Who do you turn your horse out with?

T

TedwinkleJumper

Well-Known Member
Joined
8 September 2010
Messages
51
Location
Wonderland
Visit site
Had my new showjumper who is a talented boy and im worried that out in the field he will injure himself.. He is only going out with one other horse..
Think im being over protective or do you think like that too?
:rolleyes:
 
My youngsters are out alone, thought they can touch and groom over the fence. 2 reasons - 1 to prevent injury (we all know what youngsters are like), 2 - so they become a little more dependent on me than each other (me coming to see them is them getting fuss not being taken away from their friends.
 
As im not on a yard all mine are together however the eldest mare has decided she is now the mum of youngster and shetland is just side kick in the field so dont really worry about fights more like what mare is gonna hurt herself with next.
 
My horse has to be on her own as she gets too attached if she shares a field with another horse. You'd be amazed how many injuries they can do to themself though, you don't want to see the pictures of the cut she gave herself on her pastern.
 
A lot of the yards round my way only have either individual or shared turnout. Years ago, almost every yard had mixed grazing OR mares/geldings seperate but in small herds - I must admit that I preferred the herd turnout, as horses don't get so attached and they can socialise.... BUT, at my current yard I share a 2 acre paddock with another mare, and I love it (so does my horse).... I'm lucky that my mare doesn't get attached very easily, but she is social and she's the alpha mare - so no injuries or ripped rugs!

Now, I don't think that I would want to turn her out in a group.

So, no I don't think you're being 'precious' :)
 
my 3 are in together and have been the last 3 years.
before that my 2 were in together for a year. and before that my 1 was on her own for 3 years and with one other 3 years before that....
i like to keep them out in big enough fields for company.
although i wouldnt want anything with back shoes on out with them.
and i would only want one other horse to make a group of 4 max.
 
amandaco2 said:
my 3 are in together and have been the last 3 years.
before that my 2 were in together for a year. and before that my 1 was on her own for 3 years and with one other 3 years before that....
i like to keep them out in big enough fields for company.
although i wouldnt want anything with back shoes on out with them.
and i would only want one other horse to make a group of 4 max.
Click to expand...

Mine has back shoes, and im guessing his neigbour wil also have them...
Bit stuck to what to do!
 
When I worked at Tim Stockdales yard, all of his got frequent turnout in pairs, apart from the stallions who went in the pens. Most had back shoes on as they were competing weekly.

They were all booted up (brushing boots or turnout wraps) on all four legs and over reach boots on the front. Most of them wore a light turnout sheet too.
 
depends- if you and the other owner are ok with them together with backs on.....?
i would definately get them used to each other next door first and then put them in a grassy field together with plenty of room to run....
 
I share a yard with 1 other owner, she has her 6 in together and my TB is on his own. He can see and touch noses with them. At first, I felt really mean and seriously considered introducing him to the group, he was always happy to graze alone but would shadow the group next door. 2 years down the line he is so settled Im glad I didnt. He does like to know the others are still there but will often be as far away from them as it is possible to get. He always comes to call, isnt nappy in the slightest, I never have to struggle to get him in or out and I can feed him hay if I need to in the field. I can also manage his bit of field to suit, save a bit, make it bigger or smaller according to his waistline etc. So all in all Im happy to have him turned out by himself, although I have to say i would never keep him anywhere where he couldnt see and touch other horses.
 
she goes out in a massive field with 16 other horses.

Shes had 2 (minor) kicks and that was in 1 week but she was new!.... settled down now *touches wood*

ideally i would prefer her in a smaller field as she an ar*e to catch.... but tuff lol!
 
My pony is out with 3 others 1 mare and 2 other geldings, though one is leaving tomorrow another couple sometimes go out with them but are usually in starvation paddocks.

When we were at the riding school before it closed everything got turned out together pretty much apart from the 3/4 shetlands who had there own field. Was about 15 of them sometimes maybe more mares and geldings of all ages from youngsters up to a 20something year old. There were quite a lot of new ones that would come and go and they always seemed to get along and would settle. Never had any major injuries.

If I had a really decent horse like the OP then I think I would want it turned out on it's own just incase.
 
I personally couldn't own a horse that I didn't want to turn out or that didn't enjoy turnout.

Herd 1 - Phil, two old geldings and approx 15-20 mares, foals and youngstock (dependant on time of year). Only injury sustained was a kick on the shoulder from a gelding from another yard that broke into our field.

'Herd' 2 - 2 mares. Stressed & paced.

Herd 3 - Mixture of old and young, mares and geldings (approx 8 horses I think). Phils best mate was a chubby little coloured gelding. No injuries.

Herd 4 - Was another mixture of ages, breeds and genders. 9 horses. No injuries sustained in the field.

The only other injury inflicted on Phil by another horse was a horse in herd 4 (who has gone now thank goodness). This happened under saddle and still makes my stomach churn at the thought of it! The other gelding managed to drag his rider over, pin Phil and I between the fence and himself and kicked out, caught Phil on the thigh, the sound was horrendous and I could feel Phil shaking :( In the field, Phil would simply look at the gelding and he would back off.

But then personally I'm a big lover of large herds, mixed herds, different ages etc. Let the horse be a horse (Personal opinion ;))

ETA; and in all the herds Phil has been with, none have ever received anything more than a small cut or bite mark from general hierarchy behaviour.
 
Last edited:
As I own my own land my gang 2 Arab geldings 2 Arab Mares and 1 Little New Forest Mare are all turned out as a herd.

I have had very little trouble and they all get on with each other.

Horses are herd animals and i believe that is the way they should live.

If I had only one horse I would always get them a companion, a little rescue pony would do.
 
I don't think you are being over protective, I have seen so many injuries caused by horses being kicked in the field many horses cope with being out on there own as long as others are nearby, I would never turn mine out in a large group my two go out together and thats it, my gelding would just fight with anything that challenged his status as head of the field and the mare she would get beaten up. good luck with your new horse.
 
My horses, 3 year old TB mare and 18yr arabx gelding share a 4 acre field.

My ponies 27 year old Welsh A and 2 year old forest x both geldings share together with sheep.
 
Are horse's no longer horse's? or just precious machines?
A horse is a natural herd animal by seperating it because you dont want it injured due to it's worth is probably not doing it's mental state a whole heap of good.
If you google horse herds you will see that an awful lot of pro riders turn there horses out in small herds or pairs at least. It keeps there minds active and allows them to be normal horses.
I am lucky enough to own my own yard I have my 6 turned out together, 1 Gelding and 5 mares all of different ages/breed's/heights, there is a head mare and everyone else is in the pecking order. The worst injury ever sustained by each other is the odd bite mark or small kick cut, they know where each other stands and never fight for a place, if a new horse is introduced the herd stays together and blocks out the new one until it is allowed in. It's nature they are after all animals so kicking biting is all part of them!
My very expensive eventer is turned out in the herd I wouldnt dream of removing her due to fear of injury, although with this I feel blessed to own my own yard where I have a say and know the other horses and how they react, I certainly wouldnt seperate her because she is a competition horse, however I do boot her up to her eyeballs!

I know OP your horse would be very important for you competition and you would have worked so hard to get her to that level, this post isnt a dig at you I can understand your worry however maybe when she is retired from competition find her somewhere she can be part of a herd, im sure she would really love to run and play with a herd like her ancestors have.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top