What is the best solution?

[JadeWisc]

Recently put my three out on the summer pasture of about four acres. One is a Shetland pony of 15 and is the old man of the crew. They all get along well but I noticed that my big 4 yo gelding wanted to 'play' a bit too much with the pony and was chasing him a great deal. Even though it was not violent or ott I could tell that the Shetland hated it and was spending half of his day finding places in the field to hide and he really wanted to be left alone . He was hanging at the other end and the other two became buddies and always stuck together.

I brought the pony back to the corral last night to see how he acted on his own. They can see eachother but are no where near eachother ( pasture is across the road)
He ( as I suspected) spent the whole night whinnying for the horses. He was pacing a great deal too. I know he will settle in after awhile but what do you think is the lesser of the two evils and best for the sake of the Pony? Keep him over here by the house alone and see if he settles or put him back across the road to be with the others and be pestered half the day?


ets: sectioning the pasture is not an option btw as I can only have water in one spot

 

[nelliefinellie]

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sectioning the pasture is not an option btw as I can only have water in one spot

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can you not section a small area for the pony and carry him some water in a bucket?

 

[Keltic]

Oh what a pain eh? Can you create a section within their field with electric tape, so he can still be in the field but seperated? or buy another pony??

 

[Honeypots]

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sectioning the pasture is not an option btw as I can only have water in one spot

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can you not section a small area for the pony and carry him some water in a bucket?

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That would be my solution..

 

[JadeWisc]

Well I suppose I could do that but it would not have shade and it gets very hot and sunny here in the summer. The shade is up at the end of the pasture in a grove of trees and the rest is all open

 

[JadeWisc]

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Oh what a pain eh? Can you create a section within their field with electric tape, so he can still be in the field but seperated? or buy another pony??

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buy another pony? NO!

I was thinking of a goat for a companion though

 

[mickey]

Could the young pony and the other horse (not the 15 yr old shetland) perhaps share a paddock, with the older pony next door? That way the shetland would be happier and the pony will have some company...................

 

[tazzsmum]

Unless oyu think he's in danger of been hurt I'd leave them altogether for a few day n see if they settle down...horses been horses usually get fed up of these little 'games' quite quickly. Totaly up to you in the end, you have to feel happy that neither will get hurt. Good idea about the fencing but can see that the water would be a pain and if he knocked over the bucket he coul be without water for hours. I think if I were me I'd put them together and stand and watch for as long as it took for me to be happy with the situation xxx

 

[JadeWisc]

the two ponies get along great but I am far more worried about leaving the 4 yo horse on his own than the pony.


edited as I think I misunderstood you


Are you saying bring them all back over here but in paddocks next to eachother like they were all winter? If so I do not want to do that as they are dry paddocks and the horses would lose summer grazing and would need to be fed hay all summer. Besides...I just spent a fortune and many man hours re doing all the pasture fencing and would hate to see it all go to waste!

 

[JadeWisc]

I have an idea........

I have a round pen set up in the field and I could put the pony in it for part of the day to let him relax on his own. Maybe in the evening and let him out just before dark as it seems evening is when the 4 yo gets most "playful"

It has just been suggested to me by a friend that the chasing is good excercise for the pony though

I am in now way worried about him getting hurt, I am mainly worried about him being annoyed.

He really appears to want back in that field with them though

 

[mickey]

I was thinking of creating 2 paddocks in 1 (with electric tape). Young pony and other horse in one side, shetland in the other........That way the young pony has someone to be with and maybe play with, and shetland breathes a big sigh of relief. It may be that when they have settled down a bit you can integrate them again.

 

[JadeWisc]

I should also mention they have been in summer pasture for over a week now

 

[Kat1e]

Can't you use one strand of electric tape to section off part of the field? Set it at a height where the little one can walk under and the big one can't. Then when the shetland wants peace he can go in there, but can still get out to get to the water?

 

[JadeWisc]

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Can't you use one strand of electric tape to section off part of the field? Set it at a height where the little one can walk under and the big one can't. Then when the shetland wants peace he can go in there, but can still get out to get to the water?

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EUREKA! You are a genius! Now why didn't I think of that?

I will get working on that this weekend. I can section off part of the shade area so he can go in it at any time of the day during the hot summer. The other two are far larger than him so establishing a height would be easy!

thank you!