Field aggression towards a friend

[MissP]

Today we introduced a third horse to a pair of geldings who had been getting on fine for 6 weeks. The original geldings got on ok with the new one - sniff and a squeal was all, then heads down to graze. But after a couple of hours, one of the original geldings chased around his buddy at a gallop, teeth bared, and bit him repeatedly, ripping apart his rug. He wasnt stopping when staff tried to intervene but the bullied one legged it out the gate luckily.

Has anyone else had this? I'd expect some light fighting to establish a pecking order, or for one of the original geldings to guard his friend and not let the newbie near. The newbie might be chased or attacked, but I don't get why this gelding attacked his buddy, and also didn't stop when his mate was already hot footing it away. He was already being submissive

Any ideas? Is this a riggy thing? Jealousy?

 

[Barton Bounty]

This is exactly what BB does in any company, I couldn’t stop him doing it

 

[luckyoldme]

My horse was like this when I first got him. I can only put it down to him being poorly socialised. He was turned out with a youngster and was fine with that but was terrible with anything else.
He ended up stood on his own until a neighbour with five Clydesdales took pity on him. We turned him out into an established group and they immediately sent him to Coventry. For weeks he stood away from the others until he learnt how it works with other horses. Eventually as his social skills developed he became a part of the group .
It really was interesting to watch and to see him benefit from their company.

 

[MissP]

My horse was like this when I first got him. I can only put it down to him being poorly socialised. He was turned out with a youngster and was fine with that but was terrible with anything else.
He ended up stood on his own until a neighbour with five Clydesdales took pity on him. We turned him out into an established group and they immediately sent him to Coventry. For weeks he stood away from the others until he learnt how it works with other horses. Eventually as his social skills developed he became a part of the group .
It really was interesting to watch and to see him benefit from their company.

That's interesting! How nice of your neighbour Glad it worked out!

 

[MidChristmasCrisis]

Daughters oldie mare “protects” my younger one ..even from over the fence friends. She can get very aggressive if another horse is turned out with them (only tried once in 10 years) and will put herself between my mare and others over the fence line. My mare is the dopey “I want to be friends with them” type.

 

[maya2008]

In my limited experience of 3 geldings of my own this is fairly normal. Probably worse if there are no mares to break up the over the top dominance discussions.

My mares will all eat together from one pile of haylage, will accept a newcomer after a suitable period of being the outsider and will never be mean. The geldings…just over the top really. I had to isolate one last winter because he would not let the newcomer filly eat at all, ever, even a leaf from a tree and he was on her. It was ridiculous. Everyone else was prepared to be friends with her, she was being completely submissive and yet still, after two weeks, he was being unreasonable. After a suitable period of being on his own, I put him back in and my mare now tells him off if he’s being over the top.

Big sweet cob gelding chases newcomers round a lot more than the mares do, but does let them eat. He injured himself earlier this year running up and down the fenceline fighting with one of the other geldings though…