Bullied horse on new yard.

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Dee1

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Hi we’ve both been at a new yard for just over a week, my horse was put into his own fields next to the horses he’d eventually be with. They were fine over the gate, grooming each other etc. We then fenced off a field with electric fencing in their field on the side so they could interact more, other than just over the fence. They all seemed fine, then put them together a few days after to see how they were, they seemed fine. A bit of chasing at the beginning but that was soon over and done with. He then went back in the fenced off area whilst no one was around incase anything happened, tried again the next few days increasing time. I then got told that whilst he was out with them (I wasn’t there at the time) that they had cornered him and chased him and he jumped a fence into a different empty field. So I told them to put him in his electric fenced field to be separated as they were biting kicking etc. We’ve decreased the time they’re all together to take a step back but out of no where they just start chasing him, cornering him etc and it all starts again.
Am I doing the right thing trying for a bit each day increasing over time, or do you just let him out fully and let them resolve it (surely not) He’s not going to fight back as he’s young, but it’s awful. I feel terrible as I moved him to this yard to be better for him as he came from yard that had no winter turnout (this one does) but now he’s not getting accepted here so I feel terrible either way. Do I keep on trying at new yard or just accept that they’re not going to accept him and find somewhere else in the hope that they will accept him. Understand it’s only a week but why keep on chasing him, cornering, biting etc when he’s not bothering to fight back. Hope this makes sense and someone has some advice/past experiences on what I can do to try and help them accept him as it’s becoming dangerous with him having to jump fences in to other areas to get away from them. Thankyou
 
I went through a similar stage with my rising 2 year old.

I got him the middle of last summer and the original plan was to pop him out with my retired lad and two other horses who were all known to be the chillest horses on the yard. We did all the introductions like you and everything went fab - till it came to putting them together - my poor lad got absolutely annihilated by all 3 of them and was scrambling over fences to get away. We removed him from that herd and popped him with a different herd, who he settled beautifully with and over time he gained confidence and it got to the stage where he was a bit too boisterous for the herd he'd been in with for several months, so we then made the choice to pop him back with my retired lad and the two other chilled horses. There was squealing, a few kicks, chasing and general "get away from me!" from the 2 other horses and my retired lad and after a few hours, we went and checked on them again - all 4 of them happily grazing like best mates and have been ever since. My rising 2 year old has made friends with all the horses in the same herd as my retired lad and everyone gets on great now.

The thing is with yours being a baby - they are naturally going to be lowest in the pecking order - so it's to be expected that they kinda get their butts kicked till the herd hierarchy settles down. I would keep slowly trying but rather than doing the introductions with all the horses present, perhaps try one at a time if that is an option? Less horses around gives more room to move and hopefully with it only being the one horse and your boy things will be less likely to kick off (obviously can't say for sure as horses are a law unto themselves!). Moving him to a different yard won't solve the problem - it'll just exacerbate it as it won't have been solved at this yard.
 
Pearlsasinger said:
I would think that the constant switching between areas is making matters worse, every time he goes back into the herd tensions rise, as it’s another introduction. Ideally he would have been left in the herd once you had seen them all settled together.
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Thankyou, Yeah that was the plan after they seemed all together in the field. But then after they chased him and he ended up jumping the fence, it was a risk that he was willing to jump any thing/ any fence after they cornering him. They just don’t seem to stop the chasing and having a go at him once they’ve started. I did think they will eventually stop chasing when they’re just left however after him jumping through the fences made me think otherwise
Thankyou
 
whirlwind said:
Can you put one (preferably fairly dominant) horse from the herd in his sectioned off paddock with him? You might find once he’s got a mate the others accept him better.
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Yeah I was thinking this was an option too, there’s 2 quite dominant ones and they use each other to gang up. Could be worth a try having one dominant one with him and they might be better.
 
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how hungry are they ?
if you were a bit hungry and a new horse came in to eat what little there is currently, you can see why its kicking off.
 
Ifmpw said:
how hungry are they ?
if you were a bit hungry and a new horse came in to eat what little there is currently, you can see why its kicking off.
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There’s still enough grass and they have hay all throughout winter that they go through, he wasn’t going near the hay just simply walking around the field. 😊
 
AppyLover1996 said:
I went through a similar stage with my rising 2 year old.

I got him the middle of last summer and the original plan was to pop him out with my retired lad and two other horses who were all known to be the chillest horses on the yard. We did all the introductions like you and everything went fab - till it came to putting them together - my poor lad got absolutely annihilated by all 3 of them and was scrambling over fences to get away. We removed him from that herd and popped him with a different herd, who he settled beautifully with and over time he gained confidence and it got to the stage where he was a bit too boisterous for the herd he'd been in with for several months, so we then made the choice to pop him back with my retired lad and the two other chilled horses. There was squealing, a few kicks, chasing and general "get away from me!" from the 2 other horses and my retired lad and after a few hours, we went and checked on them again - all 4 of them happily grazing like best mates and have been ever since. My rising 2 year old has made friends with all the horses in the same herd as my retired lad and everyone gets on great now.

The thing is with yours being a baby - they are naturally going to be lowest in the pecking order - so it's to be expected that they kinda get their butts kicked till the herd hierarchy settles down. I would keep slowly trying but rather than doing the introductions with all the horses present, perhaps try one at a time if that is an option? Less horses around gives more room to move and hopefully with it only being the one horse and your boy things will be less likely to kick off (obviously can't say for sure as horses are a law unto themselves!). Moving him to a different yard won't solve the problem - it'll just exacerbate it as it won't have been solved at this yard.
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Thankyou for this, mine is the same age as yours was so that helps. Unfortunately there is just one herd as it’s a small private yard, with fields they have access too. So putting him in a different herd to get confidence like yours wouldn’t be option however I have thought of putting one or 2 with him so almost splitting the herd and fields, let him get his confidence with them and then mix him with the others. So that could be an option single to yours, think he knows he’s going to be at the bottom as he’s going and doesn’t bother fighting back he just wants to mind his own business but unfortunately they don’t want to just accept him like that. So maybe taking 1 or 2 to be with him then build his confidence and add them. I’d be fine if it’s just a case of them having a kick, chase etc to sort it out but it’s the way their making him jump over the fencing is worrying me.
Thankyou for this I’ll have a think of doing it this way.
 
It didn’t go too well when I turned my new youngster in with the two established mares…I did the same introduction took a few weeks and put em together and newbie was thrashed. So she spent a further 3 weeks in an electric fenced paddock within their field. When my mares were sleeping next to newbie on other side of fence I removed the fence and never looked back. But this was summer and lots of food available. It will be OK in the long run I’m sure.
 
What I've seen work most is turning the newbie out with the dominant gelding, before adding the others, if all has gone well dominant gelding then limits the amount of agro the newbie gets from the others. To me all you are doing at the moment is doing new introductions regularly.
 
Dee1 said:
Thankyou, Yeah that was the plan after they seemed all together in the field. But then after they chased him and he ended up jumping the fence, it was a risk that he was willing to jump any thing/ any fence after they cornering him. They just don’t seem to stop the chasing and having a go at him once they’ve started. I did think they will eventually stop chasing when they’re just left however after him jumping through the fences made me think otherwise
Thankyou
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But that isn't what you said.



This is what you said:
Dee1 said:
They all seemed fine, then put them together a few days after to see how they were, they seemed fine. A bit of chasing at the beginning but that was soon over and done with. He then went back in the fenced off area whilst no one was around incase anything happened, tried again the next few days increasing time.
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They are becoming unsettled with all the to-ing and fro-ing.
Now you have to try to rescue the situation. As advised above, try putting him in with one other horse and gradually add the others in but once the first horse is settled with him, leave them together.
 
ester said:
What I've seen work most is turning the newbie out with the dominant gelding, before adding the others, if all has gone well dominant gelding then limits the amount of agro the newbie gets from the others. To me all you are doing at the moment is doing new introductions regularly.
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This. Your horse needs to team up with one other and it should change the dynamics of the herd when reintroduced.
 
I think you've tried the introductions too fast, a week is no time if the band you're trying to put him in with is established. As others have said, teaming up with one horse is the best way to go, I'd choose a kind one. The putting him in and taking him out is unsettling for everyone. I take a month or two before putting mine in with everyone but I'm not on livery so can do what I like, that may not be possible for you.
 
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