Gelding obsessed with new mare

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FrankieDurleigh

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Hello,

Just asking for some advice and ideas to calm my 11 year old TB, I bought him in July and he has been happily living alone (company of sheep) for the past 6 months, we go out 4 times a week and 2-3 of those times will be with company, both mares and geldings.
Sunday my friend had her new horse delivered and her paddock backs onto my land, she is an older Tb mare and is very chilled, but every time i try and take my boy out he is a git to get out the field and even worse to tack up!!!
He dances (weaves) the entire time while grooming, neighing looking for her, he won't let me put his bridle on (5'2 me against 17.2 Tb).

He's never been like this, and like i said, he's been hacking with plenty of mares and has never bat an eyelid.

I don't know what to do? Is it best they are introduced over the fence (as at the moment they can only see each other) or is it best to keep him away from her (no where i can put him that he can;t see her though)

As it has only been a few days will he eventually calm down?
My friend suggested taking them out for a hack together, but will that make things worse???

Thank you for your advice....
 
Keeping him alone is not natural for horses. No wonder he's reactive and upset now one's been brought into visual range. Is there any way they could live together with a third and rotate the fields? That usually helps one not to feel isolated and eases the focus you can get with a pair.

To take him away from even seeing another horse because of completely normal behaviour would be cruel.
 
Thanks, I appreciate its not natural but he was happy alone and i know many other horses who live alone. Like i said he had company when we go out etc and never bat an eyelid when we parted ways from other horses.
We live next door to a livery and he would always hear and see horses but would never act like this.
 
Sounds like my escape artist gelding who has been nothing less of a nightmare, doing all those things you say, and the only solution has been to get him company in his own field.

Good luck, I know exactly what it is like.
 
bakewell said:
Keeping him alone is not natural for horses. No wonder he's reactive and upset now one's been brought into visual range. Is there any way they could live together with a third and rotate the fields? That usually helps one not to feel isolated and eases the focus you can get with a pair.

To take him away from even seeing another horse because of completely normal behaviour would be cruel.
Click to expand...

This ^^

Ask if you can rotate the fields so the two horses can have some proper herd company. If that's not possible I would at least let the mare into the paddock which backs onto yours and allow them meet over the fence, allow him to settle for a while and then see if he's calmed down.

To try and block him off from her now he knows she's there would only make his behaviour worsen I would imagine?
 
I had a tb on loan a couple of years ago, he was always on his own before I got him! but when he was with me, he was out with my mare and got really upset when I brought her in! he got used to having her around and didn't like her not being there!

I guess he had adapted to being alone but now he has made friends he's realised what he's been missing!
 
FrankieDurleigh said:
Was it another horse you got MDB? Mare or gelding?
I'm at my witts end, he reared up this evening at me, which is so not like him. :(
Thanks
Click to expand...

It a mare, a rescue. The first few days were awful. He was a really bully, aggressive and still pined for the mares in my neighbour's field. It took a few weeks for him to calm down.

I really feel for you. My gelding had tunnel vision and was totally focused on my neighbour's mares. If I happened to be in the way when he was having one of his strops....then I was in trouble.

Good luck!
 
I've had this problem myself with my gelding a few years back. Went a mare went in neighbouring field. He turned into a different horse!Could you fence so they can't see each other and meanwhile get a pony companion for your boy?
 
He will calm down dont worry. I kept mine alone for years as well and when I got a second horse, a mare, my gelding was off his trolley for a few weeks. He settled down tho.

He is in a herd of between three and five at the moment it changes and when you put a new horse in the field he is super protective of his herd and goes back to being a pain to catch and is a bit silly under saddle.
 
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