2 HORSES - 1 STALL?

[MDPONYMOM]

Dealing with the effects of the *(&^(^(&* tropical storm/nor'easter at the moment...

What do you think of putting 1 pony and 1 horse together in a stall overnight? It's a large stall (14x14 or 16x16 maybe) and they are together in turnout all the time. Turned out together by themselves - just the two of them. I really want to bring them in to get them out of the weather. Desperate times call for desperate measures....

[ShowMeTheGlory]

I'd do it-knew a woman who kept 2 ponies in a MUCH smaller stall than that when the weather was bad.

[Janet]

I would do it.

I woud check on them frequently at first, but if they are OK for an hour they should be fine for longer.

Mine have free access to their stalls (4 horses, 4 stalls) and I sometimes find all 4 in one stall, and quite often 2 and 2.

[FatDinah]

If they are turnout buddies, I bet there will be no issues.
My horses have three stalls with free access to and I also find them all in one stall, especialy in the winter.
Maybe put two haynets or piles so each can have one althjough I bet you will find them cheek to cheek munching on one.

[FatDinah]

If they are turnout buddies, I bet there will be no issues.
My horses have three stalls with free access to and I also find them all in one stall, especialy in the winter.
Maybe put two haynets or piles so each can have one althjough I bet you will find them cheek to cheek munching on one.

[findeight]

Once doubled up with 2 horses (not big though) in a smaller stall then that when we took in some fire evacuees and it was too smoky and too much noise and activity for them to be outside.

They seemed to know it was not a fun and games opportunity.

Long as you got 2 piles of hay or 2 nets away from each other, they will be fine for the short time this will be necessary.

[Nanerpus]

My horse and pony split a small stall all the time when I had them at my parents. No problems.

[lovemyoldguy]

When my gelding was laid up several years ago, the only way to keep him calm was to keep his "pet" mini donk in the stall with him. It was just the two of them in turnout, and they were fine together. I did give them separate piles of hay (her daily grain ration was whatever he dropped) and they were fine. I was worried, as it was a smaller stall and he was very big; but I checked on them very frequently and they were fine.

This weather is terrible. You do what you have to do to keep everyone warm and dry.

[Renn/aissance]

Give them two hay nets so that they can each have their space and tuck them in, they'll be just fine. :)

[Kareen]

I too think they should be just fine if they are buddies. I often let two share a large stall e.g. before or after travelling together and it definitely is helping them a lot to adjust to new environment have a friend nearby so why not for a storm.
You would want to make sure there is free choice hay to munch on, I've found adlib forage is a big key to equine friendliness... i.m.e. stallions/colts and geldings are much less aggressive than mares and fillies.
Sometimes reminds me of human 'Zickenterror' to look into the pregnant mare stall *lol*

[deltawave]

If that is a safer option than keeping them elsewhere, then go ahead. Give them two piles of hay and two buckets of water if you can.

I leave my stalls open at night and almost always find 2 horses and a pony sharing one stall in the cold months. No trauma, no issues, the alpha mare gets the spot she wants and the others take their place as she allows them. If she doesn't want them in there, they don't go in.

[Diamondindykin]

I leave my stalls open at night and almost always find 2 horses and a pony sharing one stall in the cold months. No trauma, no issues, the alpha mare gets the spot she wants and the others take their place as she allows them. If she doesn't want them in there, they don't go in.

The same thing happens at my house everyday. I have 4 stalls and half the time I have 4 horses in 2 stalls when I come home.

They should be fine!

[Foxtrot's]

Mine is in/out, too, and there does not seem tobe a good reason to lock them in at night usually, so they stand together, hair to hair. The big sister sleeps when she wants to and then the yearling lies down when he want to - they move over for each other. I often switch on the light in the middle of the night to catch a glimpse of them and they are quite content and seem safe enough together.

[Gry2Yng]

I love seeing two of them in a stall together sharing body heat. I had a youngster that would feed hay to the old man. The old man never had to put his head down, the 4 yo would pick it up and hold it for him. And the 4 yo was an bad ass about most things and the old guy is a bad ass about everything.

Good luck riding out the storm.

[ponyjumper4]

My mini and my small pony shared a stall one winter. I just put hay in opposite corners of the stall. Never a problem and they too were turnout buddies. Those two and my two year old share a run in stall together and all the time all 3 are in it.

[SkipChange]

Go for it, as long as they get along it should be just fine.

At PONY CLUB championships there were 2 ponies that were kept in the same stall. Pony club that is known for meticulous horse care rules said it was ok for the 4 or so days of show. Horses were extremely attached and would misbehave horribly when separated. They were given 2 piles of hay, ample water, and fed grain separately.

[coloredhorse]

Another who gives the horses in/out access. Invariably my two mares will use one of their stalls as a bathroom and hang out together in the other.:cool:

[scribbles]

I have seen 8 yearlings all fit themselves into one 14 x 16 stall at once (and all be happily milling around moving from the 2 hay feeders to the fan)... i think your guys will be just fine... haha :D

[starkissed]

You can do it, I've done it, just be careful and really observe them. I have only done it with 2 ponies in a 10x12.
As long as none of them have shoes, it's better. Put lot's of food in and watch for squealing.

[ttldr1]

Shouldn't be a problem as long as they already get along. The place I boarded at in MI had 20 stalls and 21 one equines. One was on straight pasture board but when the weather got really bad the BO could not stand it so she doubled up the donkey and old fellow that were best of buddies in a 12x12 stall so that she could bring pasture board guy in. The horse was about 15 hands/28 YO and the donk was 12 hands/20 YO and they had been together for over 10 years (same owner who got reduced board and did not have a problem with them being stalled together in a pinch). Never had a problem and actually had more trouble with them after the weather broke and they were seperated again. Donk would bray for awhile wondering where his buddy was.

[Rebe]

Many years ago, there was a panic at the barn where I was boarding. One of the mares had simply gone missing. They searched every inch of the big turnout pasture, they checked the feedroom, and even walked the roads outside the gate. They called the owner and asked if she had by any chance taken the mare off the property without telling them.:confused:

And then someone looked in the 17 hand gelding's stall a bit more closely - the gelding that was best buddies with the mare. And there was maresy, on the far side of him, happily sharing his hay pile. She'd been there since they walked themselves in from turnout. The stall was 12 x 12.

[MDPONYMOM]

Thank you all so much. You put my mind at ease....

I brought them in yesterday afternoon and put multiple piles of hay around the stall and they seemed to be doing fine. My only worry was that the pony is a mare and the horse is an OLD gelding and she is somewhat dominant towards him. However, when she wanted his pile of hay, he just walked over to another one. Whew....

I felt sooo much better last night just knowing that they were in, dry and warm.

I hope everyone else out there is OK and that you can ride out this storm. Jingles.

[deltawave]

An old gelding is no dummy, if he's been around mares. :D

[Zu Zu]

Glad to hear it is working fine for you and them ! Jingles !

[pony89]

I've never done it myself, but a lady where I board would occasionally put her two mares in the same stall. They were big girls, probably 16.2, and it was a 12x12 stall. They were fine with it, but I was a little:eek: when I first saw it. It's just a lot of horse for one stall!

My mare spent a few hours locked in her stall with the farm's border collie once :lol: He had been staring down a mouse hole in the corner of the stall away from the door, and the trainer got an emergency phone call and put my mare away in a hurry. A few hours later, the BO started calling the dog in for the night, and when he didn't come, they started looking around for him. It took a while to find him since he wasn't barking or anything, but eventually, they found him and my mare on opposite sides of the stall, rather uncomfortably trying to pretend that this wasn't happening to them :lol: