Should I subdivide the stable?

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Scottynewbie

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After a bit of trouble finding and securing 'the one' I think all is finally going ahead! I'm most excited at a lovely 13.3hh mare coming to me in a couple of weeks. I have even picked out my 'mini' who'll be keeping her company! Back to being a 'horse' owner at last!!

I am just considering what I should do with my stable. It's about 14ft x 10ft. I would hope to only use it overnight in extreme winter weather and perhaps, fingers crossed, the night before any shows we might do next year.

I was wondering whether to hope that the two ponies are good enough friends to share this if needs be. Or should I divide it into two, rather small, individual stables? Perhaps 8ft x 10ft for the mare and 6ft x 10ft for the mini?

I would be most grateful to hear what other people would do.
 
I have 2 minis and 2 regular sized horses. Usually 2 lots of 2 - one big and one small together.They all get on really well and my paddocks also have stables within them so I leave the stable door open. Even when there are 2 stables open they just share one at a time (but dirty both!!) so I limit to just one stable. However I would never lock them in together in case there is an argument and the little ones can't get out. It would be a bit different with a smaller pony. To split them would be making 2 very small stables. Would it be possible to fence off the area in front of the stables so they are stabled effectively but can get out of the way if needs be? It would depend on the ponies but I'm always terrified that one would get kicked against the wall.
 
Yes, fencing off a small outside area on the hardstanding would be a possibility. I do like the idea of having an inside space for both... The mini is all of 8.2hh!!
 
Scottynewbie said:
Yes, fencing off a small outside area on the hardstanding would be a possibility. I do like the idea of having an inside space for both... The mini is all of 8.2hh!!
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Maybe the idea of 2 spaces is attractive but not feasible. 6ft x 10ft is tiny even for a 8HH pony. It is of kennel proportions rather than stables I'm afraid. I wouldn't do it.
 
Hmmm. I have just been out and put some boards up to divide it as I was thinking. The small one is outrageously small!! I think I may open up a bigger entrance way and create more of a shelter with a small outside space too. Then I can always close the Biggie in the shelter part overnight if needing to stay clean for a show. Perhaps I shall be saving to build a new little stable! On that note, what sort of size would be good for such a teeny one - I've never owned anything that small before.
 
I wouldn't divide it. I would wait until they get to know each other and become bonded and then put them in together.
I used to have an open stable in the field 10x10, the most that I found stood in it was three. One sleeps and the other stands at the back on watch duty.
I once 'lost' two ponies in a very post brick pig sty, the size of a child's wooded wendy house, with a very small opening. They had reversed in it to stand together.
 
My two 14.2s had to bunk up together two years ago when it was very wet and my other stable was taken for calves. They shared in a 16 x 16 for three months at night and were happy together. I bedded the whole space down so they could lie anywhere and I also put the hay all around the edge so one couldn't guard it all at once. I couldn't let them share now as the less dominant one has gained in confidence and now challenges the dominant one so in a space that small it wouldn't be successful.

Be aware that it will be almost impossible to restrict the diet of the mini if they are sharing, my fatter one got fatter as I was having to feed more hay to make sure the less dominant one (who was also less of a good doer) got sufficient food. In an emergency it would be ok but I wouldn't recommend it as a permanent solution. Do you have space to build and extra stable? 10 x 10 would be fine for a mini, but personally I would build as big as you can in case circumstances change and you end up with two larger ponies at some point.
 
I stable a sixteen hander with a mini quite often and they cuddle up together. The rest of the time if they are in then they are in a barn together or in a large field and they still cuddle up. I think your stable is plenty big enough for a 13.3 and a 34 inch together if they like each other.
 
Thank you. I feel this one may come down to personal opinion. I think some people will say it's big enough and others will say it's too small! I do agree having looked in detail that it's too small to divide! I will wait and see how they buddy up before deciding if I should ever try them together. I will be adfing a small outside space for this winter and save for an extra stable for next year! I would still appreciate more thoughts on stable size for the mini. Thank you.
 
Scottynewbie said:
Thank you. I feel this one may come down to personal opinion. I think some people will say it's big enough and others will say it's too small! I do agree having looked in detail that it's too small to divide! I will wait and see how they buddy up before deciding if I should ever try them together. I will be adfing a small outside space for this winter and save for an extra stable for next year! I would still appreciate more thoughts on stable size for the mini. Thank you.
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I think most people would consider that a 12x12 is a good size for a sixteen hand horse which would be about seven feet nose to tail. In that case, if your mini is, say, four feet nose to tail then the equivalent size stable would be about 7x7. That may sound and look tiny, but to the two horses those two stables would be an identical size.
 
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