Two horses...one stall?

[Mominis]

I noticed at the show that many people stalled two horses together. I have a couple of questions about that. Shake lives in a 14x14 stall. We are looking at getting another mini who is 5" shorter and a year younger than Shake (Shake's a two year old). I was thinking about putting them in separate stalls for the first 30 days and letting them be turned out together and get to know each other, then stalling them together. Is that safe?

If so, then how do you make sure that each horse is getting the grain and hay ration that they are supposed to get? I was thinking about a foal feeder with the bars set so that only the yearling could eat out of the foal feeder, but that's for grain. What about hay? How would I make sure that they are both getting enough?

I'm making buying decisions right now, so I really need to make sure that both horses could be properly managed.

 

[Little Wolf Ranch]

Is there any reason why you can't just continue keeping them stalled seperately during feeding time? I always seperate somehow with the grain but with hay, everyone tends to get their fair share.

 

[Mominis]

I can't keep them separate during feeding. I board my horse out and can only get one stall for the two after the first month. The B.O. feeds breakfast and dinner, I feed lunch. It is mostly a self care situation. I measure out the feed and put it in Ziplocks and I measure the hay and put it in bags. The B.O. just dumps the brakfast and dinner feedings to them. I clean my own stall, do my own turnouts, etc., etc.

 

[Zipper]

I just grain feed mine all separate. I put halters on everyone and tie them up allover and let them eat and this is when I run my hands all over them to check for lumps or cuts and clean their feet etc. and I can see if anyone is not eating and watch them and it gets them used to being tied with out a lot of stress. I just feed grain 2x aday.

They eat their hay all together.

 

[kdhminis]

I know that at the shows - you will see 2 mini's in one stall. I was at a show this past weekend, I took a yearling and a 2 year old. I paid for 3 stalls. I kept my mini's separate the first night because a person was sleeping all night in the stall next to mine. But the next night the weather was suppose to have a chance for hail - and I knew my yearling would throw a fit when I wasn't there - so I stalled them together that night.

My mini's at home are never stalled - so it is new to my mini's at shows - and makes my yearling nervous. So I'd give her a break periodically during the show day and put her in her buddy's stall - so she could relax a little.

But as far as always stalling 2 mini's together - like at your Boarding facility - I personally wouldn't want to do that as a on-going thing. However the size of stall you are stating is quite large for a mini - would they allow you to put a couple of cattle/hog/goat panels or a plywood partial wall up to separate the one stall into 2 separate sections? That might work well. You will see people at shows doing this also.

 

[Sandee]

If that's what you have to do then you have to. Everyone will tell you that horses (no matter the size) will find a way to get into trouble and two can find it easier than one. I thought I had the stall problem all figured out when we brought my 1 1/2 yr.old stallion home and only had the one extra stall. We put up a pipe gate divider down the middle of the stall between the new little guy and our old gelding. It worked fine ---until the one day they must have had some sort of argument and I came out to find the 12' gate off the hinges and out of the fastener and on the floor with my little guy cowering in the corner while my gelding stood to the front of the stall where all the room was. They really haven't gotten along since then. Even though they're in seperate paddocks they will "play" halter tag when they can reach.

We also had to separate two horses in the middle of night at a show. They were "fine during the day" according to the owners but sometime in the night they began kicking and screaming at each other. We didn't want them all scarred for the show so we put one in an empty stall.

 

[midnight star stables]

Due to space at my house, sometimes I'll stall my minis together, but usually they each have their own stall - with the exception of our two old (late late 20's) boys. They have been stalled together for longer then I can remember.

So it is really what works for you. I could see it working fine with two in a 14x14 stall and they'll likely play constantly.

Best of luck!

 

[mizbeth]

Hi

Maybe you could divide the stall somehow so they are seperated from each other. It is hard to keep two together as one will eat the others feed and you won't notice it until one of them has lost a considerable amount of weight. They can pick at each other too and leave marks, it could be they won't get along at all and butt kick each other and push each other in the corners terriorizing them. Lots can happen to horses especially when they don't know each other. They could of course get along just fine, but you will not know that until you put them together.

Good luck in any case..........

B

 

[mydaddysjag]

I wouldnt do it. Ive considered doing it before to be able to board at a nicer facility, but after researching here, decided against it. For one, someone is going to end up eating their stall mates food. I also have a friend who has this issue. One horse bolts it's feed, then bullies the smaller horse off of its feed. They ended up with one show horse becoming obese, and the other being skinny. Not a good look for either horse. They now tie the bully horse when feeding, but you said you cant do that. Also, simple things like just opening your stall door can become a pain with two horses in a stall. I cant remember is shake has an attached paddock to his stall, for some reason I wanted to think he did. If so, could they feed one in the paddock and the other in the stall, so they arent standing next to each other to eat? Or possibly make a stall divider. A 14x14 is big enough to divide into two stalls.

I know at shows people stall two minis together all the time, but shows are normally 2 days long or so, so its not like long term one horse isnt getting enough to eat, etc. I would ask about a stall divider honestly, just make sure its something sturdy, that they cant take off its hinges.

 

[Marty]

Hi Mominis!

When mine are out loose, they frequently will go stand together in any open stall when I leave the doors open and they came come and go at will.

However, I would never in a million years lock two horses up together in the same stall where one could not get out and away from the other. I don't care if they are the best of friends, its a recipe for disaster especially at feed time. Someone is going to be clobberd.

I also wouldn't think of dividing the stall as I personally don't feel a 7 X 7 is ample room for one horse to manuever around and be comfortable.

You are really catching the mini bug in a big way but I am sorry to say I would not consider the purchase another horse until I could provide his own space for him.

 

[Taylor Jo]

I stall my horses together two at a time at shows. I take 8 horses and my trainer has 3 right now and she stalls them separate and one is a stallion. The other 5 I have go together except Oreo the odd man out has his own stall. Financially, I couldn't afford everyone their own stall and they all get along at home and eat their own grain while at the show but HAY that's a different story. I tend to feed more hay at the show to make sure "everyone" gets their fair share even though the PIGGY sure as heck gets MORE then their fair share.

BUT, at home everyone has their own stall. I learned from the beginning when I got my two boy's it wasn't going to work. They were both yearling's and Sonny being the bigger one out eats Dakota 2-1. So we took some of our 12x12 stalls and divided them in half and put Sonny in one and Dak in the other. I now also have Polly in one and Honey in another one. I have two more that are like that and then 1 12x12 stall my stallion goes into.

I wouldn't have it any other way. Every horse needs their space and if one wants to relax and the other one wants to play there's a conflict. Just "like" kids.

We have pipe corrals and it works out really good, they can still visit yet have they're own space.

Plus, your two year old is liable to "pick" on the other one being naturally dominate over the other one and you don't want that.

Also, my horses are turned out after breakfast every morning weather permitting too, plus they get exercised. They have 5 acres to roam on and another 5 if I wanted to put them over on it.

Good luck in your decision, you can get those light weight panels to put down the middle at TSC for a pretty reasonable price if you decide to do that. We have a 8 ft panel on ours and then my husband put a 4 ft gate on the outside of ours but your putting yours in the middle, if you just put a light weight one and move it back and forth that should be pretty easy.

TJ

 

[mydaddysjag]

Dividing the stall would make it 7x14. As long as you turnout, I dont see that it would be too small. Well, unless your putting big ponys in it, but I wanted to think shake is either 35" or 37"?

 

[jleonard]

I have stalled mine togeather on a couple of occasions. When we first got our second mini we were still in CA, but we're planning to move to KY in the near future. In that instance we had a 12x9 stall/ run combo we had built for the one mini (6x9 stall connected to a 6x9 run seperated by a door). We would feed one in the run, and shut the other in the stall at feeding times so each could eat in peace. It was not ideal, but it worked for the month or two that we were in that situation.

When we moved to KY, each had a 12x12 stall for a while, then we got another big pony and the minis ended up sharing a 12x12 again. They were turned out durring the day, and kept togeather at night. I can't remember exactly how we seperated them, but we always did at meal times. They now have their own 12x6 stalls we built in an open 12x12 area.

When I take both to a show I often have them share a stall as it is just too expensive to get two. When I feed at shows I place a bucket in opposite corners and watch them carefully while they eat to make sure they stay in their respective corners. There was one instance when one was on a special diet, and in that case I took her out of the stall and held her while she ate. For hay I make two piles so if one gets pushy, the other can just go to the other pile.

I would not want to stable them togeather permenently, it's just too much hassel, but for short periods of time it can work (if the horses get along that is).

The barn where I took lessons when I was younger had two minis that shared a 12x12 stall. They had a gate that ran diagonally across the stall so each horse had it's own space. I don't know where the bought it, but it was very handy.

I think a 14x14 stall is plenty big enough for 2 minis, perhaps there is a way you can find to split it so they can share the stall but be seperated.

 

[disneyhorse]

Being that you seem to be a "particular" person (purely judging from your posts) I would guess that you would NOT be happy with having two horses trying to live and eat together.

First of all, if they don't get along 100% (or if they do, and play too rough!) they will constantly have nicks and scrapes all over them. They may eat each other's manes and tails.

Secondly, since you want to show and seem very interested in conditioning, it is extremely difficult to tailor feed/supplement programs for horses that have different metabolisms/sizes/food aggression. One horse will always eat faster or more than the other.

I have kept horses in together and tried to tie them up just for grain when I was there, and had some limited success.

When it all came down to it, I bought a divider for the stall. I am MUCH happier keeping my horses separate.

Even though minis are physically small, they have the same needs as big horses. With show horses of ANY size, it's much easier to condition and care for them and keep them in show shape if they are all by themselves.

You can turn them out together for playtime though!

That's my two cents.

If in the future you are no longer showing and graining them, you may find keeping multiples together to be more appropriate. Then you can just throw as much hay as needed for the skinniest one, and the fatter one will be... well... fatter.

Andrea

 

[Taylor Jo]

Then you can just throw as much hay as needed for the skinniest one, and the fatter one will be... well... fatter.

Andrea

I cracked up at that Andrea, that's a good one...... TJ

 

[Barbie]

I have 12' x 12' stalls in my barn. From time to time I have more than 4 minis here - well, up to 7 once. When that happens, I use the metal panels and divide my stalls into 2 6' x 12' stalls. Works fine and horses really like having company.

Good luck!

Barbie

 

[hobbyhorse23]

I'm watching this thread with great interest as it's a subject coming up here as well.

The boys have begun to work things out but Kody still jealously defends his stall at dinner time and I can only imagine the angst should I try to feed them together!

Kody doesn't care about the food itself so much but it infuriates him if the other horse won't clear out when he tells them to and he considers refusing to leave the locked stall to be a mortal offense.

I've ordered a telescoping steel divider that I'll pick up at the next show so at the very least I can section off one stall and have a small tack area (three stalls is way out of the budget) but I will probably experiment with briefly having them share a divided stall just to see how bad it would be. They're fine sharing separated space in the trailer and are learning to stand tied near each other without roughhousing but stalls, in Kody's book, are completely different things.

I could probably get them to split space temporarily if I put some sort of mesh across the top of the divider so they can't go after each other and give Kody the front so he feels properly alpha but I'm not sure it's worth it. I don't need a full tack stall anyway!

First of all, if they don't get along 100% (or if they do, and play too rough!) they will constantly have nicks and scrapes all over them. They may eat each other's manes and tails.

So true.

The non-mane side of Turbo's neck is a MESS from Kody's biting and Kody's tail has been steadily disappearing. And that's from occasional turnouts together and reaching through a pipe gate, respectively!

Turbo was okay in the winter but now that he's clipped the bites are leaving major marks.

Leia

 

[Mominis]

I made an offer on the yearling and I'm waiting to hear back, but after reading this, I think I've come to a decision. I get a break in my board for teaching the English lessons at my boarding barn as they are a mostly Western facility. If I pick up just a few more lessons per month, I won't really notice the extra stall fee to get the new guy his own pad. In fact, this month, the barn will owe me $45. LOL! So, I guess I'll have to put my nose to the grindstone and pick up another lesson or two for the little man's own place.

You are right, guys. I'm far too picky to have dings in my horses' coats. I also am obsessive about my feeding program. I just got Shake's feeding program organized and it is working really well for him. I don't want to upset that delicate balance. I also don't want my husband's little guy (last week the new guy measured 32" and Shake measured 37" at the show we took him to) to get bullied all the time by the big, bad Shaker-doodle. lol

 

[Frizzle's Gal]

I have two that are stalled together, they eat on opposite sides of the stall and are fine. I do have a divider made of wood down the middle where they can still see eachother but cant get on the others side.

 

[Royal Crescent]

I stall 2 together all the time, in fact they don't like to be without their buddy. They eat out of their own buckets, but together. Of course, you have to make sure that they get along first and the stall has to be big enough for them to lay down, but I have never had a problem.

Barb