originally i got 2 horses, but, long story short, i had to put one down.  so for a year now, bill has lived alone.  he can see the horses across the street and i know they converse (or whatever you want to call it)

we live in an area of 2 acre parcels.

for the next couple months, due to a couple of red leaf maple trees that have poisonous leaves that drop in the fall in his pasture, i am boarding him up the street.

he has company 24/7, but, they each have their own paddocks and stalls.  they never actually hang directly together in the same pasture (though they can touch just one other horse over the fence).  they get fed 2x daily and he is out of hay a couple hours after feeding.

so, at home, he has a nice shelter 10'x20' in a paddock that opens to a tiny pasture (about double the paddock at the boarding stable.), total about 200'x80'.  it is small, but, there are a bunch of trees around the pasture and a few inside it.  it, to me, the human, has alot of interest and variety. he has hay available 24/7 and can choose to go out to the pasture if he wants.  when it rains he tends to stay undercover til it stops.

at both places he whinnies when he sees me and is just as excited.

so, i am wondering--is his normal living quarters that bad for him?  i feel bad that he lives alone, but, since the other horse is gone, i appreciate less work and i just don't have time to properly ride and excercise 2 horses.

but, i would do it, if it was an absolute neccessity to make sure my animals have the best quality life available.

what do you all think?  i grew up with horses living large in the prairies of alberta, so, this is new to me.  the confined space for the horses.  i wish he had a herd and 100 acres to roam on, but, he doesn't.

i am going to keep him at the stable for another month or two (as long as my money holds out)

i would love to have someone else's horse boarded here with him.  then they could excercise and care for the second horse.  but, my place isn't really set up to share with a stranger (or perhaps i just don't share well)

maybe i should steal one of my neighbor's horses.  she has 3.  then we'd have 2 each

i know my cat spends time with him in the barn.  i always find my cat in the manger or prowling the shelter or hunting in the pasture.

and he does get to see alot of activity.  there's lots of people coming and going, we have 3 dogs and i visit him lots throughout the day.

i was actually worried that i would see more obvious signs that he was happier at the stable with other horses.  like being hard to catch, for example.  but, like i said, they aren't pastured together and he looks just as bored there as at home.  he gets super excited when he sees me.  he whinnies and paws at the gate as soon as he here's my voice. 

i like the idea of a miniature something or even a goat, but, i would have to redo my entire pasture fence to keep them in and the budget isn't quite there.

i adore horses, but, sometimes i feel sad at the unnatural lives they live in today's world. i loved when our horses were out in huge pastures with a herd and everyday we would go out and catch them and ride.  i felt they were happy as anything when we weren't there and i didn't worry about them being bored or not excercised enough. they had beautiful pastures with flats and rolling hills, trees, creeks. maybe in the winter, the prairie life wasn't easiest for them though. 

now, it's a small paddock, more hay than fresh grass, blankets in the winter and a radio for company......it's like being a pampered prisoner......

okay, maybe i'm anthropomorphizing (sp?)....

anyway, it's another sunny day, i'm going to go for a ride.

What ever you do, DO NOT connect your wire fence directly to your barn electricity!!!  Go to your local farm supply store and in their fencing department have a look at their fence/stock chargers.  They will have a selection of chargers for the size of the pasture and chargers that either plug in, are battery operated or solar powered in various price ranges.  Select the charger that best suits your needs and budget and install it according to the directions.  Once your horses get shocked by it a few times, they should stay away from it, even if it gets knocked down or shorts out.  If you hook your wire fence directly to the barn wiring, the first time a horse brushes against it will likely be the last time and you will be calling for a backhoe or the renderer. 

Spotted Pony

 It definitely depends on the horse.  I've met few, though, that do well on their own.  A mare up the road has lived alone for several years.  She was ok, but she got a friend this year and it's like she's come to life -- she's bright, interested in everything, and has a whole new look on her face.  Additionally, horses can suffer from lack of sleep when alone, as in a herd environment, there is always  a "sentry" keeping watch so others can sleep soundly.

i don't think you can put in wire fencing when there are trees along the fence.  my understanding is the wire isn't supposed to touch anything like that. 

i've thought about portable wire fencing so i can move it around the property, but, we have trees everywhere!

That's what I figured, but as you didn't mention using a charger, I figured it would be a good idea to mention it so that someone putting up their first pasture wouldn't try putting power to their wire fence without a charger.  You can use trees as posts, you just have to use insulators to keep the wire from coming into contact with the tree.  You do need to keep branches and tall grass away from the fence to keep it from shorting out, however, some of the more expensive chargers will take care of that problem themselves. 

Spotted Pony

magnolio palomino --

 i love your horses name.