Should you keep a horse alone?

We don’t actually adopt out where the horse will be alone on property-without another horse and/or without a person living on property.

Why do we have out adoption policies set the way we do? Thought this would make a great post!

One of our minimum adoption requirements is that to adopt, there has to be at least one other horse on property and someone has to live on property – Vs say a vacant field

I think it’s important if you are adopting from a rescue- that if there is something you maybe feel is not in line w how you might keep a horse- just ask! Most rescues are willing to discuss their policies. They are there for the safety of the horse

Especially if people are new to having a horse on property- Vs maybe boarding- they may not even be aware of some of the issues Or maybe they have moved here from another part of the country – we are being flooded w new residents and rural life is becoming residential life

So there’s in general the question – can horses live safely and happily alone

We are going to discuss our horses and our local conitions here. Your situation or area may be different!

Thoroughbreds in general- dont spend a day alone. From birth onward they are surrounded by people and by other horses. All the time. At the track it might be a thousand horses and a thousand people! Alone is just not something they understand

When they come here, injuries heal, most are young coming off the track but some are injured in private homes and no longer wanted or are neglected. Those may be alone. They are always emotionally struggling when we meet them. Either totally shut down w little reaction to anything or the exact opposite- unmanageable

Either way, after they are physically well enough they start turn out. They make friends. Start to play. Scratch each others backs, guard each other to sleep, share get, huddle w butts to the wind in these big tropical storms and hurricanes.

So taking a horse that’s never been alone, and in addition has friends and plays and feels secure w a group- to remove them from that and put in a back yard alone- well that’s not something everyone think about.

But believe me it’s a huge step for the horse. We seek homes that will be as good as or hopefully better than what we can offer here. Buddies, play, security, that’s all really required

So that’s the part of being here together. But having another horse is a help as we have local predators. Panthers are a concern. I’ll talk about that in a minute.

But I want to add in- unfortunately in FL and in particular in the southern part of Florida – horse theft for the intention of consumption is a real thing. Someone will steal a horse to eat it or sell the meat. We’ve had that happen 10 minutes from here. A property w no one living on it can’t 100 prevent that but it is a huge deterrent. Also other horses often sound the alarm when a pasture mate is taken. It’s a very sad truth down here

Predators- We also have panthers in the area. They will kill and eat the horses. Especially smaller horses ponies or minis That’s happened a few times in our area the past few years. Having two horses is a huge deterrent. Having one alone is an invitation. It’s generally where chickens or goats live- that is attractive to the Panther. They come in and over time work their way up the food chain They don’t stop once your property has been deemed a good food source. They will also take your cats and dogs. It’s a big deal down here that many don’t know about until they start having animals on property

So those are just a few of the reasons for that requirement that we have w adopters. Have at least one other horse on property. Not a pony or mini. Not a goat or a pig.

So that might mean some people don’t want to adopt one of our horses. And that’s ok. But for those who ask are often appreciative of the knowledge. The most common comment we hear is – “I had no idea!!!”

Dont underestimate the power of local knowledge if you are bringing a horse home for the first time. It can save you a lot of problems and a lot of grief much less that of the horse.

Jackson and Stevie playing Jolly Ball Tug of War w Clay nearby