Moving from individual to group turnout - experience?

[Tash88]

Hi - I'm looing at moving yards and this will most probably mean a move from individual to group turnout. My horse has lived out with others before I bought him, and I didn't necessarily want individual turnout (I much prefer group turnout for horses' mental wellbeing), it was and still is the only option offered at my current yard.

I know it sounds silly but I am really nervous about moving my horse to group turnout. He has just finished his rehab for stifle surgery and I've spent most of the last year or so trying to keep him quiet in the field, with small paddock turnout only, but really my heart is telling me to let him be a bit more of a horse again. I wouldn't have him in a massive herd as I still need to reduce risk, but maybe around 8 other horses.

I would really appreciate experiences and/or advice for making this transition as smooth as possible.

Many thanks x

 

[Keira 8888]

I changed my horse from individual to group turnout a few months ago and he is so much happier.

It was nerve wracking watching him go in, but after a few squeals and bucks it calmed down! It took him just over two weeks to be accepted into the herd (which I’m told is normal)

Felt sorry for him grazing on his own during this period but he seemed perfectly content!

I think it can look very dramatic at first when there is squealing and kicking - but it’s quite natural and I guess just what would happen in the wild!

The only thing that would have concerned me would be if he had been backed into a corner and approached with pinned ears but luckily this didn’t happen.

So to answer your question - I had a very positive experience transferring to group turnout! I watched quite a few you tube videos of horses being turned into a new herd for the first time so I was prepared for what was normal herd behaviour and what wasn’t!

Hope that helps! Good luck xx

 

[Pearlsasinger]

I would want to look for a yard that will expect new horses to be grazed alongside their new herd, so that they can get to know one another over a barrier before putting them all in together. It can still be a nerve-wracking experience the first time they are all together in the same field but a gradual introduction makes it safer. I would expect a herd of 8 horses to have at least 10 acres to roam over so that they are not squashed together, fighting over resources. If that much isn't available, the herd should be split.
I'm sure most horses prefer herd turnout.

 

[JackFrost]

In my experience it comes down to the horses that are in the new herd - their temperaments and the herd dynamics. See if you can spend some time watching the new herd and ask about the pecking order/ who is lead mare etc. A herd that is used to horses coming and going can sometimes be more accepting than one that doesn't ever have newcomers, though a herd with too much changing of members creates insecurities and battles for dominance. My advice would be - go and spend half an hour in the new herd, watch them, get a feel for them, and watch how the lead horse manages the others. Look at the balance of mares, geldings, young and old. Are they all constantly fighting or do they seem content?. As you already know your own horse, you should be able to make an instinctive judgement about how they will get on. I have known new horses to get on instantly with nothing but friendliness and conversely dangerous situations where the newcomer would be injured if not removed. Also agree with everything said above. Generally it all works out.

 

[Gingerwitch]

A good yard will introduce over the fence, then add a buddy then add another pair. Ponies will go thank the fluff for lockdown finally finishing and go for a play a buck and a fart with there new best friends. You will wo see what all the worry was about after the 2nd day. X x

 

[oldie48]

I'd also want my horse to be introduced slowly rather than just put in with the herd and I think you are right to have some concerns. Can you discuss this with the YO?

 

[Tash88]

@Pearlsasinger @oldie48 @Gingerwitch @JunoJones @Keira 8888 - thank you for the replies and sorry I haven't come back to the thread sooner - have been snowed under at work and with horses!

I think you're all right - I have also done this before, in a much larger herd with my horse who had retired, and he was absolutely fine! But I knew him better and had owned him at a few different yards (including having him out 24/7 in a herd before), plus he hadn't had the additional worrying complication of joint surgery and ongoing management, and so I was still worried but not so much as I am now. But the right yard will accommodate us.

It's harder now because of lockdown and I'm not sure how many of the yards I was interested in will still let me go and view them (one has said no, even before Thursday, which is fine as it's up to them!). I'm going to go back to the first one I saw tomorrow morning to see what the field looks like after the awful weather we've had and ask more about the herd dynamics. I've also spoken to my horse's previous owner who said he was no problem out with others. I went to view a yard this morning and it looked lovely on paper and in pics, but the turnout was all on rather steep slopes and that would be too much for my boy.

I'm just scared of jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire, and making a terrible mistake. Will keep looking until I find the right place, but I think ultimately my horse needs more space and some other geldings. Having observed him he likes being out in the paddock but he is always a little bit 'on edge' and as soon as he sees me he wants to come in, even when the grass is abundant. I think he would be more settled with other horses, but as you all say they have to be the right herd for him. Plus he is on a 'postage stamp' at the moment and running around in a small space can't be good for his joints either.

Sorry for rambling, and thanks again xx

 

[RachaelJC]

I was in the same boat as you in the earlier lockdown this year - my horse was on individual turnout and I moved him to a new yard that had herd turnout in May.

He was in an adjacent field for a few days and then introduced to three of the calmest but relatively high ranking geldings for a week. Once they got on he was let out into the rest of the herd (who he'd already met over the fence). He came in with a few chunks of hair missing and a couple of scrapes, nothing too serious as the introduction was managed well in large fields.

If I'm honest, it was my horse that was the liability because he was so, so happy! He is now the joker of the herd as he just loves to play and explore new things, even if the other horses don't want to play, they end up getting dragged into it.

It was the best welfare decision I've ever made for him.

 

[JackFrost]

Please keep us posted! Fingers crossed for you.

 

[jules9203]

I introduce every new horse by putting them in the paddock beside the 2 or 3 horses they will be turned out with. The amount of time they spend beside each other will depend on how they all react meeting each other. TBH most of them (in the last 7 yrs) have got on fine bar squealing and the odd bite. I have had 2 owners that stayed max 2 weeks but tbh they didn't really want small herd turn out.

 

[Louby]

I really do think it depends on the horses in the herd and of course the horse going in. My young horse had happily been with mixed sex and mare only turnout and always been fine but I moved her to a bigger yard with groups of about 10 mares, split big and small mares and although the initial days were okish, she ended up being battered resulting in box rest and months off. I ended up moving her again so she could have individual turnout to recouperate after her box rest. She is now in a small group and absolutely fine. My mare isnt nasty, doesnt go out to kick etc but I have realised she is boss mare and I do think she tried her luck or was annoying and came off worse. I hate introducing horses to new herds and the fact that most places just expect you to chuck them in the field and hope for the best is scary. Thankfully where I am now has allowed us to introduce the latest member in a seperate bit of the field for a couple of weeks first and touch wood it has worked.

 

[Tash88]

Just a little update for you all - we are moving next weekend!

My horse will be going into a herd of 5 max geldings - I went to see them a couple of weekends ago and they all looked lovely and chilled, with loads of grass. The YO has corralled the muddy gateway so they can't spend time in that and slip around which is good, and she confirmed that my horse will go into a little paddock on his own for a while first, so he can meet the other horses over the fence. The YO is very experienced, proactive and just wants a nice yard (she only took it over in June this year) so I trust her completely.

Due to it being a new yard there are quite a lot of new horses - she isn't introducing more than one at a time though, and every time one comes it's about 3 weeks before the next one, and so on. There haven't been any issues as far as I've seen and the latest seems to have settled in really well.

Fingers crossed next week will all go smoothly, and thank you again for the advice