# Riding in a field with other horses?



## Ripplewind (Mar 22, 2012)

I am getting tired of riding in the arena, and I think my horse is, too. I'm tired of riding around, lap after lap, when there is a huge field right next to us that I've been dying to ride in. However, that is where my horse's buddies are, and I don't know how well Winchester would listen to me in a field with his best friends. Also, there is another pasture beside his own where all his mare friends are, and I have a feeling that Winchester would get too excited and dart off with me on his back.

So, I would like to ride in his pasture, but I am hesitant because he behaves very chummy with his friends whenever he is there. Every time I let him into the pasture, he goes over to his friends and they start grooming each other, or he'll go over to the fence and neigh for his girlfriends, which is actually pretty funny considering he is a gelding, as are the other horses in his pasture.

Please leave suggestions, advice, tips, and what not. I really want to ride in the field, but should I?


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## calicokatt (Mar 5, 2012)

If you have any doubt at all that your horse will behave and listen to you in the pasture with his buddies, you should NOT do it. If this is something you really want to be able to do, maybe start by lunging him in the pasture, or possibly by turning one of his buddies loose in the arena and lunging, then riding and see how it goes. 

If you decide to ride in the field and the horse doesn't listen to you, you could be VERY seriously injured if you fall off in the middle of a bunch of playing horses. Absolutely do NOT do it unsupervised if you do decide to try it.


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## Ripplewind (Mar 22, 2012)

Alright. I will try lunging him in the pasture. Thanks!


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## PaintHorseMares (Apr 19, 2008)

Be careful if you try lunging in a pasture of horses, too. Any kind of activity with a horse is an invitation for other horses to get excited and want to play. Not only will your horse not be focused, but you can easily wind up in the middle of a lot more boisterous áctivity than you want to. Not on my list of activities to try...best to leave the pasture the horses' domain.


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## Skipsfirstspike (Mar 22, 2010)

It is not just your horse you have to worry about. Horses can be very curious, and one of the loose horses may very well run up and try to play. I expect you would be liable if one of those horses got hurt if it were to get tangled in your lunge line. I would not reccomend it, personally. Especially if you do not own all of the horses.


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## DancingArabian (Jul 15, 2011)

I think it's a bad idea. Even if your horse is close to 100% in control by you, the loose horses still remain 0% controlled by you. Not worth the risk to all involved.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## calicokatt (Mar 5, 2012)

Skipsfirstspike said:


> It is not just your horse you have to worry about. Horses can be very curious, and one of the loose horses may very well run up and try to play. I expect you would be liable if one of those horses got hurt if it were to get tangled in your lunge line. I would not reccomend it, personally. *Especially if you do not own all of the horses*.


Very true. 

It may just be a bad idea all around, I have no idea of your experience level. We ride in the pasture with loose horses fairly frequently, but I know very well which horse/rider combinations can handle it and which can't at my own place. I also own all of the horses.


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## shaggy (Dec 8, 2010)

Hi I know your pain I know feeling of being stuck in the arena when theres a huge field next to you to ride in. so my solution i put the others horses in the arena while i rode in the field lol. well i put to in the ring and third in a stall and there are also horses in the neighboring field and i just don't ride near if i think shaggy is gonna act up. Also like some mentioned above make sure your not alone good luck=)


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## mildot (Oct 18, 2011)

I'm also going to say that it is an exceedingly bad idea to be riding in the same field loose horses are turned out.

One only has to spend ten to fifteen minutes observing horses when they are fired up in a herd to understand why.


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## Darrin (Jul 11, 2011)

I've ridden in the pasture many times without a problem. But, this is a big but, the horses belong to me/family, I know how the horse I'm riding will react and most importantly I know how the other horses will react. Basically, it's not a real good idea at a stable as there are to many variables for you to control for it to be safe.


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

I've seen twice people got kicked while riding through the field with horses (to the back gate to the park). Other horses just approached, got excited, and suddenly started to buck/kick out. The rider's leg was on way of the kick. One rider ended up in ER, other one was kinda OK after that (the horse got her to the soft part, not a bone). When you are on horse you have limited (if at all) power to drive other horses away.


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## Joe4d (Sep 1, 2011)

gee i do it all the times, never even considered it to be a big deal, In fact my pasture is my arena, same thing. The other horses tend to look and go back to munchng grass. But they are only my horses. I dont agree with horses of different owners sharing a field.


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## Saskia (Aug 26, 2009)

Depends on your horse. I used to ride my horse with the other horses, but he was one of the most dominant ones, and the paddock was big enough to steer clear of them. If they did come over they were too scared to get too close.

If I was riding a really timid horse, or one not high on the pecking order I wouldn't be so keen. Also, if there horses were at all stirred up I wouldn't ride either. 

As a kid I always used to run down and get my horse, tie the leadrope around, climb up on the fence and canter bareback back up, even if there were 10 or so other horses around.


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## avjudge (Feb 1, 2011)

kitten_Val said:


> I've seen twice people got kicked while riding through the field with horses (to the back gate to the park). Other horses just approached, got excited, and suddenly started to buck/kick out. The rider's leg was on way of the kick.


The same thing happened to my mom - she rode her horse into the pasture after she came back from riding, my horse (dominant mare type) walked up to them & kicked. Broke my mom's ankle.

My mare had issues with people being on top of things - she once kicked at me as I climbed over a rail fence - very occasional and that's the _only_ time I remember she kicked at a person on a horse (and she & Mom's horse were together for over 15 years), but that one time was enough. 

Anne


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## kitten_Val (Apr 25, 2007)

avjudge said:


> The same thing happened to my mom - she rode her horse into the pasture after she came back from riding, my horse (dominant mare type) walked up to them & kicked. Broke my mom's ankle.


Scary, isn't it! My friend was kicked by other horse out of blue when she was on hers at the show. I believe she got a broken bone too.


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## usandpets (Jan 1, 2011)

Definitely would not recommend doing it. The one time I tried it with our first horse, he spooked at a bird in the grass. I was not a good rider at the time and he was new to us. I ended up on the ground and he went over to his buddies. He could have easily got tangled up in the reins. I found out after that you aren't supposed to do that. 

Yes it is possible to do it. There are ranches that herd loose horses by riding. Those are well trained horses and listen to the rider though. I wouldn't do it at a barn/stable unless I knew darn well that I could trust my horse completely to listen and not act stupid.
_Posted via Mobile Device_


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## HorsesAreMyPassion (Feb 16, 2012)

I agree with everyone else who is saying that this isn't a good idea. There are many reasons why I think it isn't a good idea. Personally, I would not do it. 

Is there no where else on the property that you can ride? Can you ride around the perimeter of the fence line outside of the pasture? Are the horses in the pasture 24/7? If they are only turned out for part of the day, could you ride in there when they are all inside? There must be somewhere else to ride that would be safer.


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## Skyseternalangel (Jul 23, 2011)

Ohh I've done it on multiple occasion. It was the only place with hills and the few times I did it were disastrous, with only a handful of successes. 

I had horses coming over and tugging on blankets, charging at us, my horse bolting to meet his friends, cantering madly down a steep hill cause the other horses are eating hay, being chased, playing under saddle.. just.. no.

Do NOT go there!


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## Spotted Image (Aug 10, 2011)

Don't do it, if the other horses aren't locked up. I know people who do it, but I have saw the damage done. My kids safe mare and I was riding in the pasture with another kid safe mare, plus an yearling and two other horses. When the loose horses saw us pick up speed, they didn't to join and how horses decided it was play time. I was 13 at the time and now have a scar that goes down my arm, down my chest and to my pant line. Never again have I really rode in the pasture unless I was bareback. My pasture is my arena, but my horses get locked up, when I ride in it.


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

Pretty much what everyone else has said. If you don't have 100% control of your horse and aren't a confident rider then you shouldn't ride in a pasture with loose horses. Even you are both of these things, it still can be dangerous.


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## smrobs (Jul 30, 2008)

I guess I'm the oddball here. I ride out into the pasture of my other horses all the time. I wouldn't advise lunging a horse in a pasture full of horses because a loose horse darting between you and yours could easily get tangled in the lunge line and cause a huge wreck.

However, _riding_ in a pasture full of your horse's friends is a great way to gauge the quality of training your horse has. If you can't control him in the pasture, then do you really expect him to behave perfectly at a show or on a trail ride with other horses around? I'll often go out and "herd" my pasture horses on a young/green horse because it helps them learn that they need to pay attention to what _I _am asking instead of what all the other horses are doing.

As for the loose horses in the pasture, that is a great way to guage _their_ training as well. The way all mine are trained, if I raise my hand and smooch to them, that means get away from me NOW. Works just as well from the back of another horse as it does from the ground...and if they don't listen, I carry a length of rope I can use to "encourage" them to move away from me.


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## flytobecat (Mar 28, 2010)

Smrobs, but those are your horses. I would have no problem riding my horse in a pasture with our other horses. It's my understanding that the OP is in a boarding situation and the other horses belong to the other boarders and aren't necessarily pastured with her horse regularly.


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## DressageDreamer (Feb 29, 2012)

My other horses come up me when I am on another horse in the pasture with them and sometimes they try kicking the horse I am riding or biting them on the rear. I think it is a jealousy issue. I quit doing it because I was afraid I would catch a hoof or bite, not to mention they could cause the horse I am riding to freak out and be an idiot because they felt "attacked."


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