Leaving one horse alone whilst hacking?

[spotty_pony]

Since losing Alfie, we are now down to three horses. Most of the time I ride alone so it isn't a problem as there are two left behind. However, tomorrow we are riding together so my elderly mare will be left by herself. She hasn't been left alone for a while but has in the past and she will be in her stable. I am hoping she will be fine, she does need to get used to it really. Any suggestions for things I can do to keep her calm whilst we are out? She will have plenty of hay and I will be taking her rug off if its warm in case she gets a bit stressed and sweats with it being the first time. May even give her some pony nuts when we leave as a distraction.

Any other ideas welcome!

 

[holeymoley]

Could you pop a radio on?

 

[Chocoholic]

Maybe put the pony nuts in a treat ball so it occupies her for longer

 

[atropa]

You won't know unless you try, although since you say the mare is elderly I probably would do everything in my power to make it as pleasant an experience as possible for her.
Will there be anyone who can stay behind to keep an eye on her? Radio is a good idea, maybe some high value treats to keep her occupied

 

[laura_nash]

Make sure she's hungry before you go, works for my old cob he's so pleased to see the hay he barely notices us leaving.

 

[ILuvCowparsely]

Since losing Alfie, we are now down to three horses. Most of the time I ride alone so it isn't a problem as there are two left behind. However, tomorrow we are riding together so my elderly mare will be left by herself. She hasn't been left alone for a while but has in the past and she will be in her stable. I am hoping she will be fine, she does need to get used to it really. Any suggestions for things I can do to keep her calm whilst we are out? She will have plenty of hay and I will be taking her rug off if its warm in case she gets a bit stressed and sweats with it being the first time. May even give her some pony nuts when we leave as a distraction.

Any other ideas welcome!

could you give her some haylage as a treat to keep her occupied. Radio - treat ball- likit things like that

 

[scats]

She’ll get used to it, but maybe give her something extra tasty or pop a few pony nuts in a treat ball.

 

[huskydamage]

I have only 2 so have to do this everytime I ride. My horse makes more of a fuss than my pony. I make sure she has hay and a token feed/treatball and turn the electric fence up! She only seems to create drama when I am in view. (I have been told while I'm gone she stands and waits like a wife watching the seas for ship return ?) I prefer to leave her in a bigger space to gallop about as Ive tried before leaving her in her caral and she looks more likely to crash into the fence or fall over in a small space! The more I have done it the better she is.

 

[HorsesRule2009]

I don't know if you give hard feed or not, but if I'm leaving 1 alone I pop their feed (if fed) over the door as I'm mounting up, so they are generally eating as we go.
If not I make sure they have plenty of hay to occupy them.
As above a radio is a great suggestion.
Good luck

 

[J&S]

I must try the radio, I do all the other suggestions when my older mare stays behind and the pony goes out. She is best left in the stable, out in the field even with grass, she flies around too much and annoys the neighbours with her yelling!

 

[Annagain]

Now that Archie's retired he's sometimes the only one in the field. He'll stand at the gate waiting patiently for someone to return but won't graze so we figure he may as well come in as he will eat hay in his stable on his own. I scatter a handful of high fibre cubes over his door as we leave so that he's busy snaffling them up for the first couple of minutes, just to distract him from his mates leaving. He doesn't really care though.

 

[milliepops]

I have one that would turn the stable block over when left alone... but everything else has been OK with some grub or a treat ball. Current billy-no-mates gets a big bucket of yummy sugar beet (which is his tea really, but he doesn't notice if others get fed later and not him). previously I have used grass or fibre nuts in treat balls which has worked well.

 

[PinkvSantaboots]

I leave one alone all the time they are fine in the stable with a haynet, I can't leave one in the field though they go nuts.

 

[Sir barnaby]

I have two 1 resting in foal and 1 being ridden, when I first got the mare I just went a short ride to start with so she wasn’t left alone for too long and hubby stayed in yard and kept an eye out. She just whinnied when I left then ate her hay, after that she was just fine, however I am lucky as I have barn style stables with a sliding door and the top bars will shut so she can see out but can’t jump over or through the door. The previous horse managed to get her front hooves over the door when I first left her, so I always shut it regardless now just in case, maybe a anti weave grill will help if she does get upset and tries to follow by jumping over stable door.

 

[PapaverFollis]

Food. My companion pony is fine with just hay now but when we first started leaving her she got a big pile of haylage and a big scoop of tasty chaff. She's been absolutely fine with it, she used to call a couple of times when we left and once when we came back. She doesn't even bother doing that anymore.

 

[spotty_pony]

Now that Archie's retired he's sometimes the only one in the field. He'll stand at the gate waiting patiently for someone to return but won't graze so we figure he may as well come in as he will eat hay in his stable on his own. I scatter a handful of high fibre cubes over his door as we leave so that he's busy snaffling them up for the first couple of minutes, just to distract him from his mates leaving. He doesn't really care though.

She would 100% jump out if I left her out. Yes, even at 29. We are going tomorrow now instead of today. I don't think she would try and jump out of the stable and the door is quite high. Going to leave her with radio on, big haynet and aniseed lick to try and keep her busy. ??

 

[kathantoinette]

I have a little companion pony who gets left when I school, hack out or go competing (memories of such outings!) and I always bring them in together and leave her in the stable with a hay net. She never settled in the paddock but seems much better in the stable.

 

[Cocorules]

I only have two, so one is always left behind. I have a number of paddocks so she gets turned out in one she wouldn't otherwise be in when I go out on the other so it is a treat for her. There are other horses around her though.

 

[maya2008]

My old girl stays behind on her own; the sheep in the next field tend to stay near her while we are gone. They feel sorry for her I think!

 

[spotty_pony]

Update: she was a star ️ somebody was around to keep an eye on her and she shouted a bit but didn't seem too stressed when we got back which is a relief!