Keeping horses on their own

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Baileyboo

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So I know ideally horses should have company but I just wondered how many people keep them alone and why, also if you do keep it on its own do you hack out alone too?

I'm asking as really I'm just interested and I have two ponies a retired fell and a welsh D, both mares, the fell is 30 and the welsh is 7, they live together in the summer but in the winter the fell is in a field near the house and brought in at night, my welsh mare is on the bottom of our fell ground and lives out 24/7, this is the best arrangement as the fell needs to be stabled at night and the welsh D hates to be stabled and she couldn't live 24/7 in the field by the house. It will be a another month or two till they are turned out again together. But I really think that welsh D really does not mind being on her own (with her sheep). I just wondered about other peoples experiances. Also I have to one to hack out with so we hack alone too.
 
I kept my mare by herself for a little while years ago
luckily for me my mare hardly ever makes a fuss out of anything so she just got on with it
i prefer not to keep her alone and this is the only time its happened, she likes company mostly, though she copes beautifully on her own
some horses really prefer it, and some dont cope at all, if there are sheep you could try, this is some sort of company for your horse
i see plenty of horses in my travels who are kept on their own
 
I always think when a horse is on it's own, it's much more likely to be friendly and nice to the humans!

Our ancient Shetland prefers to be alone as he gets peace to eat at his own speed, but there are others around him in the other fields.

Being kept alone also help a huge amount when hacking out alone - some are a real pain to hack out when they are kept together and make a huge fuss.

I always think a horse kept alone bonds much more with it's owner too and I do not subscribe to this whole "herd" theory - it might have been true a few thousand years ago, but our horses are now domesticated animals - it's a bit like saying all dogs should be kept in packs!!
 
Horses are all individuals and ideally should live with other horses. However, we don't all live in an ideal world and as your Welsh D has sheep for company, she is not on her own and it obviously suits her. I love to see my horses together all inter-acting with each other.
 
my horse has been on his own for almost 2 years now since his companion died i have not had the money for another one he seems fine and i spend a large amount of time with him every day. usually i ride out on my own and he is so much better since being on his own he used to be horrible to hack out alone. sometimes i ride out with one other horse and again he behaves wonderfully. i dont think he is unhappy atall but i will as usual probably be told i'm wrong and that i'm being cruel keeping him on his own but i firmly believe i understand my horse and i dont think he has changed his behaviour since being kept on his own
 
I do feel mean, and guilt trip myself. But then my OH said well what is the alternative? If I stable her she is really unhappy and there is no way the fell could live out during the winter.
 
My horse is on his own, well in the same field as his mates but his bit is taped off with electric fencing so he can touch and see others.
I feel cruel at times as he loves grooming and playing but realistically its not feasible, Im sure he'd be dead by now. He was kept for 6 mths on a large yard, turned out with about 20 horses and was injured daily so I got the chance to keep him on a yard with 3 other geldings. It was great at first but they got rougher and rougher and although not nasty to each other I found him one day with a fractured leg so that was that. Luckily he recovered but he wont be going out with his mate again.
If I could afford it and there was spare stables I would consider getting him a quiet companion as I do think they should have company but he seems fine, he doesnt like being out totally alone.
The plus points, safe horse, no ripped rugs, can get him out of the field easy, less flies, can wear his fly mask and less mud! We ride both anlone and in company and he tries to play with his mate even hacking!
 
As Louby above says, Duke would always be injured if he was with other horses, he doesn't appear to recognise 'back off' signals and had 2 bad kicks and numerous bites until we put him in a field on his own, luckily we have an understanding YM. He has horses all around him and can interact with them, sometimes it would be nice to him playing though. I know he would be fine with our mare who is older and very laid back but unfortunately she's out on loan.
 
My mare is kept on her own alot of the time as its only me in my field so unless i have a second horse she has no choice, she doesnt seem to mind and know has company angain as my little pony has just come back from being out on loan. I like her having company as she is very sociable but she tends not to be to bothered about change plus i think she proberbly prefered being alone to now being beaten up my a 12hh pony shaped monster
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oh and i also hack her out alone most of the time as she is too slow to keep up with any of my friends horses
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Personally I would never keep a horse on it's own. They are herd animals and thrive on the company of others. Not saying being alone would kill them or anything but from a welfare point of view it's essential IMO.
 
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