UPDATE - On keeping horses on their own

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niagaraduval

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So, Most of you followed my heated discussion at christmas about bringing my horse home to live with me, on his own.

Turns out most members were right, and he NEEDED a friend as he became unmanagable. He was a nervous wreck when I brought him back to live at home.
Desperately looking for a friend, we found an oldie that was going for meat about an hour away, we rang up and got him. We found big boy a friend in about a month.

The change has been amazzzzing, I have my lovely horse back again. He sleeps, eats, happily stands tied up infront of the stable and is generally the lovely horse he's always been. I'm certain this is due to him having a friend. His friend came to us in quite a poor state, infact a very poor state. The farrier and vet were the first to be out, as was the dentist. In the first week he was here he colicked twice, poor old boy. He was starved in his old place so he ate (and still does now !!) everything he could sink his teeth into, including his whole bed and hay when he came, He just hoovered everything up, incredible.
He's now less of a nuissance, He let's us put his headcollar on and bring him out to brush him. He likes going out in the field and is often worse to catch than my naughy boy a bucket of food does the job though. With good quality feed, a worming program and a warm rug he soon piled weight on and totally changed, he was alert and had energy.

He has gained so much weight and is currently being hacked out twice a week. Just a plod around the fields. He still needs weight and condition but he is well on his way, they are staying out 24/7 from Friday until it's time to bring them back in for the winter.

Even better, my lovely boy is back to his old lazy self :D

Here are some photos of the happy couple, coming from a very happy owner :D


And the oldie himself:

 
Oh how lovely! They look very happy together indeed, and how wonderful that an oldie has a loving home. I hope that you have many happy years together :)
 
That's a nice story, not only is your boy happy, so are you and your "oldie" has suddenly been given a lovely retirement instead of the fate he was destined for. Lovely. :)
 
Brilliant news. And very refreshing to hear someone admit they might have been wrong!! We all get it wrong sometimes, but few put their hand up and admit it!!
 
Lovely! second the well done for admitting you were wrong. My horse is the opposite- He's far far easier to handle if he's kept alone (loan owners tried it for a while) He was so different to handle that i too kept him alone for a short while. It didnt last long as i could see although it made my life easier he was unhappy so he too is back with a friend and yes he can be awkward but he has his sparkle back! (and incidentally became the good doer i knew rather than the one who wouldnt keep weight on)
 
So pleased you listened to your horse, OP. The problem is, many people don't. Usually they realise their horse is unhappy, if like your boy, he becomes unmanagable, but often horses do not let you know so loudly. Instead they shut down, or just make the best of their lonely existence and owners think they are happy.
 
Wagtail said:
So pleased you listened to your horse, OP. The problem is, many people don't. Usually they realise their horse is unhappy, if like your boy, he becomes unmanagable, but often horses do not let you know so loudly. Instead they shut down, or just make the best of their lonely existence and owners think they are happy.
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Ditto this. So pleased you're horse has a friend.

The saddest common I ever saw RE livng alone was a poster who said they kept their horse on their own 'so they were it's world' and it 'was always really pleased to see me'. She wouldn't accpet that was because it was deperately lonely :(

And well done for taking on a older horse: he sounds like he's landed on his feet with you :D
 
Im glad you have decided to get him a friend. My boy is on his own and IS actually happier I had company for a while for him and he spent all of his time stressing and bullying the other horse I would get there to find holes in the stable walls where they had been kicking at each other through the wall. Also he gets incredibly nappy when the has company.

Since the other horse I was looking after for a friend he took a deep breath and not he no longer gets aggressive over food and he just seemed to relax. I regularly ride over and hack out with friends so its not like he never sees other horse. I said I would get another if I felt that he needed company and borrowed a little pony for a few months but he went straight back to stressing, pacing and just not happy in general.
 
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