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  Discussion on Creating A Herd ?
Author Message
New Member:
l8rider

Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 - 8:53 am:

I have read the other posts re: introducing a pasture mate but would like to hear from professionals re: introducing several horses to the pasture at the same time. We have created two med. sized pastures and would like to get our 6 horses out of the stalls. Each of these different breeds are fairly dominant, with the two gelding extremely "studly". Two of the mares are quite dominant, as is the two year old filly while in her stall. Turned out with others, she still does the baby mouthing and tries to keep out of the way. I'm sure all of them act so dominant because they have always been stalled.
We put them out, putting mare/filly and one gelding in one pasture and mare/gelding in the neighboring pasture (sharing a common fence). There was the initial racing around in sheer joy for awhile, and then they all settled into the same corner with the squealing,posturing and kicking. Fights were going on with the pasture mates as well as fights across the fence. All horses but the filly are shod and all came back with some pretty good socialization tattoos.
I would like some advice as to 1) normally how long should this pecking war go on 2)would it be better to keep geldings together and mares together 3) dare I put all of them in one pasture together and let them "duke it out". My new 4yr old gelding is quite aggressive/striking with everyone else, the other gelding still breeds when he can get the chance. Any advice from you trainers and vets?
Member:
wgillmor

Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 - 9:27 am:

I know you asked for advice from professionals, and I am not, but:
1. Pull the hind shoes until things settle down. (My horse broke another horse's leg in an introductory turnout. I don't ever want to go through that again.)
2. Try keeping the boys with the boys and the girls with the girls as a first cut.

Wiley
Member:
paul303

Posted on Tuesday, May 20, 2008 - 10:16 pm:

Oh, yeah, what Wiley says. See how that works out, first.
Moderator:
DrO

Posted on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 - 6:39 am:

Hello L8rider,
1) The pecking war never stops: the majority of horses continuously attempt to move up the ladder. Peace occurs once everyone is fairly accepting of their current position but they will still look for opportunity to move up.
2) Yes, especially if you have two study geldings. Turning them all out together may work but I think you have a better chance is the geldings are introduced without the natural pressure of creating mare bands. Older stallions get along amazing well in the wild when there are no mares around.
3) I like the idea of introducing the mares to the mares and geldings to the geldings and once they settle down try the two groups together.

As a last comment I also heartily second Wiley's recommendation of pulling hind shoes.
DrO
Member:
lilo

Posted on Wednesday, May 21, 2008 - 10:08 am:

About the shoes - it is definitely better if the shoes are pulled behind, but it is not fail safe. I did lose a gelding due to a kick from my mare (I believe the gelding was trying to move into the number 1 position in this herd of two) - and the mare was not shod.
Just a caution from my experience - like Wiley, I would never like to go through that experience again.
Lilo
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