Above the snowline
Well-Known Member
I agree with Cortez - Tough but Fair!
Stalled and alone at night?
- Thread starter cdunc09
- Start date
cdunc09
Active Member
It seems like something I will have to try out with him. If he can’t cope with that set-up I will find another option for him even if that means not being able to keep him at home. This will be something for the future anyways since I wanna send him to training first.
CanteringCarrot
Well-Known Member
24/7 turnout can be available in Germany, but generally only May/June through Oct/Nov.
Mine lived outside 24/7 365 in Bavaria, but they had these huge shelter buildings where their water, hay, feed, and a giant straw bed was (along with some storage). I've never seen such a large and brilliant (also well kept) shelter. That's not common, in my experience.
In some areas/YARDS You're lucky if they turnout at all in the winter.
Do you know if there is the possibility of a space/stable opening up at some point at the yard where the turnout actually is?
Mine lived outside 24/7 365 in Bavaria, but they had these huge shelter buildings where their water, hay, feed, and a giant straw bed was (along with some storage). I've never seen such a large and brilliant (also well kept) shelter. That's not common, in my experience.
In some areas/YARDS You're lucky if they turnout at all in the winter.
Do you know if there is the possibility of a space/stable opening up at some point at the yard where the turnout actually is?
cdunc09
Active Member
I’ll check, but it is a pretty small, local stables so not sure if anything will come up soon.
Roasted Chestnuts
Well-Known Member
I bring my horse in at night alone in the summer if he’s going ti a show or comp and I need to keep him clean (he’s a hippo and will make his own mud and keeping 3.5 full white legs is just too hard in a field 
) so I wouldn’t see it as any different from that personally.
) so I wouldn’t see it as any different from that personally.
SantaVera
Well-Known Member
Mine would be ok with that arrangement so long as he had food.
Widgeon
Well-Known Member
There are many advantages to a food motivated horse!!Wishfilly
Well-Known Member
I know from experience that mine doesn't really cope with being stabled at night alone, but there are plenty of others who would cope. FWIW, I do agree that there is plenty to recommend a horse that can stand being on its own for at least a few hours for all sorts of reasons- but I'm not sure how you teach this to an adult pony who clearly has strong opinions on the matter!
If I had the above set up with mine, I'd probably have to get him a companion!
If I had the above set up with mine, I'd probably have to get him a companion!
Cortez
Tough but Fair
Like everything else with horses, you do it gradually. I'm in the process of doing exactly this with a 13 year old that belongs to a client (which has never been asked to do anything it doesn't want to do). We started off with 5 minutes, during which she had hysterics. She's up to half an hour, slightly upset - not hysterical - now.
Wishfilly
Well-Known Member
I appreciate the advice, and it is something I will try to work on, because I do live in fear of him ever needing to be on box rest when others aren't coming in. The difficulty is, if he can see me, he doesn't show the most extreme behaviour but he throws himself around, and I am scared he would hurt himself, so someone would need to be watching him!
I know given time he can learn to deal with things he's scared of, so it's probably something I need to persevere with, rather than just building a routine around what keeps him calm. On the other hand, keeping him a routine he's happy with makes him so much more rideable!
Some stables are worse than others, as well, but if we could crack it in his current stable, that would definitely be a start.
DabDab
Ah mud, splendid
I'm fairly sure all mine would cope, but I wouldn't want to do it to them personally
Cortez
Tough but Fair
I appreciate that not everyone competes, etc., but following cast iron routines is not in the best interests of the horse if you ever want to do anything out of the ordinary. As you also note, if you need to go to the vet, box rest, or whatever, he will need to man up.
Wishfilly
Well-Known Member
I fully appreciate that in a box rest situation, he'd need to cope but to clarify he's a lot worse in the dark! He does hack/use the arena/travel alone, he doesn't love being left in a field alone, but will usually settle given time. He'll stable alone in a known stable in the day time so can e.g. be left in for someone else to hold for the farrier once he's settled on a yard. I don't have transport, so competing is tricky anyway, but he has been out and about a few times and he has coped with his friend leaving him (lots of calling but not dangerous) and leaving his friend (much more focused as he had a job to do). Obviously evening comps/training exist, but I know these would always be tricky due to work anyway!
I promise I have worked on things with him, and don't just cater to his every whim, but I am a bit of a wuss hearing him throw himself around a stable in the dark when I can't see what's going on! But equally, you're right, it's something I need to build up gradually and ask him to cope with.
But equally, you're totally right that sometimes things happen and it would be good if he could be stabled alone at night, and starting with 5 minutes of it isn't a huge ask.
I have recently moved yards and have the opportunity to do more/different things with him and hopefully take him off the yard a bit, which is great and I'm sure will really benefit us both!
AShetlandBitMeOnce
Well-Known Member
I intentionally asked the YM to turn Dex out first, last and in the middle during the weeks (I am on 5 day part) and to bring him in in a similarly random order, I have brought him in for 30 mins entirely by himself without another in sight sometimes and so on and so forth, with the sole purpose of ensuring he is able to cope. I was very lucky that from the start he couldn't have cared less, doesn't even call. So I would keep one like this if it was the only option, I think it's okay as long as they get the chance to socialise and be a horse all day. If I could though I would get a second small cheap one to keep him company.
airliner
Well-Known Member
Hey, I also live in southern Bavaria 
I live in a small village and have a small barn at home. My horse and I moved here last year and it's been quite the adjustment! At first, my horse was alone at home for a couple of weeks. I'm lucky that he gets along alright on his own but he definitely enjoys company. After the first few weeks at home, he transitioned to live out 24/7 with my SIL's horse and mini shetty for a couple months before coming home for the winter months. I ended up getting a mini shetty from a local breeder because I didn't want another horse at the moment but my horse needed company. Best 500€ I've spent because he and my horse are great buddies and the pony is such an easy keeper!
I live in a small village and have a small barn at home. My horse and I moved here last year and it's been quite the adjustment! At first, my horse was alone at home for a couple of weeks. I'm lucky that he gets along alright on his own but he definitely enjoys company. After the first few weeks at home, he transitioned to live out 24/7 with my SIL's horse and mini shetty for a couple months before coming home for the winter months. I ended up getting a mini shetty from a local breeder because I didn't want another horse at the moment but my horse needed company. Best 500€ I've spent because he and my horse are great buddies and the pony is such an easy keeper!
santas_spotty_pony
Well-Known Member
Depending on the type of horse he is, if he coped fine I wouldn’t see a problem with it - the problem will be if is a stressy type and makes a new friend and doesn’t like being superstars at night. I wouldn’t leave him out 24/7 though if the others are going in - he’s be safer in.