What would your perfect pasture be like? Mixed herds?

Enfys

Enfys

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Further to a comment on another thread, what is your idea of the perfect pasture?

Do you want your horse/s in mixed or single sex herds? Small groups or large?

Do you think YO's are too quick to offer individual paddocks or are they just being practical? (Considering that they often have to deal with the aftermath of mis-matching - broken fences, broken horses, aggrieved owners)

How long is long enough to let horses settle, what level of aggression do you put up with before considering moving groups around?
 
we generally keep mares and gelding seperate, its just easier when you get some geldings a bit colty. We have large fields (20acres each ish) and have 9 in one field and 11 in another atm and i feel this is far better than small groups as it stops/lessens bullying to any one particular horse. Horses are herd animals and like being in big groups IMO. We have no broken fences and no injuries....so far!
I HATE postage stamp paddocks, totally un-natural and pretty pointless in my opinion! However, for a livery yard i can see how it would stop a lot of moaning and bitching to have everyone seperate!!
 
I don't have a great deal of experience of livery yards but my old share horse Ellie was in a a small single sex herd. There were probably about 5 such herds on the yard and it worked well for them.

Now I'm at grass livery with my own horses and they live in one big mixed sex herd. Maybe its just the horses we have here but we haven't had any injuries or bullying when introducing a new horse into the mix. All new ones go into separate paddock within the main field so introductions can be made safely. When the new ones go out there is the usual running about which lasts for maybe 10 minutes then they are all heads down grazing peacefully again


Should say that at the moment there are 14 horses in the herd
 
I think that mixed sex groups arent necessarily a problem. Not enough space for the number of horses and competing for food cause problems, rather than mares mixed with geldings.
 
Single sex small herds.
Intro should be insolation for a week then small paddock within herd for a week.
I think 3 weeks is enough to settle once in the herd.
I think if horses come in with multiple kicks over a few days or a good hammering - I'd consider moving them.
 
I've always preferred small mixed herds (of no more than 4) and wasn't a fan of individual turnout and saw no need to separate mares and geldings. However, there are risks in turning out horses together which can cause a lot of unhappiness and a recent incident has changed my mind.

My mare kicked her field mate (a gelding) about a month ago,we felt awful about it but thankfully he's going to be ok and is now back in light work and able to be turned out.

Although no one saw the incident, the vet(also our vet) advised the gelding's owner the kick was vicious and not to turn him out with our mare again, no one else will turn their horse out with her either. So sad as they'd been good buddies for a long time with no incident but I can't say I blame them.

Alongside this, one of the more knowledgeable liveries said mixed herd were dangerous and they'd never seen it done til they came to our yard, I'd always thought it was just a preference prior to hearing that, but I can't imagine this person would be wrong.

So mixed herds or group turnout is all well and good until something goes wrong. It's difficult whether your horse is the victim or the perpetrator, I can see how places end up with individual turn out in the end.
 
We have always kept mixed herds i think the larger the fields the better so horse can get away from each other if they need to.
We keep new horses in isolation when they first arrive once we are sure they are healthy and wormed we just put them in the herd with no problems, we have only had problems with one gelding who was ok when first put in to field but can be very protective over herd when a new horse arrives he has improved with time.

I also teach my horse they are not allowed to crowd the gate when i am bringing in they know they have to wait back until their turn.

I think alot of problems in fields in yards is that they are just not big enough and the horses are on top of each other too much.
 
Absolutely agree with Trinity Fox about size of field being a major issue.

As ever I think it is down to the individual horse. My lad does not really like other horses and can get aggressive towards them (He is Dutch and was weaned and then kept separately until imported over here so did not learn his manners very well) he is happiest on his own or with one other. Whereas Fany is an extremely social-able horse and will live with anyone. She is the one horse on our yard that can literally live with any other horse. She would absolutely hate to be in a field alone. My old boy used to love running with the geldings and disliked mares. In my experience single sex herds tend to be more peaceful but that is just what I have witnessed.

Overall, I really do think that you have to try to suit the turnout to the horse. As with everything one size simply does not fit all.
FDc
 
I will never put my horses in seperate paddocks again, even though there's usually 3 of them. I had to do this when I moved to a new area and it was miserable. Not enough room to roam, no shelter from the heat and unable to mix socially with horses they were stabled next to or met when working.

Mine are at their best out in large meadows with mixed herds. Problems only arise when the space is too small or they are competing for forage. New horses are kept in an adjoining paddock for a week and we generally take the new owner and horse on a hack or two with ours before being put in with the herd.
Mostly new introductions are then a non event, new horse finds a buddy with the horse(s) he has been ridden out with during the week. Sometimes it takes a few days but any spats are minor and all the owners are chilled about the odd hoof print or bite mark. Any owner who was unreasonably 'precious' would be laughed off the yard. In 25 years, there's never been an injury needing vet attention. however,introduction management, the grazing and environment are all good, so give little cause for fights.
 
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