HELP! disaster in the fields!! advice and suggestions needed! Long sorry!

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kittykatcat

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To set the scene...

I have two horses (geldings) and look after another elderly gelding as a livery who also went out with my two boys. They have been going out like this since Feb, no problems what-so-ever. All three coming in at night, then more recently staying out 24/7, no problems.

HOWEVER, last week i went on holiday (MISTAKE) and the livery's owner decided that he was to come in at night (whilst my two stayed out) and that he was to go out with another mare that is also coming in at night (my two boys staying out together).

THEN my friend who was looking after my two plus the livery decided that one of my two boys needed to be put in a paddock with less grass as he was becoming a bit of a tub, so put him out with the elderly livery overnight (mare went in overnight and my other horse stayed in field with long grass). My gelding evidently took it upon himself to attack the elderly livery, leaving scratches all down his back and bum. This is SO out of character i cannot even begin to explain...i have had him for 10 years and he is the sweetest mildest horse you can imagine...clearly not anymore!!

Anyway, this obviously caused a lot of upset and branding of my horse a 'psycho sadist' or whatever, and the livery understandably carried on wanting her horse out with the mare in the day and in at night (my boys back in together).

Today, i decided this was utterly ridiculous, not only for logistics for me, but because i just could not understand why they could not all go out together as they had been doing for the last few months. To cut a long story short i just had to leave work to get the elderly horse in as my two were chasing him relentlessly (thankfully no more marks).

SO...questions...WHY are my two behaving like this now? Do you think it's because the elderly livery is in at night and they're not, and then he's just joining the herd only during the day?

SHOULD i split my two up? Are they forming some sort of lynch mob?!? Or will this not make any difference? I hate to see horses out on their own.....

SHOULD i perservere with putting the livery out with my boys during the day???

HELP
 
How horrid for you and I know just what you mean. Sadly, your two boys may have decided that the older horse is too old for their 'herd' and are chasing him out. Survival of the fittest and all that. This happened to my friends horse, and its awful to see. The horse and ponies she'd always lived with just turned against her when she got very elderly. Not all of them but even my own dear boy, and the nasty ones were all geldings. I would leave him with the mare if she is happy to have him. Your two should be fine together again and stop being menaces.
 
I'd say do as the owner wants. The 'herd's' been altered and your two are probably closer again and I'd guess one is the more dominant one which now shows when a new one is added to the herd possibly 'invading' his other field mate who is now his 'buddy'.

Older horse doesn't need that hassle in his life, so I'd keep him with the mare and let them all live peacefully.
 
It was horrid, i actually felt disgusted of my horses!!! Poor little old man :) You're right, i think just leave be, i think there was so much change whilst i was away it really has rocked the boat.
 
Someone i've just spoken to at work has said that sometimes horses can sense when another horse is ill so they try to get rid of them from their herd (otherwise they'd 'slow them down' if they were in the wild) e.g. she knows of a horse that had cancer and the herd turned their backs on it.....has anyone else had experience of this..!? The livery horse in question is 30 so quite possible they could be doing it because he is old :(
 
I've known plenty of geldings together, thats been swapped around with mares and have come back hormonal! this could be the problem.

Or could be they feel its a new horse as hes been coming and going, could be as simple as they are hungry.
 
my last horse did this to a fieldmate of five years, completely out of the blue (and only the once as he was then kept separate) - the poor mare was over 30, and in the last year of her life. I have never seen anything so awful, and I was devastated that my gelding behaved like that - he actually got her on the ground and carried on the attack . I had him checked in case he was a rig which he wasn't - but now I've read this post I understand.:(:(
 
Hmm certainly not hungry - too much grass really! But perhaps bored? I've never really thought about it before, but my 'new' horse is an extremely clever TB x...like ridiculously clever to the point that i think if i sat him down with a book of suduko he's pick up a pencil and start! He's not particularly fussed about eating either, and i often find him tipping up water containers in the field and getting in them...or undoing gates (i've had to put padlocks on!)

Could be boredom? Perhpas i should put some toys out there???! a football!??
 
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