I have 3 horses. They are tolerant when I take one away, (I've worked on it), but they are not happy campers. When I get back, nobody has freaked out and I've kept control and the horse I was riding was listening, but I feel its more than just separation. It feels like they want to come too...a chance to go on the adventure as well. Otherwise, I'm the herd leader of 3 happy horses and the training is good.

Since I just trail ride, with no other plans than to just go on adventures, is there any way that I could pony 2 of them while riding one and keep all my fingers? Is it possible? Could I be safe? How could I be safe? What kind of training should I put in place to accomplish this?

I'll try, 1st I never said that I was a cowboy just run cattle (mine) and work them on horseback.
I had a similar experience with my TB several years ago, it would be dangerous to pony your other 2 in my opinion only I would not do it and your not gaining anything from it, I had to separate mine for a few months and the problem solved itself. Usually they will ride better away from home in a situation like this, mine did. Where their friends were not along. The separation completely solved my problem of "Buddy Sour"
Lots of riding usually works wonders. It did in my case. I would also like to see any other comments myself.

I would agree with Lena. Solve the separation anxiety do not further it by giving in and ponying the other two but if you must I would suggest tailing the two together. Look in a packer book or some other knot source for the correct knot to use. Additionally, I would suggest being extra careful if you choose to pony the animals do not tye the leadrope hard and fast to your saddle horn or any other part of your saddle rather dally it for quick release along with paying extra close attention so the rope does not get under your horse's tail.

I have seen a good horsemen take two buddied up horses into the round pen and with a flag resolve some of the issues. This sounds like clinician speak but if the buddy up work the heck outta of them. Next to another horse is a bad place to be. Make them find the happy place where you are not harrassing them.

I kind of figured that it wouldn't be safely possible, but I had to ask. I'd probably have my hands full before a problem came up.
I remember seeing Brad Pitt coming home alone from Mexico at the end of the movie. (Into Mexico?) He had 2 horses in tow, one on each side and I had my nose plastered to the screen trying to see how he was hooked up, but the camera angle wasn't right. I got teased for being hot after Brad, but little did they know!

I'll keep working on the separation. Thanks!

I take two to three to the pastures on a regular basis. Many times I just let the other two go. Since horses are herd animals, they will follow the herd. I will ride one a ways, then ride another, and then ride the third. If I want to take one off by itself, I will hobble the other two and then come back and get them.

I pony all my horses......nothing to do with being "herd bound" but to give them excercise and experience.

Experiment in a pen or arena before you try it on the trail and be sure that your horses are rope and halter trained.

I also pack a lot and this gets my horses conditioned to being in a string and following in an orderly fashion.....

NW is right that in the right situation, turn them loose and they will follow......but on a public trail, this could create a pretty bad wreck.

Yeah but they do need to learn to overcome their separation anxiety. I've gone through several Buddy Sour ponies. The more often you seperate'm then let them see the other horse come back the better. That doesn't mean they can't all go out together on occasion but learning confidence that everyone will get back together is good too.

I pony high strung race horses on a regular basis and have had no trouble, of course its purely for excercise and not 1 hour trail rides, but if you have 2 good arms and a cool head i see no reason why you cant do it, but if your problem is your horses being herd bound i strongly advise against it, seeing it will do no good to solve the problem, if that is the case dont worry about it, the only way good way ive found to fix a herd bound herd is to keep seperating them for hours at a time

I have a few portable corral panels and started putting one horse in them out of sight of the others and moved her around to clean up some high grass, actually I was doing it because she had heaves and needed to keep her on grass instead of hay for awile, but it served to cure between her and the others of seperation anxiaty.

You need to separate them behind safe fencing, so they don't hurt themselves. Depending on how bad it is, things could get a big hairy. If they are not too out of control, then start by separating them so they are side by side. Use electric fencing or divide the pasture up, to make separate areas. Then over time, work on getting them farther and farther apart. Then reverse it, and slowly bring them back together, so they are in the same pasture. Then reverse it again and separate them. If you can get them out of sight of each other, even better.

During this time, if you can ride or work consistently and regularly with each of them by themselves, away from their buddies, and have them keep their attention on you, you should have very few problems. But, stay on top of it. If you haul two horses, don't tie them on the same side of the trailer. Tie one on each side. Get them used to being by themselves. The key to all this is consistent regular work sessions or riding, away from their buddies, and having them focus all their attention on you. If they spend too much idle time together, they will buddy up more and more.

First of all, when packing, the horse directly behind is on a lead, and you just hold the lead in one hand. Dallying off might seem like a good idea, but when a blow-up occurs, often there just isnt enough time to get the rope from the horn.

Also, my buddies and I use regular old string that comes on hay bales for roping one horse to another. They break when needed, and dont involve having ALL of your horses end up in a wreck.

It sounds as if your horses are indeed buddy sour. Seperating them, and working them independant of one another usually will break this.

Hope that this will help you.

You can also remove one horse to another spot to feed'm. A different horse each day. It needs to be far enough away that they can't see or hear their buddies. They can figure out that leaving means something good is happening and they get to see their buddies when they go home. If you have a good neighbor you can take a horse for a 'sleep over'. Ride'm there, feed'm good, let'm spend the night, fed'm then ride'm back home after breakfast. It seems to aggravate the situation in that they associate eating, a very good thing for a horse, with being home with their friends.