Fighting in the field - bit upset

[Gorgeous George]

When the horses were bought in from the field today one of them was really scratched and grazed and had hoof marks on his bum, so we checked the others and realised that George was just the same, so the two of them have obviously been fighting. The other horse is quite dominant and I know that in the past George was bullied in the field and now won't back down if he gets into a disagreement and I guess this is what happened, thanfully the heap of cuts on both don't look serious and neither are lame. I just felt awful that my gentle boy hurt another horse

, I know this is just horses but as a new owner it takes a bit of getting used to. Thankfully the other owners were lovely, even when like an eejit I burst into tears

. The YO has now got to do some jiggling with the fields so we can split them up, due to lack of fields it could be tricky and as the new person on the yard I feel a bit guilty

Just wondered if other people had these sort of problems and what they did about it?

Thanks

 

[paulo]

I recently moved my mare after she was in the same home for ten years, on her first week there she got kicked on the leg by one of the other horses. They obviously had a bit of a ruckass due to the new arrival, we didnt split them up just left them to it. Horses are natural herd animals and will sort out their own pecking order I know its not nice but I would just leave them to it.

 

[gemmaw]

its horrible when they are sorting out the pecking order isnt it!!! i always kept my 2 lads on their own in a field but when i came to my new yard blade was only allowed out at night on his own because he was a stallion. it was ok then cause grump is so laid back he never kicks but when blade was cut we had to put them together. I've never been so nervous!!! I knew the other horse in the field was a kicker and wanted to be boss but blade had always been boss of the other fields!! aarrgghh!!!!!

one of the girls off the yard caused a big scene and got kicked off the yard because she was refusing to put hers out unless mine came in, it was rediculous cause blade will only kick if he needs to, he's a big softy most of the time!! hers were more likely to kick him!!

i put him out with grump first that was fine then i put the other horse out, OH MY GOD!!!!! he spent about 20 mins chasing blade round and kicking him (he was well booted and rugged thank god!!). blade got p'd off at this so decided to fight back, he kicked him once and that was it!! he was the new field boss and we've never had any problems since!!!!

Hope you can sort it out, maybe it was just a spat and they will be ok together next time!

 

[Chex]

It could have been another nasty horse that beat them both up and ran away before they could fight back! Unless the fighting is really bad I just leave them to it. I hate seeing Chex getting chased in the field though

 

[Gentle_Warrior]

i had the same sort of thing, moved my lad to grazing and he is ormally the bottom of the pile but he decided to take the place of the top dog, was most embarassing as I had tried all yards in the area, though I was going to have to move him back to where he was not happy. Lckily YO came up trumps and helped me out no end - I am sure this will happen with you.

dont worry.

 

[Gorgeous George]

Thanks, it's kind of out of my hands as I think the YO will want to split them up as there was a suspicion of them fighting before as they both would come in with small cuts or teeth marks, but nothing like this. I will also have to get the farrier out as all the clenches on his shoes have risen (i've banged them down for now) with all the galloping round - thank goodness the grounds not rock hard. Until we sort something out one is going out in the morning with the other 3 and then the other in the a'noon with the other 3.

 

[nokia]

A word of caution - I have had the same attitude of most people to let the horses sort out the pecking order on their own, but on Wed my horse was seriously hurt in the field and is now on box rest, has a knee the size of a plate and is hopping lame, as another horse kicked him.

I am very upset about it all, and am now moving to a yard with my own field when he is sound , i pay an extra 20.00 per month but its money well spent.

 

[Louby]

I agree that horses should be allowed to be horses and that its unnatual to keep them alone. Well I did until my horse had his radius fractured in the field. He was turned out with 3 other geldings, they all got on very well but my boy and his friend played endlessly, getting rougher and rougher. His injury was a long time coming and fortunately he is recovered and totally sound now but he is no longer in with the 3 other horses. He is now on his own, in the same field but seperated with electric fencing. Yes I feel mean especially on the grooming side but he is alive and he may not be as lucky next time.

 

[Gorgeous George]

At the moment there is no question of him being turned out alone as there are 5 other geldings, just trying to come up with a solution that seperates the two of them.

Louby I'm sorry to hear about your horse but so glad that he's ok now and sounds like you're doing the right thing, I know that can't groom but at least he can see, hear, smell the others - many other horses aren't that lucky.

 

[SouthWestWhippet]

Its horrid isn't it. We've had a terrible time this summer especially because of the weather... so many of the liveries have been keeping their horses in when the weather is bad so there is no 'consistent herd'. Consequently, every day seemed to be 'sort out the pecking order' day and lots of people's horses have been kicked.

Mine came in with a huge chunk taken out of her leg and she is dominant mare who never normally has a scratch on her (oh the shame of owing a field bully

). I noticed that as an 'out 24.7 horse' she had only really been hangin with my boss' mares (also out 24.7) but the day she got kicked about 3 liveries turned their horses out that had been in for ages and all hell broke loose and mine obviously got caught in the cross fire.

Boss was great though, he has split the mares up into 'out 24.7 field' and 'out at night/out during the day' field. But it drives me mad when everyone is complaining that the out 24.7 horses are in a better field and that the ground is all muddy in the other field... It is hardly my boss' fault that it hasn't stopped raining since May LOL and if their horses are coming in at night/during day they get plenty of hay then...

Hey ho, livery yards are so much fun

don't worry, I'm sure your horse was just sticking up for himself. I hope he settles better with his new companions.

 

[grandmaweloveyou]

i hated putting mine in the field with the others and everyone thought i was a numty, i was on here on the night and so worried, he had a terrible first night and i swore never again, separated him and he was unhappy. i tried again two weeks later and he always little cuts and grazes and i hate it but he is so so happy that i darent move to another yard with a smaller herd. it is hard, i get so upset as i am a new owner too and everytime he gets a little cut or graze im "thats it im moving" but then i see how happy is.......motherhood, its blooming hard work!

 

[Louby]

Its awful isnt it. I never worried with my old lovely mare, then along came my boy as a 4 yr old. He was injured every day at my old yard as he wanted to play and the others didnt!! I was lucky to move him to a smaller yard and look at him now, all on his own, I feel rotten at times.

 

[nona1]

It's hard isn't it but it's the way that horses are. You just have to look at it like kids fighting sometimes.

My pony was always getting beaten up - he was always bottom of the pecking order everywhere he was and must have had zero horsey social skills or something. Poor little lad. It helped a lot when they were in a large field so he wasn't always under their noses irritating them, he could just run away when they started. A few times he was chased and jumped out (once over a 4'5" timber fence and he was only 13.2!) but as soon as he was out of the field he would just stop where he was and wait to be rescued!

At the third yard he finally managed to bond with another pony and they became virtually inseperable. Sweet.

 

[Blizzard]

Er yes I have that problem! Lance is boss, the black one, and Beau, the bay is trying to be boss!
Plus they are very jealous, which can cause fights.

Beau had a month off recently with a very nasty neck wound, he obv hadnt backed down and Lance had given him what for.

An example of my jealous boys!

http://www.onetruemedia.com/shared?p=352...medium=text_url

Insert rolling eyes smiley.


Try not to worry too much, George will still be finding his place in the herd hierarchy.