Different play styles

[BBP]

My guys are quite a playful bunch, but unfortunately have quite conflicting play styles. The Connemara types do enjoy a run around but generally seem to prefer on the spot wrestling games, bitey face and a little bit of body slamming. The mad Spaniard prefers games that involve running and if there is no running then he tries to get them to run by coming up behind them and biting their hamstrings and flanks (I think he is part border collie). Generally this has the opposite effect to what he wants in that they tend to slam the brakes on and try to sit on him. All fine except he then resorts to rearing up behind them. And then landing on them. One of them puts him in his place and so he never does it to him, but the other two (mare and youngster) are way too kind. These two I have, over the last few years, found at 6am absolutely crippled and not weight baring on a hind leg. Both had a tiny cut above the hock and both had hospital stays due to ruptured tendons (one was blown apart by the impact and one probably was the same but the tendon also went septic from the cut), both required in excess of £3k of treatment. Both were very close to being put to sleep. The common denominator with both is that they were in with BBP. We are pretty sure both were caused by him rearing up and coming down with a front hoof on the tendon above the hock.

My youngster is finally getting back to normal turnout after months of rest and I just can't bring myself to leave him out with BBP. I can't get my head around that mental block of BBP hurting him again. I am putting them out together when I am there to keep an eye on them, but then the novelty means they are playing quite rough, and sorting out the order of things each time (BBP was super aggressive when they first met, now its more 'stallion games').

BBP has been the same his whole life, he is a pesky, naughty, hyperactive little kid, way more lively than my 2yo. Like clockwork, at dawn and dusk he has a mad half hour where he is just full of himself, whether he is in work or not (he's basically retired from ridden work now due to repeated injuries). I'll admit that my gut had told me that BBP wouldn't be here much longer with all of his issues and so the turnout thing wouldn't be something I would have to deal with, but right now he is on incredible form, full of life and trouble.

No point to this, just venting my challenges with my bonkers little black horse, continuing to cause trouble even in his retirement!

 

[Bernster]

Finn is a big fan of bitey face in the field!

 

[Caol Ila]

Yeah, I think I would share your concerns about putting youngster out with BBP. Sucks, but I’d be totally freaked out.

 

[BBP]

I need little armoured hamstring covers.

 

[Palindrome]

Some horses can't be turned out with other horses. It happens. I would not risk your youngster or any other horse. It's not fair on them.
I would add that not all youngsters or horses are playful, some just like an easy quiet life.

 

[Upthecreek]

Some horses can't be turned out with other horses. It happens. I would not risk your youngster or any other horse. It's not fair on them.
I would add that not all youngsters or horses are playful, some just like an easy quiet life.

It’s a shame because it sounds like BBP is playing rather than fighting to deliberately hurt, but I wouldn’t turn him out with others even if I was watching. The fact that two horses have suffered significant injuries would be enough for me. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to prevent it happening again, other than not providing the opportunity so that’s what I would do.

 

[BBP]

BBP is definitely just playing. If his opponent would either run, or would tell him off (like the 4th horse does) there wouldn’t be a problem. He’s a really sensitive horse so if they even threatened to kick him he would back off, But because they are too kind to tell him off and don’t want to play galloping games he starts rearing at them. Baby horse actually likes a good rearing battle head to head, but not when he is bounced on from behind.

Separating from the mare is the hardest bit as they are a really strong pair bond. They are joined at the hip all the time and both of them are so much happier and more relaxed when they are together. Really I need a little TB to play BBP games and another Connemara youngster to pair up with the current one.

 

[milliepops]

It’s a shame because it sounds like BBP is playing rather than fighting to deliberately hurt, but I wouldn’t turn him out with others even if I was watching. The fact that two horses have suffered significant injuries would be enough for me. Unfortunately there is nothing you can do to prevent it happening again, other than not providing the opportunity so that’s what I would do.

yeah i would also struggle to turn anything out with him at this point, personally. though i understand how hard it is to separate a horse from its mates.

It's different, but i have one that scraps with anything at the drop of a hat. all the time she was working i kept her separate (nearly 9 years ) she is now on maternity leave. She let herself in with the other horses that share the field i moved her to after a couple of months. i am tentatively going along with this as no one was pouring blood after the first week. they have space and a fairly established herd dynamic. she appears to have a dislike for my 2yo but the youngster is well aware of this and keeps out of her way. If anything changes then she'll be back in her own pen, i can't sacrifice the others for her

 

[Wishfilly]

I'd find it really hard to risk a horse in with him, too. But equally it's hard because isolating him will presumably make him less happy, and you feel he many not have time left.

But are you prepared to sacrifice your young horse's long term soundness for your other horse's companionship?

 

[Gloi]

Could you just turn him out with the bossy 4th horse.

 

[BBP]

Could you just turn him out with the bossy 4th horse.

That’s basically what I’ve been doing. The only issue is that bossy 4th horse has EMS and is on grass free turnout, which is absolutely fine for BBP, except he likes to eat way more than his share of hay and is looking very fat!. I’m trialing putting BBP in a track paddock sandwiched between the EMS horse and the other 2s track and then putting a dinky muzzle on him when he is in with EMS horse, to slow him down on the hay. I feel bad for him because he’s such a social horse, so I’m trying to make sure he and his mare can have time together, just not during the dawn and dusk crazy times.

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

My young fell and old welsh pony spend most of their time eating or sleeping, when they do work up the energy to play it's normally fairly stationary playing bitey face and biting the back of each others knees trying to bring the other one down.
The welsh pony in his younger days was the annoying one wanting to play rough games with everyone and not really taking no for an answer but luckily he's fairly small, the fell is really submissive with new horses to start with while he figures them out, then he turns into a thug and then puts them in their rightful place below him, he landed a couple of good kick on the welsh one to start with, luckily there was no real damage but now they both know where they stand they are best buddies and there's never any worse than ears back head shaking if he thinks the welsh one needs moving on. If he'd carried on being a violent dictator I'd have found another more suitable friend for them both rather than risking my old pony. Now they behave more as team though, with the old welsh one taking the lead with any new horses or anything else the fell is unsure what to do about, while the Fell hides behind him egging him on.