how to decide the nuumber

[guest]

hi all
i am engulfed in a strange problem
1) they feed their horse ?
-- > do they( the group they refers to ) have only one horse or every member of the group has its own horse.
or it is better to say
2) they feed their horses ?
--> does this refer to just a group of horse fed be group of people or does it signify something more?

normally we parallel plural objects with plural subject . for eg , they are like angles. do we need here to parallel our horses with the group members ( even each of them has only horse) ?

[guest]

correction

--> does this sentence mean to just a group of horse fed by group of people or does it signify something more?

[JonathanSchneider]

The children fed their horse === the children had only one horse, and they fed it together
The children fed their horses === the children had multiple horses (it may be understood that they each had horses, though not necessarily one apiece) and they fed them either together or individually