses from one of his fields and can not see anyone form his stable. He used to come in even when we had the other horse (who lived on his own for 10 years, and was fine when we got King. So was not psychologically damaged!) so couldn't see him then. He's fine with other horses and will have them in his field with him, but will also be the same in everyway without anyone. He always comes galloping down the field to me, even when he had a friend.

Then on the other hand I could just be using my human judgement on this!
 
NiknKia said:
Kia was kept by himself without companions for 5 years at the farm, he was fine, no issues, no stressing was no different when I took him out with other horses, would leave other horses and now that he has a friend he is still the same, no change
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That's not quite true is it? You always used to say how poor doing kia was etc in the past. Then, after you got the other horse, he became a much better doer, as I remember you saying how well and easily he'd done that winter. But you never made the connection between the two.

I would never keep a horse on it's own as I think it's one of the cruelest things you could do to a horse short of physical abuse.

Horses are very stoic animal and tolerate most things. Very few lonely horses spend their day screaming and fretting, after the initial panic. They just get on with it. They show it in far more subtle ways, or sometimes not at all.

I've meet horses who 'can't live with others' and it's all been manmade. Lack of socialising in past, wrong companion etc.

To me a friend is essential and not compromiseable. If I couldn't afford to feed a horse, or pay for medical treatment, or give it plenty of turnout I wouldn't have a horse. If I can't provide it with friends I wouldn't have horse either.
 
sunshine19 said:
Thank you.
I think that is the only way it could work for me too. They both love food, so if they have a big pile of hay to tuck into, they will be content. They hack out on their own no problem, not nappy or vocal.
I'm near to Saumur.
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Not exactly near neighbours then are we!!
Mine hacks out fine as well, never any calling or napping or anything else. Quite happy to hack out by himself, always has been.
Take his little woolly friend out of his eyesight however....( meaning leave big one in stable and take little one )and all hell breaks lose. Just as well little woolly bear is quite happy for a bit as long as there's a bit of hay to munch on:)
 
picolenicole said:
Well I must be very mean person!!!!!!!!
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Of course your not.

It's true some horses do seem to live well on their own. I suppose they have no choice. But it's not natural for them in any way, and to think otherwise is very blinkered.

A companion can be so easy to come across.......
 
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