Two horse question..

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karenjj

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HI all, quick question.. how many of you keep just 2 horses on their own at a private yard where there are no other horses? How do you get on if for example you wanted to take one out to a show for the day, how does the other one cope?
 

I keep my mare with her mother - just the two of them. If I take mine out, her mother is fine, just gets on with grazing the day away.

If we take the mother out and leave mine home alone she goes nuts! If she's in the field she trashes it, if she's in the stable she trashes it, and after 20 minutes looks as though she's been hunting all day.

I put it down to the fact that there was always at least three of them until my girlie was 10 (she's 12 now) and she was never ever left alone until then. Tbh, we don't know what to do with her so just leave her to get on with it!
 
It was for this precise reason, when I had my own little yard, I had three horses so that we could take one out. If we took two out the third was put in a stable and seemed to settle much better than being left in the field. The ex racehorse would go to sleep if put away with the top door shut.
 
We only have two at home, but one is companion. We regularly go out competing, leaving the companion at home and for the first 5 minutes or so she gets a bit panicked, but she quickly settles. The more we've done it, the better she's got (:
 
I do and they are fine - the Exracer has a bit of a panic for a few minutes then chills - when i came back with Whoopi the other day the exracer was at the top of the other field which is about 50 or so acres he saw the trailer in the distance and came hurtling back down the field to see his buddy .
I have made them stand out on own though to get the mused to it so i can just get on with what i want to do as i had one previously that did have massive issues when left on own sadly it contributed to the early ending of his life when it was no longer managable !

Sharonxx
 
This is also something I worry about. I keep Harvey on his own, but it was always my intention to get him a companion. However, what if the companion ends up needing a companion? And what if when I taken Harvey out, he doesn't want to leave the companion? These are the things that worry me! I only have 2 acres, so not really enough to keep 3 horses.
 
This is my bug bear as I am on my own, in a Private yard, but I absolutely love it .....

However, I have to find a rider for my TB so that I can take Motor out, for his much needed exercise
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I can leave Motor at home, in his stable and take TB out, but I do not want to leave him, as he is the one who needs to keep moving, as TB has access to the a nice paddock all day and can keep himself semi exercised

If I dare try to leave TB at home and take Motor out then all hell lets loose, and I would not enjoy the ride
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.... and TB is not happy hacking out on his own
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If I don't get a rider for TB, then I can ride him and lead Motor, however this is not my first choice.

I feel that you either have one horse or four and the option of three could be a nightmare, but at the end of the day, it depends on the horse(s).

Good Luck
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ETS .... if I could regularly leave TB at home, then I would give it a go, but as it would only be occasionally that I would need to do this, as I really want them both taken out, then I do not bother
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Its entirely dependent on the horse, my 2 couldn't give a stuff if you take either one out. They don't even stop grazing or follow down to the gate when you take one out. Even lorries carrying their companion down the drive doesn't cause any worry.

On the other hand years ago I took an ancient connemara mare on loan as companion and she was terrible, just didn't stop screaming from the moment you left until you got back. Which in turn upset my mare. I got a 3rd one!

Its just not possible to predict, but *usually* if you grit your teeth and just keep doing it they get the hang of it and realise its only temporary

(Good luck!)
 
we just have the 2...
Ron couldn't give 2 hoots if tom goes out without him. he is happy as long as he's got something to eat!
Tom has issues being left even for half an hour's hack... but we are finding ways to work round it. He goes out in his XC boots and an old (half wrecked) rug.
If i'm going for a hack I make sure I go out and ride past the field so that he doesn't churn the gateway up.
If i'm going hunting he doesn't get his breakfast as usual but in the shelter when we load up Ron
If I'm going to be out for more than about 4/5 hours then I'll either find him a friend for the day or he goes to visit my friends horses - I think this is his favourite of the options, but it may be a novelty thing!
 
I keep mine at a private yard. I have a pony companion for my horse. When I first got the pony I put an anti weave grill up on his stable door, put in lots of hay and a snack ball and then left him to it whilst I rode out my horse. The grill is now down and he now starts banging his door in anticipation, when he sees me tacking up my horse as he wants his snack ball!! When I go out for the day to an event I am lucky as I have a friend who will turn him out, and he is happy to stay out in the field until I get back. He is worth his weight in gold as he is easy and quick to muck out and doesn,t get stressed when left alone all day. I think once the companion knows you are coming back, and as long as you start off with short separation times, it is a case of making sure they can.t jump out of the stable, leaving them with lots of hay and then just getting on with it.
 
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