Herd dynamics - geldings

Kezzabell2

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It's been a long time since I've posted but looking for your experiences in roughly how long it can take for a new horse to be accepted into a herd

My set up is

5 arces, but set up as 2 tracks, to limit the grass and increase movement. No other horses on the farm.

My big horse has been back there for a year and a half, with his mini Shetland brother and an older new forest gelding who's been with my mini for 5 years

They all get on super

2 months ago my friends gelding moved in, he's a 14hh cob. He's slotted himself in as 2nd from top and will shoe away the mini and oldie.
My big horse knows him. We used to be on the same yard before he came back to the track, we've ridden together often for 3 years.

When on the track they're often grazing near but at least once a week the cob comes in with a new bite mark. I can only assume its my big horse!

When my boy shoes him around, he doesn't just step out of the way, like the others do, he trots off like he's really scared.
I understand he's always been one to graze away from other horses and will having rearing discussions with them. We've not seen him do that with my boy. But it makes me feel like my boy is being a bully, when he's never been like it before.

They have plenty to eat, so definitely not hunger

When we ride the cob tends to go in front and when my bit tries to go side by side or over take, he literally walks sideways to cut him up. So I wonder if he's doing something to wind up my boy, in the field, that we can't see?
 

meleeka

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In my experience 3 months is about the norm for settling in; so you aren’t quite there yet. I’ve just come out the other side of this and mine were in adjacent fields before so knew each other very well.
 

Kezzabell2

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Oh good, it's been a while since I've done this so had forgotten

It only took my boy 2 weeks to settle in but he was here before, and only moved away when he was injured, so I guess he felt more comfortable and remembered my mini and the old boy, who he was stabled next too for a while before leaving
 
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