Lifestyle dilemma for my horse

[maddyiy]

My horse currently lives lives in a paddock alone ( with friends on both sides, they can touch and even groom since the fence line is quite low ) and is shod on all four. He gets stalled only when the weather is atrocious if not he gets rugged up and goes out.
To me he seems really relaxed, his face is soft, he’s almost always happy to see me and do things.
In this place where I board there’s also a huge portion of land ( with various terrains, shelter, 24/7 hay ecc ) where a herd of 25/35 horses lives.
Most of them are in light work, and look happy and content.
A part of me would really love this lifestyle for my horse, he’s such a sweet character and he absolutely loves company. He was turned out with two other horses for six months and they really bonded( at another barn ). I have to say that they toyed with him a bit and he let them, but they never had a scratch.
They stayed out together only during the day, and had grass and water and mostly no hay.

Now, part of me is scared of thinking about such a big change, he’s certainly not used to it, and he comes from two years of lameness. He’s now finally sound and I think he feels the best since I’ve owned him. ( Also has an history of slight soft tissue damage/inflammation, and has kissing spines )
Another thing that scares me is that I’d need to pull his hind shoes, he doesn’t have great feet and was barefoot behind when he was lame, so I don’t know if we actually found balance by shoeing him on all four.

I’d really like some advice or experiences on this matter, I’m trying so hard to find a balance between his happiness and his health!

[trubandloki]

Have you talked to your farrier and vet, do they think he will do fine barefoot behind?

[albytb]

It’s ultimately up to you. I have my gelding turned out w 2 others who have hind shoes and there’s been no problems. I accept it’s a risk but my gelding is definitely at the top of the pecking order so maybe that’s why.

…at the same time, I would feel nervous having my horse turned out in such a large herd. That’s a lot of personalities. When I was looking for a place to board my filly while she grows, I passed on places with those situations just because I think it’s potentially too risky.

[Simkie]

For a horse that you’ve gotten sound after two years of lameness, and is happy with his current living situation? No, I wouldn’t rock that boat by pulling the hinds and changing his care. Not unless you’d be okay dealing with the possibility of lameness again.

And I absolutely would not turn him out with a herd with hind shoes. It only takes one kick for something catastrophic to happen.

[FjordBCRF]

@Simkie

For a horse that you’ve gotten sound after two years of lameness, and is happy with his current living situation? No, I wouldn’t rock that boat by pulling the hinds and changing his care. Not unless you’d be okay dealing with the possibility of lameness again.

I agree. Sounds pretty ideal as it is! I’d say in a case like yours, if it’s not broke, don’t fix it.

[endlessclimb]

Agreed with staying with the status quo.

[maddyiy]

I would have loved to have him turned out with one other horse or two and sadly I don’t think it’s possible where I am… he’s so good and doesn’t kick but I understand when people don’t want to risk it, I wouldn’t want it…

[maddyiy]

Yeah that what I’ve been debating… I don’t know how I’d react and feel if after all this he goes lame again… It’s already been such a journey and such a difficult thing for me since I care so much for him.
And I think it’s also because I care that I’m so scared of not giving him a life “worth living”, he’d certainly have more freedom and more things to do, friends ecc… I keep asking myself: “what’s the best life for him?”

[maddyiy]

Farrier said “ since he’s going well like this I don’t see why changing it “, which makes sense but he also has a very very traditional way of thinking. ( all horses shod, stall, small paddock ecc )
Vet said no at first, then after talking a bit she said we could try but she doesn’t know the outcome since it’s already been such a gamble getting him sound.

[Simkie]

@maddyiy

I keep asking myself: “what’s the best life for him?”

The unsoundness you’ve described–soft tissue damage, inflammation, kissing spine–is all pain based. Keeping him comfortable improves his quality of life.

It sounds like he has friends, and that he’s happy. And he’s sound. Your experts are saying no to herd turnout.

This one is easy: don’t borrow trouble. Keep doing what you’re doing now.

[maddyiy]

I think you’re right, and it’s certainly comforting hearing it like that. I think a big part of this is that the environment I’m in at the moment is very focused on that type of horse handling (rightfully so in most cases). So I’ve had many people come and say to me to just turn him out with the others and that it’s gonna be fine, but they don’t really know the horse and the history. Maybe I’ve been a bit swayed by people that (even with the best of intentions, of course) think that’s the only way to do it.
And I really feel like it’s a tricky balance with my horse, it can’t work the same for all of them I guess.

[NaturallyHappy]

That’s a lot of horses…I’m in the camp w everyone else. Don’t fix it if it ain’t broke.

[Bluey]

Your horse sounds fragile, has physical problems that I think would make more sense to keep him protected where he is, not take chances that he may run around too much and overdo it and get injured again.
Since he is happy and content as things are and is too risky to see if he is happier outside, why not be happy along with him as things are?
Horses don’t stand there wishing their world was different.
Horses live in the moment and his moments seems to be fine with him.
“Don’t borrow trouble”, as Grandma used to say.

[Zu_Zu]

Be proud ~ he’s sound ! Be grateful & smile ~ don’t change anything !

[mmeqcenter]

If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it.

Personally I don’t see that hind shoes are more dangerous than barefoot, but a lot of boarding barns won’t turn them out with others. So if he’s finally comfortable in hind shoes, I’d be very hesitant to change it.

25-35 horses is a lot. It’s one thing for that many to be out “on the range out west” and rarely handled. I’d be less than thrilled to have to go get my horse out of a field with that many multiple times a week to ride. I boarded somewhere with 12 in 20 acres together. There were certainly days I felt very unsafe, like when we were over halfway back to the stable before the herd decided to all join together in a band. Galloping.

[maddyiy]

I would not exactly consider him fragile but he certainly needs more care than some other horses we have here. I think we also have to consider his past: he showjumped most of his life at a decent height, I think it’s pretty normal that his body is not the same as a horse that has done nothing but light trail rides.
He sometimes runs around now, when he wants, when he feels like it. One of my main concerns was that in a big herd he’s not used to he would find himself being moved by other horses, and when it’s winter, the ground is deeper and all that… honestly only thinking about it gives me anxiety.

So it’s not that I’m not happy right now, not at all! I actually feel like where seeing the light at the end of the tunnel and talking to you all is giving me more reassurance that I’m doing the right things hopefully

[maddyiy]

Thankfully my horse is usually a saint, it happened a couple of times where we had horses galloping behind us while I was leading him and he knew I was there and didn’t bolt or anything. But I was kinda worried when I thought of having to know every single horse, which ones to avoid and how to handle them when I had to take mine, since I’ve been told that there are a few that can get aggressive

[Pehsness]

I can understand where you’re coming from and would be having the same conversation with myself if I were in your shoes.

One thing I’ve learned since having my horses at home (only 2) is they spend surprisingly little time together. They’re usually in sight of eachother, but rarely if ever close enough to touch. So it seems to me, that if your horse has buddies in sight, has the ability to touch them when he takes the notion, he’s probably happier then he would be in a large herd. In a large herd he might have to be more on alert, would have the issue of sorting his place out in the herd dynamics, and might end up more stressed.

A non-riding horse without the need for regular human interaction would be happier in a herd. A horse who has the “job” of being a person’s horse, is probably happier as he is.

But I get it, 100%.

[maddyiy]

Thank you I really appreciate it!
I think I really needed a broader perspective and other’s point of view .
I also thought something similar some time ago: he looks really relaxed, like he’s in his comfort zone.
He’s a horse that has lived mostly stalled 24/7 before I got him, so maybe he feels safer having a space that he doesn’t need to protect from others.
While he lived with the other two he seemed happy but he was also more reactive and almost more anxious ( he was also in pain so surely that had an influence ), while now he seems always content and soft.

In the end all my troubles come from the fact that I want to find him the best lifestyle I can provide, and maybe it isn’t in a big herd actually.
I also think that a part of me feels a bit of shame/guilt because lately I’ve been largely exposed to people that think making a horse live “alone” is almost abusive. I think there’s so much more nuance than that, and maybe I have to learn to be in a happy medium.

[maddyiy]

Also, it’s not like he is or will be in massive work, and maybe that’s why I felt like he had to change lifestyle.
I go and see him 4/5 days a week but we are without a saddle that fits him at the moment, so I do all the work from the ground, I try to bring as much variety as I can but it’s not always easy.
I have to do most of the work to provide different things, to keep him moving and muscled and that would be less important if he lived in a herd, but we can’t have everything!