Brood mare - effect on geldings?

Ginger Bear

Ginger Bear

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Recently posted about our geldings suddenly showing stallion behaviour.. One pinning others that he's usually mates with to the fence, barging then through the fence etc etc.. Well we split them up and things seem bit better but the gelding that is being feisty suddenly ran a youngster through a fence this week, thankfully was watching at the time and the thing that seemed to set it off is A new brood mare in the field opposite...quite a way away from the geldings, not in touching distance or anything. She called, the youngster looked up and the feisty one charged.. Now thinking about it the problems between the geldings seemed to start when she came to the yard.. Has anyone experienced this before? The mares have always been in the field opposite and there's never been any issues with the boys but this brood mare seems to drive the boys crazy!! Thanks in advance.
 
I have mares and geldings in separate fields, but one gelding will keep himself between the other geldings and the mares. If a mare was in season and hanging about along the fence line the dominant gelding would pace up and down at her side again keeping the other geldings away.

After several kicking matches and broken rails I got rid of the dominant gelding (livery) and peace resumed.
 
AdorableAlice said:
I have mares and geldings in separate fields, but one gelding will keep himself between the other geldings and the mares. If a mare was in season and hanging about along the fence line the dominant gelding would pace up and down at her side again keeping the other geldings away.

After several kicking matches and broken rails I got rid of the dominant gelding (livery) and peace resumed.
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That's exactly what he's been doing.. But he's always been at the yard (yo horse) long before I've been there, always opposite the mares..was best buddies with my boy then all went wrong..
 
He is just gaurding 'his' mare(s), but it is a dangerous situation and someone is bound to get kicked.

I would think if you put the 2 boys together well away from mares the friendship would settle again. Very tricky if you are on a shared yard.
 
I have always kept mare and geldings together we recently had someone put broodmares in to a field next door, a couple of the mares kept jumping in to our field.
I was walking up my field and was cursing as a stallion had also jumped in with the mares that were in our field.
The broodmares that had jumped back in to our field were being mounted by my sons pony 21 yrs old we have owned him since a yearling he has never shown any interest in any of the mares he has lived with but these broodmares we are talking full on mounting and all the ahem stallion behaviour that goes with it.

I have to say it was very baffling as we have had very marish girls living with him lots of peeing tail lifting etc but he has never showed any interest until these broodmares arrived.
We have had broodmares in foal before but have always kept them apart just to remove any stress thank god, I would have never have predicted this and all our other geldings did not show any interest.
I guess that is horses for you they are always going to surprise you.
 
I kept my ex teaser stally in a mixed herd with an ex broodie, her brother, Shettie mare, welsh A gelding and a DWb mare.. Never a moments trouble..

Maybe I've been lucky
 
Trinity Fox said:
I have always kept mare and geldings together we recently had someone put broodmares in to a field next door, a couple of the mares kept jumping in to our field.
I was walking up my field and was cursing as a stallion had also jumped in with the mares that were in our field.
The broodmares that had jumped back in to our field were being mounted by my sons pony 21 yrs old we have owned him since a yearling he has never shown any interest in any of the mares he has lived with but these broodmares we are talking full on mounting and all the ahem stallion behaviour that goes with it.

I have to say it was very baffling as we have had very marish girls living with him lots of peeing tail lifting etc but he has never showed any interest until these broodmares arrived.
We have had broodmares in foal before but have always kept them apart just to remove any stress thank god, I would have never have predicted this and all our other geldings did not show any interest.
I guess that is horses for you they are always going to surprise you.
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This is the same with this gelding.. Never been like it before.. He's since been moved well away from mares..but still not quite settled..
 
My mare is the biggest slapper out and has all the geldings drooling over her! She loves the attention!

One gelding does get more pushy when Serenity is in season and also follows her along the fenceline.
 
I suppose it's all down to damage limitation. If it is not an issue if a bit of fighting goes on then keeping mares and geldings together is fine for some horse keepers.

I keep them in 2's either same sex or one of each, and I electrify the top of the post and rail to stop any reaching over. I know a herd environment is a natural way of keeping them but it is also a sure fire way of injury.
 
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