Single horse owners

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FairyLights

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Hello, I am hoping to find success stories about people who own just 1 horse or pony and manage to keep it sucessfully with other animal species companions. For example sheep or cows. I am particulally interested in how young horses get along.
Already I know of a couple of encouraging and succesful arrangements that forum posters have. Thanks charlieandblue for your pm.
This is a follow on from my previous post.
 
Well, I'm prepared to get shot down in flames for this ..... but .... I'm keeping my horse on his own at the mo.

He's been on working livery at a big yard up to the end of June, where there was about 40 horses; and then he came back to me at my yard, where due to being let down (I'd been promised a shetland from next door, but it was there for two nights then the daughter got precious over it and it was taken back again - grrrhhh!); he's on his own now.

And he's fine, a chilled, relaxed, happy horse. There are loads of other horses around the area, and he can hear them, but can't see them (tho' probably can smell them too). But he's not stressed, not developed any weird vices, isn't nappy when he meets other horses, just a nice chilled out boy.

I've got spaces for DIY liveries (two) but no-one wants to come here - perhaps wer're not "posh" enough???!!! - so hopefully longterm he'll have other horses in the yard, but for now, there's nothing I can do about the situation, so we're having to live with it.

My first ever pony was the same; he was on his own for some of the time, the rest of the time turned out with my uncle's dairy cows - and loved it!! I'm sure he thought he was a cow and he'd got the hang of rounding them up and chivvying them around. He was fine without other horses too.

My last horse had a pair-bond in his field and it was a real nuisance at times; if you tried to get one horse out of the field, the other would put his ears back at you and chase you out of the field. Also if you took one for a hack, the other would carry on a real fuss, galloping around and neighing. So two definately isn't a good idea - three is much better coz then there's always one left in the field in case the other one gets stressy.

I know the "experts" will slap me down for keeping my boy on his own, but I can't magically summon up something. I have to wait until the right people come along and take up the DIY livery option. I can't afford to keep two horses, plus wouldn't have the time or energy to cope with two, so that's why I don't.

My yard is on a fairly well used country road, so he gets plenty of stimulus which is important I think. i.e. cars, lorries, tractors, people walking, sheep, etc etc. The worst thing would be to keep a horse on its own in the middle of nowhere where there's just nothing happening except the birds singing. That would be awful for a horse I would think.

So you'd need to look at your own set-up and find a way of working with it. Sheep are good to keep the grass right BUT be aware of all the DEFRA regs concerning sheep & cloven footed creatures!!! It aint simple basically, you've gotta dip them, deal with fly-strike, foot rot etc etc. Far better if you can get a local smallholder/farmer to put THEIR sheep in your field, and they see to all the business.

Cattle ditto. If you can find a farmer that's happy for you to turn-out yours with his cattle, brill. But they're a rare breed unfortunately.

As well as other horses in the general vicinity we've got chicken & cats here too, which all help to keep Himself company, plus the dogs (he adores my little pup, they're just begining the male bonding thing, so sweet).

Oh and my first pony bonded with a pig!!! Very useful, coz he'd go past pigs without any hassle!
 
I keep my 5 year old mare on her own with cows and sheep for company and she has never been more settled and happier.
She likes being with the sheep and bonded well with the cows. When she is hacked out or taken somewhere where there are other horses she doesn't really bat an eye lid.
I will say that I don't think it works for all horses and they are herd animals but my mare doesn't seem bothered at all by what type of herd that is!
 
My current horse is on livery so with other horses however my first pony was on her own for over 10 years (I got her when she was 5) and never bothered about it at all, when she finally did get a field mate she really didn't want that much to do with the other girl. At one point she was in a field next to cows and seemed to get on fine with them too.
 
i have a horse who is very cheeky and gets into everything and isnt particually friendly to other horses and likes to be the boss, when i was told he would be moving fields to stay with the cow i was horrified, i thought he would be a nightmare, but to my surprise he doesnt care at all he is happy sharing a field and just leaves her alone
 
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