Poll:Leaving horses alone in a field

best youngster

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__Annie__

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Is it acceptable or would you go ape if your horse was left alone in a field?
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Depends on the horse. My horse is fine if he's left on his own while his field mate is ridden and vice versa, but my friend's horse would have a complete breakdown.
 
My horse goes mad, probably because he is the 'herd leader' but horses are meant to be in groups/herds not alone, so I can understand when he does go mad. I would hate for him to be out on his own, if everyone had got theirs in, and I always make sure if mine is only out with one more, that I bring the last 1 as well and expect the same back!!
 
Depends on the horse - mine doesn't give a monkeys about being left by herself - but I can't leave my sister's in the field alone so I always have to catch him as well.
 
I personally said yes as my horse tends to get colic brought on by hormones when she's around others, so is always in her field alone, but ultimately it would depend on the horse I guess.
 
Mine is fine on his own. I have told the other liveries not to worry about leaving him out last if they bring theirs in, because he'll be fine. If I brought him in and that only left one other horse out, I would probably bring the other horse in unless I knew it would be fine.

Where I keep Murphy all the horses are out as a herd together and I think it's generally assumed that you don't leave one out on their own, which is why I've said to people that Murph will be fine on his own.
 
Axel used to go mad if he was the last one out, and gallop about like an idiot and pull shoes off.
Now he's a bit older he doesn't seem to mind, although he's rarely left out on his own now.
If there's a horse left on its own at our yard we bring it in if it's stressed but if they are ok we leave them for the owner to bring in.
 
Sorry, couldn't do your poll - as there is no yes or no answer imo.

My horse will not tollerate being turned out on his own - and I would go bannanas (as would he) if he were to be left on his own.

However, many horses are fine - I've had two that didn't mind at all.
 

Depends on the horse entirely.

S doesn't mind being on her own & will cope although obviously, she is happier with companions.

Other horses at the yard go ape if they are left on their own.


The general consensus is to leave them be but if one starts getting stressed to bring it in.

Absolutely depends entirely on the horse/pony.
 
As others have said, depends on the horse but my chap is fine thankfully to be left.
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However I would be angry if he wasnt ok and had been left.
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My ned would go bananas if he was left on his he is not even really happy being with just the little shetland that we have! Hes the biggest mard arse i have ever known! Last night proved that!
 
Depends on the horse
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Chloe is perfectly happy to stand by herself in a field forever, whereas Meg is a bit more concerned by a lack of friends. I don't mind if she is out by herself though as she doesn't cause any mischief, just stands at the gate patiently.

Everyone on our yard try and bring in the last horse so they're not left out by themselves, but in summer there's sometimes a couple of hours where they are on their own and I'm ok with it.
YO is normally very good at bringing them in if she spots them getting upset
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my horse is fine when left by himself but his field mate calls all the time when you out by himself.someone horse are fine others are not.
 
Totally depends on the horse, my mare doesn't give a hoot she would stay out on the own all the time if she had her way....more grass for her
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But my gelding hates being out on his own and will just pace the whole time...but he doesn't mind staying in on his own...strange animals
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Agree with the other posters - it depends on the individual horse. One of mine is fine on her own (as she was turned out in teeny paddocks alone after colic surgery), one (my old TB) feels imminent death approaching if there isn't a horse in the same field as her (next door isn't even good enough), and the third one has never really been left alone, but I suspect wouldn't care.
Some helpful soul did try to teach my TB a lesson and left her out alone despite yard rules not to...and she managed to gallop and scream so much she choked and had to be tubed by the vet....not successful
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I do think it's bad form on a livery yard to catch your horse and leave one alone, unless you've specifically been told by the owner that it'll be ok.
S
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I couldnt leave any of mine on there own now they are so used to all being brought in together .I even have to be careful which one i bring in last as my sisters horse realy would go mad!
 
I put No, my horse is first out and last in most days of the week and it doesnt bother her in the slightest. However if YO brings them in early ie bad weather then she always brings in mine as well which we have argreed. however she only charges to bring in when i ask which is nice. Also if horse was going nuts being left then i would have an arangement for her to come in as well, as there is no point in stressing animals out unecessary.(sp?)

Ok rambling now..

also ment to say, i have DIY
 
Ditto two of mine are fine but my ' herd leader boy' would go ballistic. At my previous yard they bought the others in before him and he jumped the gate and brought himself in. Depends on the horse totally.
 
Mine goes bonkers. He'll run him self up into a right panic. He might be ok for 10 minutes or so, but then when he realised he's alone, off he goes. Even if his buddies are in the next door fields.

I have now included it on my livery contract and advised field mates that he can't be left on his own in any circumstances. Fortunately, he is easy to handle and they are happy to pop him in his stable with some hay, while they do their thing.

Fi x
 
If my horse didnt like it then I probably would mind, where my horse was before whether he liked it or not he was going to be left on his own at some point so would just have to get used to it, I was at work so couldn't do anything about it.
 
I would say as a general rule no unless you know the horse will be ok left on own.None of my 3 like being on there own and will a right paddy about it.Get annoyed if they are left on their own.
I will take last horse in unless owner has said ok to leave out.
 
I wouldn't mind. Mine shares a field with one other horse and we often come and go throughout the day as we work different hours, so they're often on their own for short periods of time but they're used to it. It's never more than a couple of hours, though. If for whatever reason one horse has to stay in all day then the other one will perhaps just go out for an hour's leg stretch and then come in so they're not on their own all day.
 
Depends on the horse, happy for mine to be out alone as she is fine, wouldn't be as happy if her fieldmates are in and she is left out (unless she was being a bitch to catch) but that never happens anyway. But happy for her to be left alone during the day of whatever if her mates are being ridden, she's be happier out anyway
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My horse is quite often the last one out and sometimes he runs around and gets upset and other times he is fine. I don't mind at all and I certainly don't want to get involved in bringing in someone else's horse just because I want to bring mine in. I have enough to do without having to make another trip down to the field!
 
Neither of mine care but always make sure they can see another horse. When I worked on a yard we had a policy where no horses were to be by themselves in a field unless it was the 'recovery' paddock right next to the stable block.
 
I personally couldn't be bothered with a horse which had issues with being left alone in the field whilst its friends were out riding, or came in overnight. If it were to remain in my ownership then it would have to learn to be alone at times.
 
It's unclear from the poll whether you mean permanently or for a short amount of time whilst field mate is out hacking or something.

I don't like to see horses kept alone, they always look miserable and lonely to me. Maybe that's just me humanising them too much, but they ARE herd animals and I think they like company - even the grumpy ones!
 
One of the rules at our yard is that you must never leave one horse out alone. I'd be annoyed as mine would get really wound up if they were left out alone. We're lucky as we have a horse that lives out so it's not really a problem as three other horses are out with him at night and eight others during the day and we all catch in and turn out at different times.
 
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