# sitting in the pasture with your horse



## dreamrideredc (Apr 16, 2009)

i know that sitting in the pasture with your horse and watching him helps your bond and everything...but what if theres other horses? i board my horse, and the round pen is always occupied, and he obviously shares a pasture...so what do i do? also...what if i brought my lunch out there and ate with him, would that be the same thing? and one more thing...i know it sounds silly...but ppl at my barn dont really beleve in these things (i clearly do) so i am gunna b sittin out in the pasture and they r gunna b starin at me all weird!!! lol! i know...stupid...but still!!! plz reply!


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## LDblackhorse (Nov 26, 2008)

Hey I would do it any ways.
I have been sitting with my guy in his stall or sit with him in the paddock no matter the stares. as long as your comfortable then do it.

The way i look at it, itis my time with him and we have the greatest bond. whether some one rides by etc. My guy being a stallion i do not have the problem of other horses but i don't think that would make a diffrence.

Wish you all the best and hope you have a great time with your boy


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## Qtswede (Apr 16, 2009)

Don't worry about what the other barn residents think. I had a lady here for 2 years that was working on her retirement hobby - she'd never been around horses - and I encouraged her to hang out in the field, brush her horse daily and just take her own time getting used to it. The other residents at my barn gave her a hard time, and even my neighbors thought she was loopy, but, in the end, she had a far better relationship with her horse than the others did, and that was with other horses in the same pasture. Take your moments whenever you can.


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## dreamrideredc (Apr 16, 2009)

thanks everyone!!! by the way,if that is your stallion in the pictures he is GORGEOUS!!!!


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## draftlover215 (Apr 2, 2009)

Sitting out with him while there are horses is even better sometimes. It may not give you the personal one on one bonding time but you will be able to watch him interact with the other horses and it will teach you a lot about his personality and how he reacts to certain situations. 

I sit outside in the pasture with my horse all the time. I've learned so much about his personality and how the other horses react to him, and how he reacts to them. It really helped our bond and our understanding of each other.

And don't worry about the other people! They'll stop staring in a few months when they realize that your bond is stronger with your horse than any of them could hope for because all they do is jump on and ride. I would grab lunch and go have a picnic with your horse!!


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## dreamrideredc (Apr 16, 2009)

thanks!!! you guys are awesome! keep the advice coming!


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## mls (Nov 28, 2006)

Honestly - I would not allow it at my barn. The pasture and their stall are 'their' places where they can be horses, eat, sleep and have the ability to NOT need to please us.

Not to mention the issue of getting run over if for some reason something spooks the herd.

I walk the turnouts to check for garbage, needed repairs, etc but I do not expect the horses to pay any attention to me.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

I used to bring my lunch and sit in the pasture w/ my guy years ago. I havent done it in a long time. but sometimes I do just go sit on the fence rail and watch them for hours....


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## Spirithorse (Jun 21, 2007)

Ideally I like to do the undemanding time with my horse alone. That way he's not distracted by the other horses. Undemanding time is just that....undemanding. You don't ask your horse for anything, you are just sharing his space and being with him, which really builds rapport.


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## farmpony84 (Apr 21, 2008)

sometimes I'll tack up and ride out to a small pasture and just relax on my horses back while he/she grazes. (I did that today w/ Beauty). Me and Beauty haven't totally bonded yet... we had a rough start.... she is trained to the hilt but she doesnt want to show... she hates to collect and set her head and ride like a QH... Then she had that severed tendon and of course daily bandage changes were really ugly of course... So we just did not feel the love for each other...

We've been getting more and more friendly w/ each other over the last year and I'll spend time just grooming her or I'll ride her out and just let her graze... just talk to her and stuff... we are "starting" to bond.... 

Sitting in the pasture is nice...


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## Vidaloco (Sep 14, 2007)

I don't sit with my girls as much as I used to. I used to like to crawl up in the round bale feeder and have them munch all around me :lol:
I do like to spend quiet time with Vida before and after a ride. I think she appreciates it that I don't just grab her, ride her and toss her back in the lot. 
I truly believe to understand a horse, you have to spend a ton of time just watching them interact with each other, become part of the herd and then become the lead mare.


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## dreamrideredc (Apr 16, 2009)

u guys have great ideas and i think its awesome that u do all of this with your horses i dont no many ppl that do


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## LDblackhorse (Nov 26, 2008)

dreamrideredc said:


> thanks everyone!!! by the way,if that is your stallion in the pictures he is GORGEOUS!!!!


yeah that is him and we have the strongest bond you could ever ask for.


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## Walkamile (Dec 29, 2008)

Dreamrideredc, you mentioned that there were other horses in the pasture with yours and should you be concerned or what do you do?

I can only tell you what I experienced. T , before I purchased her, was kept with anywhere from 15 to 25 or so horses in a pasture. She was the "boss" mare. Interestingly enough , she would pin her ears at another horse if they approached us and "kept" me all to herself. At least that's how it felt to me. 

You need to be careful with a herd of horses, as they are constantly communicating with each other and trying to with us. If we miss a warning message one horse gives another, we could find ourselves in the escape path of the "offending" horse and could be injured.

While I made out fine with T and the herd, I also kept my distance to the herd and T would come to me. If any followed, she warned them. I was not "among" or "surrounded" by the entire herd.

I learnt so much from a distance watching how they communicated with each other and admired how T was a fair but very firm leader. Loved how the geldings tolerated with "unclely" patience the yearlings. So much happens but only if you are looking and wanting to learn.

So back to your OP, yes I think spending relaxed time with your horse is very important to your relationship. But you must also be safe.


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## cowgirl4jesus94 (Jun 14, 2008)

I like to go out in the pasture and sit and think..take pictures and brush Splash. 
I havent noticed a change yet. But havent have him very long yet. =)


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