Field bully

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Abby&Apollo

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So I have my 6 year old ex racer and my 24 year old cob in a field together, they’ve always got on great. Normally my ex-racer gets bullied in fields (the last time someone put their horse with him he got kicked and got a huge bone infection). So my mare is the only horse he goes out with.
However my ex-racer has started really bullying her, not letting her eat, kicking/biting her, chasing her (he’s ripped her rug 3 times). He’s getting a bit too big for his boots, if I’ve been there when he’s doing it I’ve shouted at him but I’m actually getting texts now when I’m not there saying he’s chasing her ect. Now she’s 24 so she doesn’t really want it!
What can I do to try and stop this? I’ve thought about putting him into the big horse herd on my yard which has a few dominant horses to put him in his place, or turning him out with a dominant horse on the yard but I’m just so wary of him getting injured too. If I did this he’d have boots on ect. But it’s just so unfair he’s started bullying her.
Any suggestions welcome
 
I don't think there is much you can do. Is it possible to split the field with electric fencing? I am having the same problem but with sheep not horses. My older ram is a very quiet peaceable sort of chap but now his son has started hassling him and chasing him round. The only solution is to keep them in different paddocks which I suspect will have to be the answer to your problem too.
 
It’s very risky putting him in with a dominant horse to ‘put him in his place’ because if he’s full of himself and won’t back down it is likely someone will get injured. Even if he submits to the dominant horse there is no guarantee that it will cure the problem with your mare. I would split the field.
 
Errin Paddywack said:
I don't think there is much you can do. Is it possible to split the field with electric fencing? I am having the same problem but with sheep not horses. My older ram is a very quiet peaceable sort of chap but now his son has started hassling him and chasing him round. The only solution is to keep them in different paddocks which I suspect will have to be the answer to your problem too.
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We are really short on grass and they both need it so if we split the field it’s going to leave nearly nothing to grow as we are on a livery yard and only get one field. I also hate the idea of them being by themselves in a paddock all the time :/ they share a round bale too which is in there (we can only go once a day due to lockdown so this is the easiest option making sure they always have hay) so I would be really difficult to split them. It’s so hard
 
If you have the room could you add in another horse that wasn't dominant? Maybe you could settle down the bullying by just reconfiguring the "herd" or at the very least it might take some heat off your cob. Although you might be short of offers if others have witnessed him at his worst.
I had a really big really nasty (in the field) horse here for a while. I started to really dislike him watching him victimise some of my older smaller horses. He moved yard and in a different herd was a saint. No dominant horses were involved, he instantly just changed personality into a really sweet horse (much to my surprise!)
 
Abby&Apollo said:
We are really short on grass and they both need it so if we split the field it’s going to leave nearly nothing to grow as we are on a livery yard and only get one field. I also hate the idea of them being by themselves in a paddock all the time :/ they share a round bale too which is in there (we can only go once a day due to lockdown so this is the easiest option making sure they always have hay) so I would be really difficult to split them. It’s so hard
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I fully understand some of your reluctance. But your old lady is going to loose A lot of condition if she is stressing. It's not the time for a serious injury to either pony whilst the world is as it is and you could put a bale in each side.
 
A and A old horses can be really dragged down by this you need to stop it .
Is the gelding in work ?
In normal times I would suggest you ride him him into the ground so he’s too tired to behave badly .
Sky never misbehaves in the field if he’s tired but of course atm I have him out of work and that caused the issue .
I am lucky that removing his shoes and but keeping Fatties on has fixed it for the moment if it had not I would have separated them .
At the very least you should be bringing the oldie in for a decent rest each day .
Mine send all day in the stable .
 
Goldenstar said:
A and A old horses can be really dragged down by this you need to stop it .
Is the gelding in work ?
In normal times I would suggest you ride him him into the ground so he’s too tired to behave badly .
Sky never misbehaves in the field if he’s tired but of course atm I have him out of work and that caused the issue .
I am lucky that removing his shoes and but keeping Fatties on has fixed it for the moment if it had not I would have separated them .
At the very least you should be bringing the oldie in for a decent rest each day .
Mine send all day in the stable .
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hes currently in rehab for kissing spine so I can’t work him too hard we’re on quiet a strict training plan. Although he’s horrible to her they are attached and if I bring just 1 in alone the one in the stable will just stress all day. The only thing I can do is split the field but just have to say bye to any grass growing on the resting side :/
 
TPO said:
If splitting the field isnt an option do you have a stable available? Could mare be in at night and ex racer in during the day?
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They’re both way too stressy, especially my ex-racer to be in a stable alone they have to be in together to settle x
 
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