Her Horse was beaten up! What should she do?

[popsicle]

My friend at the yard got a frantic call this morning from another livery, to say that her 13yr old TB mare was down and being viciously attacked by her 13.2hh loan pony mare.  When she got there she found her TB with cuts on both front legs, cut to her face and small cuts and swellings to her shoulder and flanks.  Luckily both are barefoot, but you could see on the TB's rug at least 9 or 10 full hoof print marks where the pony had kicked her full on. 

The loan pony has been with her for about a month and was kept separate for the first week, until it managed to get in with the TB and they have both been the best of friends (or so it seemed) ever since.  Then this happened! By the time my friend arrived at the yard they were both standing together again good as gold. 

Now for the dilema.  This pony is on loan as a companion to the TB, so does she keep them in the same field but separate them with fencing, does she trust they have sorted out their differences and try them together again, or does she send the loan pony back?  Has anyone experienced anything like this before? It was a sustained attack on the TB, not just a little disagreement, yet they call for each other if one or the other is taken out of the field.  Help please!!!

 

[Cobbysmum]

I have just had a similar problem. I have kept my cob and my tb separated for three years as my cob has always seemed to be the alpha male and my tb is such a nice character. A fortnight ago I put them in together so I can rest some of my land, for the first ten days they were fine and then the tb decided to sort the cob out, cobby came in with twelve bite marks and was trembling! I was a bit worried the next day but put them out together and, touch wood, they have been as right as rain since, but the cob always now backs down to the tb. I am watching them scratching one another in the field at the moment. Maybe she should give them another chance but just keep an eye on things, it might just have been something the tb said or did

 

[Divasmum]

Send the pony back. It is unsuitable for the job she has it for.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

We had two mares who fell in love within the first half hour oof meeting over a fence. They lived together for twenty years (within a settled herd) but we had some big holes in the wooden stable walls where they kicked out at each other while in adjoining stables. "She's my best friend and I hate her"

If I were your friend I'd give them another chance together. It might well be that they have settled the matter. Neither of them sounds to be seriously hurt and if they wear rugs and are barefoot they shouldn't cause too much damage. Of course if it becomes a regular occcurence she'll have to think again.

 

[popsicle]

[ QUOTE ]
Send the pony back. It is unsuitable for the job she has it for.

[/ QUOTE ]

This was her first thought, but she has become quite fond of her and really wants a companion for the TB

Thanks everyone for your thoughts, any hints and tips to keep them both safe would be greatly appreciated

 

[popsicle]

Friend has just texted me and the other livery says that the pony kicked the TB's legs from underneath her and she went down and then she carried on attacking.

What do you think? Should she still try them together? They seem to be best mates again!

 

[cokelly]

This is strange... it could just be sorting out 'who's in charge' sort of thing! I'd give them another chance together but keep an eye on them

 

[Bowen4Horses]

if it were my horse, i'd seperate them and send the 'companion' back as i'd rather die than let him get hurt... but the practical side of me says they're probably sorting out a disagreement and ascertaining who's the boss... and to keep an eye on them for a while.

however, i would be a bit worried about the pony being SO dominant over the TB. is the TB particularly submissive?

tricky one...

 

[popsicle]

[ QUOTE ]
if it were my horse, i'd seperate them and send the 'companion' back as i'd rather die than let him get hurt... but the practical side of me says they're probably sorting out a disagreement and ascertaining who's the boss... and to keep an eye on them for a while.

however, i would be a bit worried about the pony being SO dominant over the TB. is the TB particularly submissive?

tricky one...

[/ QUOTE ]

No! she is quite a dominant mare too!

 

[SO1]

What I cant understand it why did the TB not run away - it must have happened really quickly and the TB maybe was unaware she was going to be attacked - mostly they do give some warning signs before attacking.

I dont know if the pony is very old but if one moment she is fine and the next minute she is not do you think the pony could have a brain tumour as it sounds very extreme.

 

[popsicle]

[ QUOTE ]
What I cant understand it why did the TB not run away - it must have happened really quickly and the TB maybe was unaware she was going to be attacked - mostly they do give some warning signs before attacking.

I dont know if the pony is very old but if one moment she is fine and the next minute she is not do you think the pony could have a brain tumour as it sounds very extreme.

[/ QUOTE ]

No the pony is only about 13 years old and shows no signs of any sort of illness

 

[JanetGeorge]

[ QUOTE ]


I dont know if the pony is very old but if one moment she is fine and the next minute she is not do you think the pony could have a brain tumour as it sounds very extreme.

[/ QUOTE ]

Probablt NOT a brain tumour. There are three possibilities to my mind:

1. the pony mare has been badly beaten up elsewhere and is trying to assert dominance before it happens again - but it is a pretty extreme way of doing it!

2. the pony has a GTCT on an ovary. This type of tumour produces testosterone and makes a mare behave like a stallion. In some cases a nice mannered stallion - in which case she will mount mares that are in season; in other cases, a nasty bu**er of a stallion!

3. the pony is an evil little b*tch!

If you friend is fond enough of the pony to spend about £70 getting it's ovaries scanned and a blood assay done, then she will discover IF it is number 2. But if it is, the only cure is surgery - probably around £1500! So I think I'd be sending it back!

 

[Moggy in Manolos]

If i had a companion for my mare and it behaved like this i am not sure i would take the risk again.
There are so many horses/ponies out there that are only suitable to be companions.
I wanted my mare away from another horse that kept attacking her, as after quite a few attacks i did not want her anywhere near him, though there were other circumstances that got us away from that particular place a bit sooner in the end, i did want her well away from this horse as i was not willing to take a chance of something more serious happening.
I do believe that horses need to sort out their pecking order, but like people, some will just never get along and its easier to pair them up more suitably imo

 

[popsicle]

Thanks for your help everyone. Your posts will give her something to consider.