I need your honest opinions on this idea please.

[Star the Fell]

Sorry, this may end up a little long.

I own my own yard, 5 acres, sand school and 5 stables. I have one Fell pony who is a very good doer.
Also on the yard are a TB, a Section B who is 26 and a Section D. These three are owned by two ladies ( friends).
Unfortunately because of the others horses, I have had to compromise on how I keep my pony. Ideally she would be "free range" but at the moment they all come in at night.

They are stabled and turnout out together in pairs, so mine is with the Section D, who is a VERY dominant mare and my pony is quite frightened of her.

My thoughts at the moment are to put a field shelter up ( with planning permission) and let my pony free range on her own. I know the TB/Section A wouldn't want to be out at night. The Section D would, however I would not want my pony to " free range" with her as I can see her stopping mine from going into the field shelter, so I really can't see that working. (I am also not prepared to buy a second field shelter and have them in separate fields)

This would mean the Section D would be stabled alone - which she won't do - so the owner would probably move her off. I would actually be happy with this for other reasons.
The main problem I would have though is that the place where I could put the field shelter is not actually over looked by any of the stables, so my girl would effectively be on her own.

There are two horses in a nearby field ( behind some trees though) who live out in Summer but not Winter.
My pony is quite laid back. She will happily go into her stable on her own. She will happily stay over night in a different stable ( same yard) if needed, but I am not sure about out on her own over Winter.
If it didn't work out she could move back into her stable, I know, but by then I expect the Section D would have moved on so she would be on her own there anyway.
Any thoughts on this?

 

[Jessey]

My first thoughts would be is there any way to adjust fences to allow your pony to free range into her current stable? so she has her own field near the others and can follow in with them if she wants or just loiter outside as she pleases, that really depends on your layout, but I've found its possible most places I've rented with a bit of out of the box thinking

 

[KP nut]

Could you get a companion to turn out and stable with once the Section D has moved off? Or some sheep at least?

 

[Star the Fell]

There is no way to let her free range from her current stable unfortunately.
I was considering getting a companion for her if the Sec. D moves off - can't do it until she does though.

 

[Jessey]

There is no way to let her free range from her current stable unfortunately.
I was considering getting a companion for her if the Sec. D moves off - can't do it until she does though.

That's a shame. That sounds like a plan on a companion, or perhaps offer retirement livery for one if you don't really want/need a 2nd horse yourself???? If she's likely to move the D of her own choosing once told and you aren't heartbroken about her leaving I'd be inclined to put the wheels in motion, but what would you do if both friends chose to go together and abruptly?

 

[Star the Fell]

The other two aren't close friends so wouldn't leave together. Add to that the fact the owner of the TB/Sec B only pays me £25.00 per week to cover haylage, water electric and use of the school (for the TB only) and in addition feeds/ turns out every morning and her husband emptys the muck spreader for me once a fortnight I think she is on a pretty good deal really.
Livery around here is around £40.00 DIY - all I ask is that the fields are kept clean and if she wants "her" fields fertilising she does it herself. It is actually classed as a small holding and has not got planning permission to run a livery yard. It has been inspected twice in the past as someone reported me for running a livery yard but the inspectors are happy that it is just two friends sharing my yard at cost.
Basically if they both left I would get a couple of rescue pony's or loan ponies and I would be able to keep them as I wanted to, so no broken heart.
I think I probably would be a bit lonely though.....

 

[KP nut]

If you don't need the money from liveries I'd ask them both to leave! I'd LOVE to have my own set up and would also take on rescues. And a donkey!

 

[Trewsers]

I can see where you are coming from wanting her to free range, it's what we've always done both here and at our old house. As jessey says you do have to think outside the box sometimes but appreciate it might just not be at all possible for you to manage a free range system for yours and the D. Do you really think she would prevent her from taking her place in a shelter??? Is she extremely bossy or just plain aggressive? Reason I ask is my mare is VERY bossy towards Chloe indeed, but doesn't stop her from getting into the byre. She will however try and take a nip of her if she thinks she's getting too close!
It's so hard to make it work sometimes isn't it? If the D owner leaves will you get a companion? Presume the tb won't free range? Or could that work?
Sorry I seem to have asked a lot of questions!

With regard to the shelter, you don't always need pp. I know things have changed a bit, it's twelves years since we had a "mobile" one but they were pretty strict in the Ribble V. But they couldn't stop me from having it.

 

[domane]

I'm with KP.... if your friends' horses are compromising your care of your own horses on your own land, I would also be asking them to leave! Surely the whole point of having your own space is so that you can manage your own how you wish?

 

[Star the Fell]

If you don't need the money from liveries I'd ask them both to leave! I'd LOVE to have my own set up and would also take on rescues. And a donkey!

There is no way I would ask the lady who owns the TB to leave. She is a really good friend. She used to own the yard but got into financial difficulties and I bought it off her. I just couldn't ask her to leave. She and her husband do a lot of work at the yard for me anyway which makes my life easier as I work full time.
In an ideal world my place really would be my own to do with as I like, but I bought it accepting the fact that these other three horses were on there and intending to let them stay.
The other lady who owns the Sec D is a bit older and does nothing around the yard to help (except poo pick the field). Both she and her horse are hard work so I wouldn't be upset if she left, but I would find it difficult to ASK her to leave.

 

[KP nut]

Ok fair enough. If I were you, then I would manage your pony as you wish whether it suits the Sec D or not. If she leaves, then you can get a rescue/companion. I would not worry about a horse being alone for a while unless the horse is a real stress head and shows signs of not coping with that. Cally was alone for a 2 week quarantine period when I first bought her and she was fine. Not ideal but needs, must. Similarly if a horse ever develops an infectious illness they are quarantined and cope ok generally.

 

[Lemme]

We had similar we had 3 fortunately all our own, one has to live out the other two come in at some point over winter or are out a lot during the summer meaning stressy Tess was left on her own, we acquired a retired broodmare as a companion for her and it has worked out perfectly, there are plenty of rescue ponies looking for good companion homes

 

[Mary Poppins]

If your pony is not happy with the section D, I would tell the owner you have decided to separate them. Assuming you do have another field, move the section D into an individual field, and put up your field shelter in your field as planned. That way, you will get to see if your pony is happy alone and living out in the field overnight.

If not, get a rescue pony to keep your pony company and let the owner of the section D do what she wants to do with her horse in her own field. She may complain and make a fuss about having her horse stabled alone, but that really is not your problem. Why are you compromising the way you want to keep your pony to make someone else happy? If the owner of the section D does not like what you are offering then she is free to leave. It is your land and your yard and I am sure you work very hard to pay for it. You have every right to put the needs of your own pony first.

 

[Star the Fell]

That really is good advice MP and I know it is the right thing to do. I won't be doing anything until Spring now anyway as I would like her to live out in Summer first, so I have plenty of time to tell the Sec D owner my plans.