No turnout vs hard standing

[splittingupquestion]

In a less than ideal situation with our 14.2 cob x. On DIY livery 2 mins drive from our house, where turnout is in pairs. Her field mate is now on box rest for the foreseeable future- could be months & months. Our pony is stressed by solo turnout even if neighbouring ponies are out. So is now being stabled 24/7 as well. She has previously had ulcers so this is not ideal.

I could move her to a riding school/livery yard about 15 mins drive. My kids learnt to ride here and still go once a week for instructor lessons. This would be full livery. However winter turnout in the fields is limited and is mostly hard standing with hay, always lots of other equine company.

additional points - had initially had her as a share but now have her full time, and really struggle for the time, including time for the consistent schooling she needs which she would get at the livery/school set up. However she is very much a mare (& prone to ulcers) and might find the set up stressful. I would sell her but my kids don’t want to, and I can’t actually imagine anyone buying her as she’s developed a terrible habit of napping on hacks & will only go in the school! See above for schooling…

Are those your only two options? You can’t leave her at the DIY yard as if she doesn’t already have ulcers again, she soon will. The riding school set up isn’t ideal but at least she’d be out of the stable and have company. How big is the hard standing? Has she had any veterinary investigations into the cause of the napping? If this is a relatively new behaviour then pain should be ruled out. Personally I’d be getting the vet out and looking for other livery options. I appreciate that we are very lucky to have our own well-draining land so can keep our horses with the minimum of compromises but horses need friends, freedom and forage and if we choose to bring them into our lives the onus is on us to meet their needs appropriately.

I can’t find any other spaces, a friend has offered a field but she wouldn’t have any company so that doesn’t work.

tbh I feel let down by the yard owner we are currently on, but I get it’s difficult for her to please everyone if people don’t want to switch fields around.

edit to answer your other questions - hard standing is large, but there is only one point for the hay. Vet can’t find anything.

Agree, neither sound ideal but you can't let her go the whole winter with no turnout at all so of the two the riding school livery would be my choice. I'm guessing there's no chance of a loan of a youngster or retired companion or similar just for six months on your friend's field and then reevaluate in the spring? I know it's a bit mad to take on responsibility for two when one is feeling like too much but a little native pony type would barely eat anything and not need rugging so it wouldn't be that much work (or expense compared to full livery)...

By hard standing is it hard like tarmac/concrete or hard like a school surface? If the former, I'd be very concerned that any silly behaviour is going to be very risky, and you can't stop horses having a buck and a run about on a cold, windy day. I'd also be concerned if there wasn't free access to forage, i.e. if there's just one spot she will lose out to the more anxious resouce guarders (or get a heck of a kicking for being a new face in a resource-limited area). She needs free 24/7 access to forage to reduce the ulcer risk.

Personally I'd probably see if I could borrow a little friend for her while her main friend is on boxrest and keep her where she is. If you get a friend who's little and calm enough, you might be able to do ride and lead to give her confidence out hacking, which would be a win,win.

I'd also do a GastroGard test and/or rescope for ulcers, as it sounds like you may already have a recurrence

I can’t borrow a friend for her in her current situation as there isn’t a stable free at the livery yard. It’s actually currently only 6 hours a day turnout at the moment, forgot that fact.

funnily enough the cost would be about the same at both places!

it is a concrete yard so also worried about risk of injury. It’s really not great is it?

Can’t she be turned out with another pair, in a group of 3?

Oh that is rubbish! What about the "nuclear option" of turning her away for the winter? Maybe book a retirement livery for the next few months? A bit of downtime might do wonders for her attitude and stressiness. or I agree with Maxelly, lots of people will want to turn their youngsters away over the winter for a bit of growing, could you borrow an overwintering youngster and take your friend up on the field offer? Then look again at the riding school as we come into spring (if they reopen their grazing). I wouldn't want to risk the only turnout being a concrete yard, it sounds like a recipe for disaster.....

Temporary swap?! I have 14.1 connemara happy on his own in paddock, loves his stable. Out of work currently for daughter's injury (not pony related!). He does need a balanced lightweight rider tho, not novice. I'm looking for something sensible, ok to take 11stone that doesn't need restricted grazing.

I’d think about moving her to a retirement livery for the winter whilst you sort something out.

I have a horse who hates being alone and it’s been a long road to find somewhere she’s happy. I now drive 25 mins each way (and she’s on diy), but she’s so settled and her behaviour has completely changed for the better.

I’d be looking for somewhere a bit further afield that suits her requirements rather than trying to shoehorn her int somewhere that doesn’t