Gelding turned mean while around mare

[Jade dunk]

Hi,
New to all this hope i have done it right!
brought a tb x shire gelding 13 years old end of March.
been golden no problems calm easy horse.
recently had a mare put in the same field as him he will not leave her side very difficult to catch now just gallops around with her. Tried today to get him and load him on to trailer to go out which he has don’t many times. He became very stressy pulling me across the yard. Constantly looking for said mare.
tried for an hour and got not where. He used his size against me and my husband.
so we decided to cool off and put him in a smaller field next to the mare. (The mare was the other side of 13 acres not bothered about him) he’s pacing the fence line. Gone to get him back out to put back with mare as I had given up on the whole hack out idea. Normally he will stand to wait for head collar to be taken off even hang around for a love. He’s ripped the head collar of took me with me to get back the mare across the way.
he’s become very boisterous and strong. Will this settle with time (already been 3 weeks) or am I best to separate them now and save my self the drama each time.
I’ve have another field with a dirt track in between would this be far enough away?
thank you xx

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Did he have any equine company before the mare arrived?

 

[doodle]

Was about to ask the same. Sounds like he was alone, now has a buddy and is desperate to not going back to being alone.

 

[Jade dunk]

Did he have any equine company before the mare arrived?

He had 2 other geldings. Was great with them. X

 

[Jade dunk]

Was about to ask the same. Sounds like he was alone, now has a buddy and is desperate to not going back to being alone.

He’s always had other with him but only geldings

 

[Gearchange]

He's just one of those ? I would just turn him out with geldings and save yourself the hassle.

 

[Meowy Catkin]

He had 2 other geldings. Was great with them. X

Thanks for the extra info.

He may calm down with more time. Some geldings can be very riggy and obsessed with mares even if they have been castrated correctly. You can get the Vet to do a blood test to check his hormone levels to check that he isn't a true Rig.

Also tell yourself that he isn't being 'mean' or acting this way to spite or upset you. It can be easy to take a horse's behaviour personally but they never mean it that way. He has met a mare that he fancies/likes and he wants to be with her.

If you have the option to only turn him out with geldings, that may be an easy and sensible way forwards. He still may need a bit of time to calm down though especially if he can still see, smell or hear her.

 

[Sugarplum Furry]

My gelding was the same...for years, but only with grey mares.

I read somewhere that geldings will become more bonded with mares if the mare is the same colour as their dam.

Utter tosh I thought, until I looked at my geldings breeding and his dam was indeed grey. There might be something in it.

 

[Roasted Chestnuts]

My old guy was possessive of his mares. They do get over the whole getting back to them thing with time. If it’s becoming a bother I’d just chuck him back with the geldings and let him be. He just needs shown that it’s your way and bad behaviour won’t be tolerated.

 

[Gloi]

I read somewhere that geldings will become more bonded with mares if the mare is the same colour as their dam.
.

We had one that went crazy over black mares but no other and his dam was black, as was he.

 

[doodle]

Ah ok. Then just put him back in with the geldings and take mares out of the equation. I had a mare and 2 geldings. Could never tell she was in season and the boys took no notice. Then another gelding was added and they were mad for each other. She very obviously came into season and they were terrible. Had to separate them although they settled when she came back out of season. They were separated permanently and the gelding showed no interest in the mare he was with and she went back to normal.

 

[fredflop]

Seperate from the mare

 

[Jade dunk]

Thanks for the extra info.

He may calm down with more time. Some geldings can be very riggy and obsessed with mares even if they have been castrated correctly. You can get the Vet to do a blood test to check his hormone levels to check that he isn't a true Rig.

Also tell yourself that he isn't being 'mean' or acting this way to spite or upset you. It can be easy to take a horse's behaviour personally but they never mean it that way. He has met a mare that he fancies/likes and he wants to be with her.

If you have the option to only turn him out with geldings, that may be an easy and sensible way forwards. He still may need a bit of time to calm down though especially if he can still see, smell or hear her.

I know I shouldn’t but I took it personally? I think when it’s doesn’t go smoothly it really upsets me and gets me down because he’s never done it before.
I thought I was the only women in his life ? clearly not anymore.
xx

 

[Jade dunk]

My gelding was the same...for years, but only with grey mares.

I read somewhere that geldings will become more bonded with mares if the mare is the same colour as their dam.

Utter tosh I thought, until I looked at my geldings breeding and his dam was indeed grey. There might be something in it.

She is identical to him just a smaller version. They look super cute together