Horse hates his field mates - wwyd?

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lilyhopkins_

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I've had my horse at the yard he's at for 7 months now and he absolutely hates his field mates. When we first moved to this yard he was in a field with 4 other geldings. Due to natural circumstances there is now only 3 of them in that field, including my horse.
One of the other horses (call him at T for convenience) was gelded late so can be quite bargy and in your face, he acts like the leader of the field. If the other horse is got in and my horse and T is left out, T will chase, kick and bite my horse until someone comes up to get him. My horse is clearly unhappy and spends the entire time he is out in one corner of the field. He also got out of the field today (which he has never done!) and I think it was due to how unhappy he is. Also, I cannot get my horse out of the field unless he is the last one out.
There are other fields with geldings in that my horse could go in if I asked but they are horrible compared to the field I'm in. My field at the moment isn't too muddy, has automatic water and a path leading to it which isn't muddy either. The field with the other geldings is so muddy, you sink up to your knees in it and it doesn't have automatic water. I know for a fact though that these geldings won't go out in the proper gelding field (where my horse is) because of T. I don't know what to do, I don't want to sacrifice the field as it is in such good condition but my horse is clearly unhappy.
 
It's a shame that T doesn't move into another field and then 2 of the nicer horses could move in with yours. It would upset me to see my boy unhappy like that, so I'd probably sacrifice the field and see if that helped
 
My horse was bullied in the field and he was incredibly unhappy.He was normally such a happy sociable horse but his life became a misery.I moved yards and the change was huge he was almost dancing.Your situation wont change after this amount of time so my advice is to make it your responsibility to ensure he enjoys his life and if that means moving fields or even yards,do it.
 
Get him out. Mud is much better than being bullied. I lost a horse many years ago when the field bully broke his leg.
 
Please move him asap. You do not want to go down and find him injured one day. You would be racked with guilt for months if not years that you had not done the right thing for him when you could have done.
 
It's not that your horse doesn't like his field mate, he's petrified of him.

I'd either move fields or if it's not possible move yards before some really serious damage is done to your boy.
 
My horse was once found wandering a country lane with a wrecked rug. I worked out he had jumped 3 fences to get away from a bully. Luckily a woman walking her dog found him and put him in a spare field but it could have been a lot worse.

Another time, another yard, he was kicked in the hock - a 4 day stay at the vets and a huge vets bill.

It's not worth the risk - move your horse either to another field or another yard.
 
Putting it bluntly, you are putting your convenience before your horses happiness. I know you aren't doing it on purpose and you sound like a lovely owner, but his happiness has to come first. You only visit him for a short time and he has to suffer all day. I'm sure he'd rather have mud and be able to relax.
 
I confess to being slightly bemused - did you move yards? 3 weeks ago you were posting a yard A yard / B question and described your horse as settled and happy at your current yard; your only concern being the distance to drive there. You had concerns about moving yards because you were due to do work experience at yard A - which is the yard your horse is now being bullied at?

Absolutely agree with other replies that you cannot leave your horse with a field bully. Field injuries can be fatal. If others are also expressing concerns about the dominant horse I would hope the YO would take action. It will reach the point where you have no summer grazing at least in one field because everyone has moved over to escape the more dominant horse and the field has been trashed.

Perhaps move your horse now and speak to the YO about a more sustainable solution for all the geldings. Sometimes more dominant horses need to be kept safely separate or managed more carefully so they cannot target one individual.
 
Put yourself in the horses place. You are in a small area hiding in the corner, waiting for someone to kick sh*it out of you at the end of the day.

Move fields and give more hay overnight if there is no grass.
 
So there's your horse, T, and another gelding? Who owns the third horse, and are they happy with T being in that field?

I'd speak to the third owner, then have a chat with YO about your options. Either you move or T does, they shouldn't be in the field together.
 
I wouldn't have it. I've got one here who bullies other geldings, so he is turned out on his own. I won't risk another horse getting hurt whilst under my care
 
I've always had a happy herd. But then I got this little mare that was TORMENTED by the others. They all treated her terribly. She once barged through a hedge and over a big ditch onto a road to escape them. Then I sold her. A few months later I visited her and was shocked to see she was mid-ranking in the new herd, and out with some massive horses. She looked so much happier and more confident. I always thought she would be at the bottom. The change of herd obviously did her the world of good. Do what you have to do to keep your horse happy and safe!
 
I've talked to yard owner and we're going to move him and soon as possible, hopefully without stressing him out because he is a very stressy horse with the slightest of changes. Reading back over what I'd written is seem to have exaggerated, my horse gets chased and pull faces at but T has never once kicked him and my horse has never come in with any marks on him. Yesterday when I was up poo picking he was actually quite happy, standing grazing with T and the T let me get my horse in no trouble. We'll still move though, just to be on the safe side.
 
My horse was bullied by another. She was pinned in the corner of the field and had the crap kicked out of her. £2000 worth of vets fees later..... I managed to get her into her own paddock. This was unfair as it should have been the bully that was segregated. She never settled when moved back in with other horses and was always by herself. I then bought another horse and moved yards where horses were turned out in pairs and so they went in together. The new horse was very clingy and loved mutual grooming and so gradually they bonded and this turned my old horse around.
 
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