What's your opinion on individual turnout?

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Sandylou

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I'm moving my horse next weekend for many reasons but the only thing that concerns me is that the new yard only has individual turnout. All the horses can see each other but they are in sectioned padocks. All the horses there seem perfectly happy but it's just not natural is it?!
What's your opinion and/or experience of this?
 
I think it depends on the horse but I personally don't like it.

My horse is on individual turnout at the moment but that's because he's reovering from injury. He has a friend over the fence and they stand "together" but it's heartbreaking that they can't reach each other for a groom. I can't wait to have him back out with others, even if it's just one other horse.

I believe that turnout and interaction with other horses is essential for a mentally healthy horse.
 
I think so long as they can see each other and possibly groom each other over the fence then its fine. Not ideal but fine. Individual turnout has its good points. Individual turnout would suit me and my pony hugely. As it is, she is turned out with one other who she doesnt really get on with and they very rarely stand anywhere near each other. The other pony being a very good doer and mine being a poor doer makes putting hay out for mine very difficult so individual turnout would have been more suited.

I think your horse will be fine :)
 
I agree that social interaction is very important for metal wellbeing.
It's only a stop gap while we wait for a space at the yard I really want to be on and then he'll be turned out in small groups....I think that's going to be some time away!
 
My biggest concern other than them not being able to groom each other is often these individual paddocks are four sides of tape with no shelter from sun, wind or rain.
 
I will only ever go to a yard where they have individual turnout although I do have three horses and 3 paddocks so it's ideal for me I have total control over what goes in and comes out of my horses I can bring in put out whenever I want and I don't have to worry about horses bullying or being bullied!

I do understand your concerns over no physical contact but when I only had one I either used to share with other like minded liveries or ensure that she had access to groom over the fence!

I love it and couldn't stand mixed!
 
My horses are out together, one mare and three geldings....they all get on fine but if I was to just have Lady i'd have her on individual grazing as she can be a cow to others and won't want her kicking someone elses horse nor thiers kicking mine, at least if it's my horses against my horses there are no third parties involved. Makes things a lot more pleasant.
She is better with others so if I could find a friend then she's have one.
Fortunatly this isn't an issue as they all get on happily.
 
Our yard has individual T/O - but i have 2 boys so they go out in a paddock together, which for me is great, i can do as i please with regards to hay etc., it only ever becomes a problem for me when i take the younger one to a show, as my other boy won't stay out alone, so he has to come in for the day, even though he has a neighbour.

I think its better for horses to be T/O in mixed herds but i understand that a lot of people don't like it this way.
 
i will only go somewhere with ind. turnout after having a horse kicked in field and having to have leg operated on and have joint flushed as the joint fluid was coming out.

I prefer it also as i can hay my own - i only poo pick my own, feed her in field (lives out 24/7) I have bought her a shelter, I strip graze my field where ness. Far less hassle and no way would i have a horse in a herd.
 
ISHmad said:
My biggest concern other than them not being able to groom each other is often these individual paddocks are four sides of tape with no shelter from sun, wind or rain.
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^^^Another of my concerns however there is a padock with a field shelter available. The other paddocks do have bushes and trees on 1 side which would provide shelter for a small amount of time a day but I would prefer more natural shelter.
I'm liking your opinions everyone...keep them coming :)
 
Fany would hate it she is a very sociable horse and interacts well with other horses, only ever seen her lift a foot once to another horse who was hassling her and she threatened did not follow through.


On the other hand, Cappy is fine with it and I think enjoys it. Also he can be a bit intolerant of other horses, except his babies, and can get a bit aggressive if pushed by them so I would prefer individual turnout for him.



So I think you have to tailor it to suit the horse not the yard.

FDC
 
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Really not a fan. I've seen horses that were happier in smaller (or larger) mixed/unmixed groups but ideally /everything/ should have company it can touch. Most of us simply don't have enough time/horse-like behaviour to make up for that much missing interaction. Probably occasionally pragmatic if you have an animal (elderly/infirm that will get picked on or hassled, very aggressive, a stallion) it is hard to find a suitable companion for from others on a livery yard and you really can't afford to support one bought especially for that purpose. But for most animals not ideal.
 
I would never even consider a yard that didn't allow group turnout. Phil has moved to a yard with single sex turnout, he loves mares, but this yard has far more pros than cons. I thought he wouldn't like being stabled but I was very wrong. However he has been on individual turnout when restricted through the summer, I believe this helped his windgalls develop and despite being able to groom over the fence he does not settle. He literally paces the entire time, digs himself a trench and becomes very bolshy :( He's a friendly horse and loves company!
 
Personally I HATE individual turnout. Horses are herd creatures, not designed to live alone. Many spend hours grooming a favoured friend, and the herd tends to be more relaxed with many eyes always on the look out for "danger".
I have yet to see a horse on individual turnout relaxed enough to lay down.
 
I prefer small herd TO , although is much easier to manage and far less hassle from others if on individual. On my last yard mine was on individual for a bit seemed fine but then decided he didnt like it and just went through or over the fence all the time to find company even though he had horses all round him. He didnt even socialize once in with them just seemed to want to be in the same field. put him in with a friend and he was fine. Current yard small herd turn out and a very happy boy.
 
I don't understand it and it would make me think the YO/other Liveries were a bit "precious" which I couldn't be doing with.
 
i was worried about this when i got my pony and moved her from a yard where they were all turned out together to a yard where you have your own strip of field for summer and your own strip for winter. i shouldnt have worried!

pony was fine with it can see and touch over horses if she pleases and is perfectly content.

from my point of view it is fantastic!! you can manage your field how you like - poo pick every day or every week no arguments as its all your own horses poo. you can strip graze, section off parts of the field, dont get any injuries from other horses, your horse cant cause injury to others, no ripped rugs, can feed hay or hard feed out in the field without a problem -- basically its ace!!
 
joeanne said:
I have yet to see a horse on individual turnout relaxed enough to lay down.
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Sandylou said:
Interesting observation. I saw one rolling the other day but can't recall any lying down. Will keep my eye out for one lying down.
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mine goes to sleep in her field quite happily in the winter if she needs a nap and many summer mornings (when out 24/7) i will find her curled up asleep. lots of other horses also lie down and go to sleep flat out at the yard. dont really see that its a problem
 
joeanne said:
I have yet to see a horse on individual turnout relaxed enough to lay down.
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Sandylou said:
Interesting observation. I saw one rolling the other day but can't recall any lying down. Will keep my eye out for one lying down.
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My big lad will discount this theory with one swoop :D

He is on individual turnout (with horses all around him) and spends a lot of time lying down absolutely flat out :)

Only yesterday, one of the ladies at the yard was worried about him as he had spent most of the afternoon flat out and she thought he was ill- he wasn't, he was just snoozing!

I am very happy with mine on individual turnout- they have horses all around them, can groom over the fence etc so I don't feel they are missing out.

Unless you have a very stable herd without different horses coming and going all the time, I don't see how herd turnout is suitable, particularly with shod horses.

When my horses were at home they were all out together as a herd of 6 and it was lovely but imo it can be impractical at a livery yard with so many different horses, owners coming at different times of the day. new horses arriving etc.
 
I personally don't like it but I can see the advantages. For me, horses should have at least one friend to turn out with as they are sociable animals. However, I would also hate to have my horses turned out in a massive herd as feeding would just get so stressful and they would end up either kicking or getting kicked. In an ideal world, turnout in pairs would be best. Hopefully both horses could have a similar diet and get on.
 
I think it depends on the horse. My last mare was on individual turnout because she was a dominant bully! She would never kick or beat up another horse but she would chase them constantly for days! She didn't care if she was left out overnight on her own with no horses to keep her company. She was very independant.

My current mare is the opposite. Will go out with anything, mares geldings ponies. Very sociable and likes company I would never have her on individual turnout because she really does enjoy her socialising.

I think that if you have a settled group of horses your not really going to have any injuries coming in from kicks etc because they are so well connected and settled as a herd. Especially if you intergrate them into the herd properly. Too many people just wack a new horse in and wonder why one comes in with a kick!
 
Not ideal but better than nothing. I can see it's advantages for some horses/situations but I think company is really important for horses and wouldn't want mine kept in this way.
 
Individual with horses next to one another is fine. Our paddocks are mostly pairs but some get split to individual if horses don't get on. It works fine and the horses are quite happy to lie down. The lack of shelter is a bit of a bu**er when its very hot but our horses are rarely out in bad weather.

Turning shod horses out in large groups is asking for bad kick injuries.
 
joeanne said:
I have yet to see a horse on individual turnout relaxed enough to lay down.
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This yard would prove you wrong on that one - we have 16 horses here all on individual turnout and if come past between 9 - 11 (especially in the summer) they will all be lying down having a kip!! When liveries first arrive it takes them a while to get used to seeing their horses asleep.

I have 2 horses and sometimes in the winter they go in one paddock to rest the other and make haying easier - they have just been split up again as my cob was kicking my Oldenburg round the field - have been happily together for a couple of months but I don't need the vets bills and they can all groom over the fence and have big hedges for shelter.:)
 
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