Would you sell/loan your horse if you knew it would be kept alone?

Would you sell/loan your horse if you knew it would be kept alone?

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Wagtail

Wagtail

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Following on from another thread where someone is having problems settling their new horse partly because it is the only horse there, I was wondering if people selling their horses check this kind of thing, or if it is not a major consideration when selling their horse.
 
I certainly let sellers know that I have company for any horse I buy, as well as having my own land so no danger of suddenly losing facilities. I have never knowingly sold a horse to someone who would keep it as a lone animal.
 
Yes, mine is happy either on own or with others. He's actually easier to handle when he's on his own as he gets too attached to others rather easy!!
 
tinap555 said:
Yes, mine is happy either on own or with others. He's actually easier to handle when he's on his own as he gets too attached to others rather easy!!
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Yes, horses are often more easy to handle and more affectionate when kept alone. But this does not mean they are happy to be kept alone. The fact that your horse gets attached shows just how much he craves equine company. It can be a difficult problem to resolve though. I have found that horses can take as long as a year to settle, and not panic when separated from their friends, though most take far less time than this. As soon as a horse is relaxed, and realises they will always be returned to their friend, then they do eventually get chilled about being separated. But it can certainly try your patience in the meantime!
 
My boy is kept alone but has plenty of company from me/dogs/ etc, he wasn't keen at the start but needs must in my case and he has settled brilliantly (took bought 18 months though), routine for him is the key. That's not to say that if my circumstances were different I wouldn't jump at the chance of getting him a wee friend.
 
There isn't an option for "yes i knew he would be alone and still sold him" as i knew he would have no problems with this.
When i started out as a child i had a pony on loan in a field behind my house all alone and then after a break, loaned a horse and he was kept on his own too.
Mind you have a small herd now lol.

Why does keeping them alone seem a such a bad idea. I understand the being a herd animal by nature thing, but by the way we keep them i.e riding them e.t.c we are going against nature anyway????
The horse i sold was bottom of my little herd, not bullied, but knew his place, i.e the others jostled for attention first and he had to wait now he gets someones undivided attention.
 
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No. I actually turned down a loan home for my old horse because, although the potential loaner was fantastic and would have been almost perfect for him, she wanted to keep him with just one other horse. I knew he would never have settled - he would have hated being with just one other and if the other horse went away for any reason (hacking, etc), he'd have gone crazy. So, I turned her down in favour of people who were going to keep him on a big yard.
 
Yes, having just two horses can cause problems. I've found that having at least three is very convenient for when you want to take one out to do some work. However, I would not worry too much if a horse was going to be with just one other.
 
Wagtail said:
Yes, having just two horses can cause problems. I've found that having at least three is very convenient for when you want to take one out to do some work. However, I would not worry too much if a horse was going to be with just one other.
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He was the sort of horse to get obsessed with other horses so he'd have turned himself inside out when the other was taken away! As for being alone, I just really hate to see them unable to be with other horses. I must be getting fluffy as I get older because I don't even like individual turnout, despite them being able to touch over the fence. I like my horse to have friends in with him (different horse to the one I posted about now though). He mostly chooses to ignore his company but he's still happier than when on individual turnout, when he tends to look miserable.
 
It's a hard one as its not always possible to have more than one. There's no way I could financially own 2 (recently turned down offer of another), so does it make me cruel just having 1 on his own? To me its worse to have 2 so they have company but then they be inadequately cared for due to lack of funds! Mines been on his own for 3yrs. He has others to talk to in a neighbouring field (can see but not get near them) but they stress when he leaves, never him! The only time I had 2 he was a nightmare, couldn't catch, wouldn't come in, when you finally did catch him he wouldn't lead. He was far too dangerous for a 12yr old girl to handle. Other pony went, this pony didn't batter an eyelid & changed instantly.
 
I didnt allow someone to buy a tb i had as it would live out.
Although they seemed nice and in theory he could cope, i just didntlike their particular situation.
Its not a definat no but it would depend on the circumstances.
 
I wouldn't sell mine to anywhere where they'd be aloneno (but then i don't sell mine anyway! Lol) We did sell my sister's horse though and he was kept alone. We went to see him shortly afterwards and he was obviously not happy - he looked in shock and stood at the back of his stable. The place was immaculate, railed paddocks a smart stable but it just lacked the most improtant thing - companionship. Thankfully his reaction to being alone (napping when leaving any friends he was hacked with) resulted in him being sold to someone who did have more horse - cue much happier, relaxed horse.

I do actually think it is pretty cruel to keep a horse on its own where it can not communicate with other horses, whether this just be over a fence touching noses etc or being kept in a herd. Horses as a rule are sociable animals and are meant to live in herds after all.
 
I suppose it really depends on the horse..for example, I would absolutely not want my yearling to be kept on his own..part of the growing-up and learning comes from other horses. However my old pony was very happy kept on her own, she was very much her own pony, not one for fussing and scratchies from other horses!:D
 
After struggling for two weeks desperately trying to find suitable company for my horse and now seeing how happy she is now she has it, no I wouldn't :)
 
winterhorses2 said:
There isn't an option for "yes i knew he would be alone and still sold him" as i knew he would have no problems with this.
When i started out as a child i had a pony on loan in a field behind my house all alone and then after a break, loaned a horse and he was kept on his own too.
Mind you have a small herd now lol.

Why does keeping them alone seem a such a bad idea. I understand the being a herd animal by nature thing, but by the way we keep them i.e riding them e.t.c we are going against nature anyway????
The horse i sold was bottom of my little herd, not bullied, but knew his place, i.e the others jostled for attention first and he had to wait now he gets someones undivided attention.
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Keeping them alone just doesn't suit some horses. I can only speak from my own experience and know that mine would be extremely unhappy and even worse would gallop around whinnying forever. She'd probably give herself a heart attack.
 
If i had to loan my current horse & it was going to be kept on its own I wouldn't be bothered as she is on her own at the moment. Unfortunately I don't have another horse & when we had one in the field next door he used to turn himself inside out when I took mine out.
My mare couldn't care less about the fact that he was galloping around shouting his head off though.. just ignored him. She seems happy enough on her own, always got her head on the floor so obviously not worried lol.
 
One of them was alone since he was 2 and moved, he has individual turnout and doesn't really bother with other horses, he's only on loan though and will return to individual so no, I wouldn't hesitate with him.


Absolutely not with my own youngster though, she's okay by herself but I really don't like it. Horses are herd animals. If I ever get my own place I'll get some companions if I have 1 riding horse - though two, incase I want to take one for work :P
 
Depends on the horse, but no it wouldn't stop me selling.

I don't sell to people my dog doesn't like :o If the wimpy one growls at someone and guards me then I listen.

If a buyer wants a horse they will tell you the moon is green cheese if they think that's what you want to hear, once the money is handed over you have absolutely no say in what happens to the horse.

Loaning is a completely different kettle of fish, you have a say, but even so ...
 
I think it depends on the individual horse. We have an oldie that jsut didn't do well in a herd situation, he was always bullied out and left standing miserably in a corner. For the past year he has been in a paddock beside another horse (occsionally in together but they have different grazing needs) and he is different again. He is happier, has put on condition and is far moe relaxed than he used to be, so being alone suits him. My mare is also quite happy alone and doesn't bother in the least, I find geldings seem to be much more clingy to to other horses.

Also on some busy yards, for all that there are lots of horses, they are effectively solitary in how they are kept with little equine interaction, individual turnout and stablin; so just because there are other horses there it still may not be ideal.
 
not to be in a field/yard on their own - no

My horse is on individual turnout and shes much better for it. Yes sometimes i do feel guilty but i know she cant get kicked/bitten etc

I would never put her back in a herd. She is very clingy to other horses too and shes actually become more independant :)
 
No, definately not.

After food, water and shelter the company of another of it's kind is a must for ALL horses and is a big part of their genetic make-up.

Anyone who say's their horse is 'happy' living totally alone is fooling themselves and obviously dont realise how much mental torture it can cause.

Just because these poor creatures cannot show their depression and lonelyness the owners think it's ok :-(

Keeping a horse on it's own is out and out cruelty ...... simples
 
nope he would kill him self he is bad enough if he is in the field and he can see the horses on the yard hes a stressy horse and he doesnt do individual turnout he just stresses constantly but my two year old on the other hand couldnt care less :o
 
wonkey_donkey said:
No, definately not.

After food, water and shelter the company of another of it's kind is a must for ALL horses and is a big part of their genetic make-up.

Anyone who say's their horse is 'happy' living totally alone is fooling themselves and obviously dont realise how much mental torture it can cause.

Just because these poor creatures cannot show their depression and lonelyness the owners think it's ok :-(

Keeping a horse on it's own is out and out cruelty ...... simples
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Can't say i agree there.

If the horse is depressed it would shows signs any owner worth their salt would recognise.
The horse i sold can see other horses but not close enough to touch when turned out and is ridden sometimes with others.
However on a whole he looks much better in himself now he is on his own than when he was with my others. And yes i have visited him loads as sold him to a girl just down the road.
 
Absolutely not - never.

It drives me mad seeing horses on their own. I think its actually cruel. You only have to watch mine playing/falling out, sleeping to realise that they really are herd animals. All of this ...oh he has me for attention.... is utter rubbish just to make people feel better. One of mine is defo a people horse and I can (and do) put him in a field on his own if for example he has a loose shoe. But he is still sighted to the rest and its only every temporary.
 
Depends on the horse. My arab...yes....i would have given a million pounds to the person who could have made him happy living with a friend....he wouldnt accept anything else near his precious paddocks and yard not horses, sheep, chickens, he didnt mind the ducks, hated the dog. Only liked people.

My most recent two.....definaltey not.....they both go nuts if left alone even for 30 seconds in the field.
 
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