Horse won't settle in field

[Horsegirl25]

I have recently got a new horse, she is not used to turn out at all and was only doing 2 hours max few times a week with her previous owners. This doesn't suit me as it doesn't fit with my routine and I would also prefer her out more than that.
She isn't settling in the field at all, she has to go out at 6:30am and depending on my hours at work will be in any time from 1:30-6pm. She stands and shouts or paces up and down the fence.
I tried putting her in with my gelding which did work she settled right down but unfortunately he is extremely attached to the mare over the fence (plastic posts and tape) and ran my mare through the fence to keep her away from the mare over the fence.
She has horses all around her when she goes out in the morning and I have switched her and my geldings field so she is now down the front near the barns and he is up the back (he is happy anywhere there is grass!)

Does anyone have any idea on how to keep her settled, should I try them both together up in my back field which is has geldings either side, I worry that when I switch them back to the front field the same thing happens with the mare over the fence.
I am at a bit of a loss right now...

 

[Abacus]

Can the mare just go in with the gelding? Ideally I think I would have more than the two of them so that you can take one away without dramas. Perhaps if they go together for a while at least she will get used to being out for longer.

 

[Cookiemonsterintraining]

If you put your mate and gelding in the back field, would you actually need to move them back to the front field?

 

[Horsegirl25]

If you put your mate and gelding in the back field, would you actually need to move them back to the front field?

I was hoping to keep both fields and rotate the pair between them through summer/winter to rest them. But yes i might just have to have the pair up the back as he is so protective of the mare over the fence

 

[9tails]

It sounds like your mare needs company, whether that is your gelding or somebody else's horse. Does the back field adjoin the field where the gelding's girlfriend is? If not, put them together and hope that they become friends.

 

[Jambarissa]

Have you done anything else different? I bought a new one who just seemed to panic in the field and would walk the fence getting faster and faster until he was whizzing round. Turned out he'd never worn a rug before, didn't even occur to me and he seemed fine with it until I let him go.

It does sound like company is needed. If she's surrounded by other horses you'd think that is sufficient but obviously not. Are they big fields? Can your gelding be kept in a strip closer to her fence? I would get another in with her, it might not need to be long term.

 

[Errin Paddywack]

I was hoping to keep both fields and rotate the pair between them through summer/winter to rest them. But yes i might just have to have the pair up the back as he is so protective of the mare over the fence

Once he has been in with her for some time and no access to the mare he is obsessed with he may well decide he loves her best and forget the other one or at least not be so protective of her. Worth a try at least.

 

[Horsegirl25]

It sounds like your mare needs company, whether that is your gelding or somebody else's horse. Does the back field adjoin the field where the gelding's girlfriend is? If not, put them together and hope that they become friends.

No the back field is no where near his lover and geldings either side so i'm hoping he won't be in love with them or I have no chance!! I think I may try them in the back field and hopefully by the time they switch to my bottom field he will have forgotten about his lover !

 

[Horsegirl25]

Have you done anything else different? I bought a new one who just seemed to panic in the field and would walk the fence getting faster and faster until he was whizzing round. Turned out he'd never worn a rug before, didn't even occur to me and he seemed fine with it until I let him go.

It does sound like company is needed. If she's surrounded by other horses you'd think that is sufficient but obviously not. Are they big fields? Can your gelding be kept in a strip closer to her fence? I would get another in with her, it might not need to be long term.

She does have a fly rug on but has come from a showjumping background so I presume this isn't something new to her.
They aren't massive fields so probably not scope to split them as they would just have slithers, big enough to take 2 tho.

 

[Hormonal Filly]

My mare was like this when I bought her.. I think it’s because she went from herd turnout to being on her own.

Is there another livery with suitable horse that would share? If not, she might gradually adjust.. it’s a big change. My mare did adjust, she seems a lot happier with another though.

 

[Horsegirl25]

My mare was like this when I bought her.. I think it’s because she went from herd turnout to being on her own.

Is there another livery with suitable horse that would share? If not, she might gradually adjust.. it’s a big change. My mare did adjust, she seems a lot happier with another though.

No sadly, everyone is quite happy with individual turn out which is fair enough.
She is very settled with my gelding so much so she stands now and stares up at him in the back field, I do worry that she will become overly attached to him if i was to try them together again.
Tricky one...

 

[Hormonal Filly]

No sadly, everyone is quite happy with individual turn out which is fair enough.
She is very settled with my gelding so much so she stands now and stares up at him in the back field, I do worry that she will become overly attached to him if i was to try them together again.
Tricky one...

How long have you had her? She might be come attached originally but once settled I think she’ll be ok. I had the same issue with my mare, she got obsessed with one horse. I didn’t realise moving yards would be so stressful for her, now 6 months later she isn’t attached to anything and comes to call.

If she’s settled a bit maybe see how she is on her own, if I owned 2 though ideally I’d like them to be together for company/mutual grooming.

 

[Hallo2012]

might just be a case of time?

i have 2 stallions (so cannot be together as they play too rough) and when the youngster arrived he fence walked a trench and barely ate.

the other boy is very settled and ignored him t least, and i put haynets along the line he walked to force him to alter direction and after maybe 8 weeks he started to settle and now i can take the other one away for short periods and he's fine.

initially it might be worth paying for her to be bought in after say 3 hours until she starts to settle then 4, then 5 etc if thats possible on your yard?