Lonely Pony

Question
Hello,
I have a 7 year old, 13hh mixed gelding named Artax. He hardly does any work, and he has never jumped a fence in his life. But he's all alone in our big yard, so we want to get another pet to keep him company, but preferably another horse. One problem is that they're all so expensive, but another is that we're not sure how they'd get along. I've heard that when they first meet, horses kind of fight with eachother, so I want to choose the best kind of companion for him. What breed, sex, or even species would you recommend? Thanks for any advice.
-Hani

Answer
Hye! Thanxs for you're question and I hope I can be of some help to you. Well, first of all I would suggest finding a horse for compainion first. Other animals are good but horses are herd animals. But if you can't get another horse goats are great "pets" for horses. But ya a horse is best. Since you're probably just looking for a companion pony not really for doing much of anything here's what I suggest. (If you want a good "working-type" pony/horse thats something different.) Anyways, I would first of all suggest a pony of similar size. A pony/horse too big might pick on yours which wouldn't be good. My suggestion would be to get in contact with a local SPCA (society for the prevention of curelty to animals - or a similar organization) and talk to them about finding a resuce barn. They will have tons of horses that make companions or ones that only can do a little light work. I'm not sure where you are from so it depends. But anyplace like that should be able to help you. Like where I live (Ontario, Canada) one good place around here is Heaven Can Wait Equine Rescue - www.heavencanwaitequinerescue.org - If you go there it should give you an idea of prices or types of horses. I would definitly look into some in your area though. I would suggest one that wouldn't require a lot of effort. ie. not one that would have to be hosed down for 20 minutes everyday. One that just needs some love and a good home. I would suggest maybe a middleaged pony and a nice easy-going breed like a shetland, dartmoor and maybe a welsh. One more point. Maybe if your pony got a bit more excerise it might be happier. Maybe you should try jumping. Most horses love it. Hope I helped. If you have any more questions just ask. - Meg