Unfair to keep a horse on it's own?

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showjump2003

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I have three horses, two in work and correct weight and one very over weight. The fat one needs to be on a bare paddock but the others dont. The other two are moving two fields away tonight out of site of the bare paddock. Fat one has to stay put but I feel bad about leaving her in there on her own.
 
Bert is on his own
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I think I dislike it more than he does though. He can see the geldings from his paddock and sometimes has some shetlands in a sectioned off bit of the paddock but he really doesn't seem to mind.
 
Some cope with it better than others. Mine was kept on her own with her previous owners after her dam died, was kept with 3 others when I bought her, and then was kept alone again when they left. She was perfectly happy with or without companions. I should say that she was easier to catch when she didn't have her pals to distract her
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They do cope although its not natural. Is it not possible to section a really small bit of the other field off (we call them scratch patches lol) so pony can still see her friends?

On a plus side, not being able to see her friends might make her run around a bit and lose some weight .... then she could go out with her friends.
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I think its good to keep them on their own sometimes because they need to get use to it when competing. I know not everyone competes, but sometimes skye goes out on her own so will be alone all day so its best that she is sometimes seperated from the others so she gets use to it at home before we go. Not very often, just sometimes
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Ninja lives on his own! He has his own little paddock, sectioned off of a biger field, and sheep next door. Cows next door on the other side. To start with he got a little stressed out but now he's happy as larry.
 
Could you not put the "weight challenged" one out with a grazing muzzle on during the day with the others, and then in the fatty paddock at night? At least that way he or she would get some social contact with the other horses, whilst you were still controlling their weight.
 
Although the fields are safe... I wouldn't say it was safe for a muzzled horse, incasre she rubs on a fense post and gets it caught. I can't section a bit of field off in the other field wither as she has no respect for electric fensing what so ever!
 
My boy lives on his own...he can talk to the neighbours horses over the hedge but rarely bothers with them...he is more interested in eating and dozing! He is happy and well.
 
Ditto Pottamus, my girlie lives on her own too, and can see neighbours horses through hedge and is happy, as you said, she's much more interested in munching!
Kate x
 
My boys on his own now too. He can see and touch his friends but not get into any more trouble. I feel bad seperating him as they cant groom each other but he seems absolutely fine. I dont think I could do it if he couldnt see another horse nearby.
 
My muzzle and I would have thought most muzzles has a safety device fitted in. Her's doesnt buckle shut it velcros so if she did catch it on the fence it would just pull off.
 
even with a muzzle on she would still run through the fense and let my two horses on to too much grass so have no chooice other than to keep her on her own.
 
I had mine in an individual paddock at his last yard and he wasn't a happy Twiglet.....he was next door to the other horses and still never really settled - lots of fence walking, calling, pawing the ground etc.
Is now out with a herd and is a far happier bunny.
he's not an especially clingy horse - is fine hacking and travelling on his own - but just didn't like being turned out on his own.
 
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