keeping horses next to pigs

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dj9ao

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I had my beautiful horse for 8 years, he was always a bit of a stressy, intelligent chap
the livery yard put pigs in a stable close to where my boy was, he got stressed, colicked and could not be saved, the vet said the pigs could have triggered the colic,
the people at the yard think this is not poss and have said because my next horse is bigger it will have to go in the stable next to the pigs which also floods when it rains,


there is no other livery where I live in south cambridge unless I want to pay £100 per week, I feel it is not fair to own a horse and have to keep it like this
 
That's awful, huge sympathy to you. I have had my TB for almost 3 years and in October the yard owner had her sons 2 pet pigs to stay for a month, the horses were still turned out at the time and the pigs were in a secure field next to his field. Che seemed to accept them at first, he would graze quite happily fairly close to them. However, as soon as I tried to do anything with him, lead him in, lunge or school him, he completely flipped and turned into a snorting, plunging, stressy nightmare. He just couldnt concentrate knowing the pigs were there, I dont think he trusted me enough to keep him safe and knew he couldnt run away whilst I had hold of him. His poo was like a cowpat and he was off his food. Within a day of the pigs going home he started to relax and now a month later he is back to his normal self. Fortunately no long term damage has been done but I can quite see how it might. My friends mare who still has a foal at foot was even more stressed by the pigs, she spent all her time keeping foaly safe and completely forgot to eat. I have a friend though who keeps her ex racer on a yard with pigs in a barn at one end of the yard and he doesnt give a damn! I think it depends on the horse but Im not sure that if they dont like them, they will ever come round tbh.
 
We have a pig, kept on the same yard and the horses go to talk to her every day when they come in.
Yes, they were wary at first and one still doesn't like her (but she doesn't like anything, she's a flighty madam to say the least!) but they don't bother now. Pig is allowed out for a wander when OH feeds her and she often goes into the stable block; first time she did it there was a lot of huffing and puffing, eyes out on stalks things because she wasn't where she normally is if that makes sense but they don't bother now. Funnily enough, had vet's horse here for blacksmith this week so he's not used to pigs and he did lots of dragon snorting and eyes popping out when she walked past his door but he was still nosy enough that he wanted to touch her with his nose.
They do get used to them and I would think it was just that yours was a natural born stresshead that caused the colic, not just the fact pigs were nearby but I'm sorry for your loss. Looks like you might need to travel further away if the yard's not suitable for you otherwise they need to get the flooding dsorted first but I wouldn't be adverse to putting mine next to pigs, it's just something they should learn to deal with.
 
I can understand why you are anxious, I would be too. Remember however new horse may be fine with pigs, but if not you will need to have a plan B. Place adverts for wanted livery in any tack shop, farm shop, feed shop you can find! Someone will offer you something. I also would not be happy paying for a stable that floods! Place a wanted advert on here as well, I go alot of responses.
 
thanks for all your messages which have made me feel a bit better, I think I was just trying to blame myself

it was also when we had those freezing frosts in nov so I suspect he wasnt drinking enough either, didnt like the cold water and he was never very good at drinking much!


:o
 
Mine have a pig friend - you just have to introduce them cautiously. Unfortunately that was your responsibility as the owner :( You can't really blame the YO although a bit of notice would have been nice...

Here is my colt with Matilda

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My Christmas pig has escaped slaughter as the abbertoir is shut - not sure what we are going to do for Christmas dinner...
 
i keep mine next to 100+ pigs inc sows boars and piglets.
they were bit wary at first but now they dont bother.
in fields next door so can touch over fence.
is good as their fencing is on mains wire so i can connect mine to mains.
 
Years ago, we kept my daughter's pony on a pig farm, he was a sensitive little soul but he never gave the pigs a second look, even through all the squealing at feed time and the occasional escapee piglets
 
Neither of mine are keen on pigs, this is especially relevant as they have just had to "share" the forest with pigs when they have been ridden out for the past 3 months. If they were shut in their stables and the pigs broke through the fencing and "invaded" the farm they livery on, then as far as they were concerned it was hilarious - you could see them settling down to watch the entertainment from the security of their stables.

However it was an entirely different matter if the pigs were out there but they couldn't see them. My normally non-nappy ponies would not leave the farm unless they were "escorted" (frogmarched with a human on each side and a rider on top) out of the gate. And then it was a complete nightmare until such time as they saw the pigs. After a quick freak out and a few spins, it was possible to get them past the pigs and we then could all relax and enjoy ourselves. I was so glad when pannage came to an end in early december and the pigs were taken off the forest.

I am sorry you dont have an affordable alternative to liverying with pigs though OP, I wouldn't like that at all. Somehow you need to find yourself a horse which is absolutely guaranteed 100% to be not bothered about pigs before you buy it and taken it home. Not the easiest thing to find I'm sure...
 
I do sympathise with your reasons for not wanting to be stabled near pigs, but mine often shared a field with 'Sweet' and 'Sour' when they fancied better grazing. The sty was next to the menege, they were fine with the pigs.

IMG060.jpg
 
I am surprised your YO wasnt more sensitive about a horse having a problem with pigs close by, many many horse are petrified of pigs and true horsey people understand this. My NF is as bombproof as it is possible tobe, nothing worries him but he has bolted twice with me when we have ridden past pigs, he is scared stiff of them. It is quite possible the pig situation didnt help his condition, common sense really, and I think your vet would know better than the YO or the experts on here what could cause the colic!.
A good YO would try to accomodate issues like this in the best interests of the horse.
 
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I have 3 pigs in a paddock within one of the fields. One of our horse did not like them when they arrived and kept everyone else at the top of the fields while he did a rather lengthly risk assessment of the situation - it took him a couple of days lol. Now all of the horses are grand with them. The pony calls for them if they are in the arc and she sleeps beside their fence. Interestingly the new foal & the new mare who arrived after the pigs (seperately - not related) have had no issues with the pigs & the mare is a rather highly strung TB.:eek:
 
my friend has her horse on a livery yard with pigs, they have to pass them to go to the school and some of the fields.
the pigs are penned behind some stables.
they have never had any trouble at that livery yard according to my friend.
so sorry for your loss and your trouble :( , hope you get it sorted soon :(
 
When I was a kid we werent allowed to hack out along one particular road as it had a field full of pigs and were always told it would upset the horses so I have always avoided pigs and horses together as it was what I was brought up to believe. Been interesting reading this as my Dad really wants to get some but Ive always said no.
 
It is very poosible that the pigs triggered the colic! I have seen it happen before and tbh if the YO thinks it is not an issue then they should put one of theirs in near the pigs and give you a different stable. While horses can and will adapt they need to be slowly and gently introduced
 
so sorry for your loss but some animals just dont like some things but it has to be carefully coped with like lots of dogs dont like fireworks or thunder, no use blaming people, my 5yr old has seen pigs sheep dogs cattle but wouldnt trust her with baby lambs or dogs too close but then lambs have been born in the same field as she is in, but def wouldn't conentrate feed animals whilst she was in field asking for trouble.
 
My first mare suddenly had a herd of pigs appear in the next field..she did belt around for a day or two,but soon struck up a friendship with one sow;always have kept pigs as pets since then,it is far better to de-sensetise them than just buckle in to their neuroses.
 
My boy was in a yard with 4 alpacas. He was so scared of them, but started to come round to them. Next to them was a v.v.muddy pen with 2 kune kune pigs. I tried to ride Handy out the yard that way (big mistake!) and he was so scared of them he very nearly reared. He never ever went past them again.
Luckily we moved yards where there are no farm animals (I heard there is a field of sheep on a bridlepath somewhere but we have yet to encounter them). The other horse at that yard went past the pigs no problem and happily grazed with the alpacas!
 
my mare is PETRIFIED of pigs - I have no idea why, she just always has been since before her previous owner even had her. There are pigs on our livery yard and if she as much catches a glimpse of one she will shake, panic and try to bolt off... which is not very fun for anyone but I don't know where you would stand if it's the YO decision to keep pigs there - I suppose if we want to be on their yard we go with their decisions.. I just try and avoid the pigs at all possible times!!
 
I posted on here about stabling horses next to pigs. I picked my mare up and stabled her approx 6 feet away from about 100 pigs! Basically it was a huge barn, with stables on one side, and an alley then free range pigs! I HATED them, the smell and all the weird noises etc. I did like mucking out directly into their bit of the barn though, thats how close the pigs were! :D My mare never batted an eyelid, she used to look over her stable door and watch them. I wibbled again when I bought a feral foal. He had only ever had bad experiences of people :(

He was herded out of his field and weaned simultaneously. He was then pinned, had a halter put on, chased up the trailer ramp, chased down it, down the alley way with the pigs approx 12" away, and into his box.

I never had any problems with the pigs. I have now left the yard, but that was mainly due to psycho yard owner who kept threatening to hang himself...

Saying all of that *I* HATED the pigs and wouldnt put myself in that situation again! The horses, inc feral foal never batted an eyelid at the pigs after the first few minutes
 
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