Would you turn out in a large herd?

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ghostie

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I'd be interested to hear what other people would do in my position. My yard is lovely, great people and facilities. The one downside is turn out which being a city yard is limited. At the moment it is half a day, every other day unless the weather is bad. It is individual turn out in lovely (but small) post and rail paddocks.

It doesn't seem to suit my boy at the moment. He is used to being out 12 hours a day and on the days he isn't out he is totally hyper to ride - think half an hour lunging before we can get going. I just don't think it is fair on him.

Now, fingers crossed I might be allowed to turn him out with the riding school ponies who go out whenever they aren't in use in a big single sex herd. There is less grass in their field but they get hay and room to run around and interact. I had pretty much decided to ask for him to go out all day with them but to come in at night, but then friends have said i am mad to opt for that over the current arrangement.

I think i am prepared to take the increased risk of injury in return for him getting to be a horse but now i am doubting myself.

What would you do? Moving to a yard with different turnout arrangements isn't an option due to where I live and work and my transport arrangemets.

Thank you:)
 
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I think you have to let your horse guide you. Some horses thrive in a herd, and some do better out on their own or with one other horse.

Introduce him to the herd slowly, and see how he is. :)
 
He is probably less likely to suffer an injury going out more than he will be being confined to a small turnout for his limited time allotted now, if the school ponies are like most I have known they will be more interested in getting their heads down than picking fights.
Your horse should hopefully quickly settle with them and benefit from more room and time to move around far outweighing the risk of a kick in my view.
 
I do- so yes! I hate individual t/o though, I don't think it gives them any chance to really 'be a horse'. I would definitely go for the herd option- bet he'll be much happier :)
 
I only do herd turnout, wouldn't do individual unless for medical reasons ever.

Ours are single sex and all get a long fine - they have to sort out the pecking order but we don't get field injuries really (Molly's near the bottom but still only had 1 very minor graze in 4 years), mostly just a bit of handbags now and again :) herd size has varied from 8-20+.

I love seeing them play and just enjoy each others company. We have a few on pair turnout in small paddocks and they always look so bored, I'd never chose that for my girl.
 
I have 4 very different horses: 1 eventer, 1 happy hacker 1 not doing anything at present and 1 18 month old very recently gelded colt. They are kept at home and I have 4 small paddocks and 1, 6 acre field. Until new year the colt was out in the big field with happy hacker but due to mud fever the happy hacker has been in the school for turnout. Whilst in theory I agree that horses should be in a herd this has not been possible BUT all of them are happy and content with the situation. They can talk and groom each other over their electric fencing and play, horses are amazing at this. I have to say that I keep them at home and am here and can step in when problems arise.

How long have you had your horse/ Horses as we all know like routine perhaps he just needs to accept the new routine, can you not turn him out every day for half a day or at least give him a stretch and roll before bringing him in. Do you feed hard feed on the days he's in ? I only ask because it doesn't sound like a change in yard is a happy solution for you. Putting him out in the herd would be good but can you be assured that the riding school ponies, and they may just want to get their heads down but they also will want to make sure he knows his place so you will have to have along side them for several days then put him in and walk away while they argue it out. Good luck
 
Ours are in a mixed herd turnout... 13 in 23/25 acres... It's the side of a mountain though so not a level pasture type turnout and lots of different 'time out' spaces...

Our yearling took a terrible injury in a herd turnout but the pony in question (he was a vicious git) has gone and even with a few changes in liveries the introductions have been well managed now in the stable block then turning out with the alpha and a few easy going ones and rotating them over a few days until they're all familiar with each other - rather than just throwing a new horse out there and wishing them luck...

It's a very peaceable herd and although there's a risk of arguments and some aggro or just high jinks, I prefer it to the idea of individual turnout...
 
Mine live in a herd. Being in a herd is natural, so I would always say yes. Just make sure they have enough space for 'time on their own' if needed, and be prepared for them to figure out the pecking order. It doesn't look pretty, but that's what they need to do. As previously said, they play, groom, protect and shelter each other.
 
I have only had one positive herd experience, the rest have been nightmares.

My current situation is my ideal, just my boy and a pony mare together in about 1.5 acre paddock. If I had the option between individual and herd I would choose individual every time.

Every horse is different and sounds like your guy does need a change. Fingers crossed for you that whatever you choose works smoothly for you.
 
I would turn out in a single sex herd, yes. Though I would manage it carefully with a small paddock roped off for him for a week or so to get used to the others over the fence.
 
Yes I've turned out in groups up to 15 before including mixed sex, the only time there has been a problem was when an idiot saw fit to bring a rig to the yard without telling anybody that he was a rig cue mixed sex becoming single after several mounting episodes and the back man getting rich!

Got a different horse now and he's currently in a group of 3-4 and sometimes it's mixed, again no problems.
 
Much prefer herds, except where its been yard policy mines always been in large mixed herds. Mines much happier in a herd than a pair.
 
All ours are kept in big mixed herds only time you will have a problem is if the fields are not big enough for the amount of horses.

I am sure separating mares and geldings makes them worse we have never done this and have never had a problem with moody mares or stroppy geldings,it is nice to watch how they make their own little friends and interact with each other.
 
Trinity Fox said:
All ours are kept in big mixed herds only time you will have a problem is if the fields are not big enough for the amount of horses.

I am sure separating mares and geldings makes them worse we have never done this and have never had a problem with moody mares or stroppy geldings,it is nice to watch how they make their own little friends and interact with each other.
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Like^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

My ponies are turned out in a mixed herd, sometimes of up to 25 horses and ponies , of all ages.
They have plenty of room to make their own minds up as to who they graze with, and who they dont. Quite often they split into two groups, with the younger ones in one group and the older ones in another.
It also works when you want to take one or two away from the group, because it is so large, nobody stresses.
 
We had thirty or so geldings all out together in one field but the smallest field was about 30 acres and normally they were turned out in about 60 acres of fields so it wasn't a problem in the summer. But in the winter when they were all crowding around the gate to come in at 4pm it got to be a total nightmare as those highest in the pecking order would bite/kick and bully the others so they could get through the gate first.

I lost my five year old as a result of being kicked and receiving a hairline fracture which I believe was probably brought about under these circumstances. His tibia snapped when he was playing in the field.

My current horse is turned out on his own after receiving a nasty kick which resulted in a bone chip. By this time I'd lost four horses (through various things unrelated) so didn't want to take the risk of losing another horse by tempting fate.
 
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In the 8 years I've had mine he's been turned out in single sex (gelding) herd of between 10-13 horses. I do prefer herd turnout of some size rather than individual turnout although before I had mine he was out with one other horse that wasn't there much and 2 rams.

Where I keep him, a pecking order is definitely there and while it's fine in the summer as the horses have 2 big fields for turnout, in the winter they are all in a much small paddock which is mainly mud so there's problems with mud fever from such poached ground, torn rugs, bites/marks. Also while the pecking order for bring in is observed by the horses themselves as they are brought in by one person in the afternoon and a sort of hierarchy develops at the gate during the winter, at the weekend when liveries get their own, disturbing the pecking order if you have a horse down near the end of it (like me!) it can be quite difficult if not sometimes dangerous at the gate amongst a few impolite, hungry and cold bigger horses who don't move out the way for people and lunge at other horses coming in ahead of them. Mine is not turned out at the weekend for this reason as it just got too unpleasant and unsafe and to give a break from the mud but they'll head off to the summer fields in about a months time I hope.
 
I moved my horse to a yard with individual turnout as I was sick of her being kicked.......and she was so unhappy that I took her back in the end. It was frustrating as there were 20 other horses at new yard all seeming perfectly happy with their own paddocks but she just wouldn't settle even with a field buddy. I think it depends on the horse, but mine definitely prefers herd turnout.
 
I would . . . but only if the field was big enough to accommodate the number of horses - with enough space for them to get away from each other/have their own space if needed, and only if there was enough grass to support the herd comfortably. IME, horses get boisterous if there is nothing else for them to do (i.e., eat).

P
 
I have always turned my mare out in a big mixed herd environment its only in recent years that she has only been out with only one or two other ponies I think it works well if you have the space for them to get away from each other. At the place where my lad is at the moment they only turn out in 2s and 3s in my opinion its not ideal because they form such attachments (I nearly got killed bringing in from the field yesterday as a result of this (both horses being complete ****), will be revising my bringing in procedure) :rolleyes:
 
Big herd wins for me ...

The risk of injury is a bit higher, but right now it sounds like your lad is at higher risk by looning around and being fresh on his non-turnout days, coming out of stable ... Overall I think being in constant movement is better for their limbs and mental health.
 
Yes my pony is in a herd of 16 mixed sex and aged from 3 to 30, but again they have a very large amount of space and three fields and sometimes we find they split into groups so one group will be in one field and another in a different field but mainly the all chose to be in the same field near each other.

My pony lives out so there does not tend to be the hanging around the gate problem that there can be with ones that come in.

I would don't presume because a pony is a riding school pony that they won't want to assert or defend themselves especially when they put the hay out. I would just make sure that when they do put hay in the field that it is not just dumped in one great big pile as this is what caused problems at the old yard I was at - my very steady calm pony became very dominant over the hay not wanting the others to come near it he even used to wee on it to mark his territory.

Thankfully at the yard I am on at the moment when they put the hay out everyone has their own pile and it is spread out so there is plenty of space.
 
It just all depends like people have said. Don't agree with mixed turnout just from my experiences. A gelding doesn't need to be a rig to be a complete jerk in upsetting a field. I also have a Dr. Jekyll/Mr. Hyde gelding that can handle company now and again. He will hunt one down in a large field and run them through fencing if the mood takes him. But other times he's fine. So I have 4 fillies/mares living together from 2-13. No issues as the older broodmare runs a tight ship without any agro. My gelding is on his own with 2 other geldings (not mine) on the other side. He's happy this way. One of the geldings on the other side can't be near mares as it drives him demented. He used to mount them and mounts geldings. He had all the testing done and is NOT a rig. Just a jerk.

For me I really like them in a herd. But you just have to keep an eye on what's going on. I wouldn't add another mare to my herd unless she knew her place with my boss mare. The mare is currently out with 2 daughters and a young filly from a different mare. It works as boss mare is not nasty and no one needs to learn said places. I've had other ones living in the herd and all has been fine. Just depends on the nature of new horse.

But I'd probably opt for the group turnout if it were me. Keeps them happier.

Terri
 
I like group turnout as I like them to interact. But mine are in single sex turnout and I wouldn't want them in large mixed groups - just seems to work that way for me and mine are happy with that arrangement.
 
Herd turnout everytime.

I'm moving house, so spent several days looking at yards in the new area most of which seemed to have individual grazing.

One yard in particular was lovely, but the YO told me that the liveries all wanted separate paddocks for convenience which. She could offer me herd turnout with her own horses but decided against being on a yard where the culture was against herds. Eventually found a super yard with 20 acre fields, so pretty relieved now.
 
Also wanted to mention, herd living is easy when they're all your own. Human emotions run high when things start happening in group turnout. If you own the bully or own the low man, owners make more issues out of horses sorting themselves out. If they are all your own, well you expect the odd scrape and blanket tear now and again. It's why some liveries choose individual turnout. Easier on everyone especially YO. Having to listen to owner complaints everyday over so and SO's big fat meanie horse or how a certain horse is more special and needs extras because of it with regards to turnout. I mean honestly you'd think people would understand but if everyone has single turnout I'd say it makes for a lot less squabling on the yard. Wouldn't necessarily think people want individual TO. Look how many threads we have on here about bully horses and their owners who think their high and mighty. And endless combinations mostly related to group TO.

Terri
 
thanks guys, it.is really useful to get lots of view points to consider. I think I will push for him to be tried in the herd when I speak with the Ym. If it doesn't suit him I guess we can go back to the current arrangement, but he might love it :)
 
oh, and I have only had him a month. I know that is no time at all and he could still settle with the current arrangement, but I feel I owe it to him to consider all the options.
 
Im asking myself the same question at the moment as my horse who is currently turned out daily in a large herd (same sex) is recovering from a kick to the head which required 17 staples but could easily have cost her her sight or worse.....what to do...what to do...... :(:(
 
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