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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 415
| I am looking for suggestions for introducing a (brood)mare to the herd...I have a gelding who was cut late (I believe) and whenever he isn't with another gelding (been about 6 months now) he gets study and thinks he's the stallion in our herd of mares. I have always known this so we're always careful about putting new horses with him but I recently brought home a maiden mare who I just bred, which means trying to keep her quiet so she doesn't lose the foal :P, and he chases her and bites her (luckily doesn't kick) but he just gets so aggressive and now she has cuts all over her from the bites. She was across the fence from him for 3 weeks, then they were in my grassy arena together alone for a couple of days and they were perfectly fine so then I let him, the mare, and one of my other super other quiet mares out and he chased her again and now she's full of bites again :( So all in all, he didn't do it when they're alone but when he's around the boss mare or any for that matter, he gets stupid and aggressive. Tips, hints, suggestions, anything would be awesome!!! She can't keep living in the stall or small pen! |
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 Tried and True
Posts: 21185
  
Location: Where I am happiest | Keep your gelding seperated from the mares. |
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 Northern Chocolate Queen
Posts: 16576
Location: ND | Life is easiest when you just keep mares and gelding separated. You won't want her out with this horse once she falls anyway. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 518
| What does he do to the other mares? Sounds like it would be safest to keep them seperate, I can't stand it when geldings act like that! |
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 Experienced Mouse Trapper
Posts: 3106
Location: North Dakota | shock collar if keeping them separate is not an option. |
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 Coyote Country Queen
Posts: 5666
| I agree about keeping them separate if that is an option. If not, I've noticed something with our pasture herd of mares and geldings. It seems like those already together tend to stick together and the new additions get chased out. Even if a dominant horse has been in the pasture, if they are removed and then returned awhile later they seem to gradually earn their way back into the herd and their position of dominancy. So my suggestion would be to let the mares spend some time together without the gelding and let them band up. Then try returning the gelding to see if he still picks on the new mare or if he treats her like the rest of the herd. He will likely still be the dominant horse, but this way he might not pick on her specifically. |
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 Warmblood with Wings
Posts: 27846
Location: Florida.. | Jenbabe - 2015-05-26 1:50 PM I agree about keeping them separate if that is an option. If not, I've noticed something with our pasture herd of mares and geldings. It seems like those already together tend to stick together and the new additions get chased out. Even if a dominant horse has been in the pasture, if they are removed and then returned awhile later they seem to gradually earn their way back into the herd and their position of dominancy. So my suggestion would be to let the mares spend some time together without the gelding and let them band up. Then try returning the gelding to see if he still picks on the new mare or if he treats her like the rest of the herd. He will likely still be the dominant horse, but this way he might not pick on her specifically.
this... |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 415
| Thanks guys, keeping them separated is definitely not an option but the shock collar (even if it sounds harsh) is a really good idea and I liked Jen's answer also, might have to try that! He just chases them and bites them and I don't think this mare has ever even pinned her ears back in her life so she literally WONT fight back. |
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 Extreme Veteran
Posts: 590
Location: Austin, Texas, where it can get really weird!! | Maybe a grazing muzzle for the biting |
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Extreme Veteran
Posts: 415
| Good Idea!!! I will go see if any friends have one I can borrow! |
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Introducing a timid mare to a mean gelding