How bad are mares and geldings together in small herd?

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Polos Mum

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I suspect this is a bad idea so do talk me out of it.

Been offered free to good home Conny pony (14.2) from same stud my neighbours lovely connies come from, broken, not bred a foal (I guess why they want rid) but she's a mare!

I'm old fashioned and always kept mares and gelding separate. Currently have 2 happy settled geldings would throwing a mare into the mix cause chaos??

I don't need another one (who does) but it'd be lovely to have a sharer again to ride/ go competing with again, if it was a gelding I'd be going to look tomorrow. We have space and I'm on mat leave til the spring so time to get to know and find sharer for next summer. I'd love your opinions
 
I can only go by my own experience, but I have a gelding with a 3yr old filly and have no problems whatsoever. They had an additional gelding share the field last summer, and although he was quite bossy, no problems at all.
 
My friends boy shares a field with a mare. Originally there were 4 boys and mare all in together and They were ok until 2 of the geldings started getting a bit possessive about her. She's now fenced off with one gelding whilst the remaining boys share another section of the field.
 
We have 2 mares and 2 geldings living quite happily together. My little pony is an ex stallion and my big girl is a slut, so when she's in season they both have happy times (he can barely reach her!) While the other 2 look embarassed and pretend to eat grass. The rest of the time there's no trouble at all.
 
I currently have my gelding in with my two mares (one of which is very marish!) with no problem at all. Previously I have had one mare in with 4 geldings, again with no problem.

It's not something I've ever avoided TBH, have just always expected mares and geldings to get along. They probably take a little longer to settle down and sort out the pecking order but within a day or so things tend to be sorted.
 
I have two mares and a gelding - they get on really well. The grey was a bit bossy towards the gelding to start with, but she soon settled down.

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I think it depends on the individuals - we have two geldings and one mare, one gelding cannot go in with the mare as although he's always been a ladies man, he has taken a strong dislike to this one (god knows why as she is lovely!) and goes into full on attack whenever he's in the same paddock as her - he is extremely violent towards her and I've never seen him like that with any other horse.
When we had my other gelding (total of 3 geldings, 1 mare), two of the boys ganged up on her and actually bullied her to the ground on several occasions and we had to go in there sharpish and get them off her as they were both kicking at her like nothing I've ever seen, and she has done nothing but be absolutely lovely, poor thing. We introduced them slowly over a fence which was fine, but every time they were in together she ended up being beaten to the ground at some point in the day (not always instantly) and it was horrific to watch. When she was in a field with one of the bullying geldings and the other out of sight, they still really went for her.
One of the boys gets on absolutely fine with her so they can graze together, but it's such a shame that they can't all go in the same field as she's very sociable and keeps trying to make friends with the other boy who can't stand her.
When we had them at livery the mares and geldings were out together and the boys did have the odd argument about the mares and did become a bit possessive but it was only minor, nothing like the drama we've had here.
 
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Always had mares until last year who mixed very well with daughter's geldings - there were 3 horses. Wouldn't have any qualms about it. Now only have boys though, not by design.

In Belgium we always mixed them and the yard over the road from me does too.
 
at previous yards I've always had mine kept separate, now they are together in a mixed herd of 11! when in season there is a bit of flirting, but find my mare behaves better in season when she is out with geldings as she gets it out of her system! my gelding is a real flirt, but no trouble, most geldings seem pretty relaxed and enjoy having a mare to look at
 
I have a mare and gelding together and my mini is an ex stallion, on the other side of the fence until they've eaten the grass, but they are all fine together! my mare was tarty in her younger life but has always been out with geldings and most of them ignored her! there were the odd few that mounted her but only a couple of times! nothing major
 
Dolly is out with another mare and 2 geldings, no problems at all. She used to go out with my youngster and my friends gelding who was a stallion until he was 8. She is an awful slut, and I would often see one or the other having some fun with her, never caused a problem between the 2 of them though. Only moved her out as the 2 boys were great mates, old boy kept my youngster in line, and the field wasn't really big enough for 3 of them.
 
I kept my 2 mares with 2 geldings and they were absolutely fine.

Totally depends on the horses.

Looks like you'll be getting a new pony ;-)
 
Hmmm none of you are helping ! The big horse isn't bothered by mares at competitions but no idea whether that's indicative or not. The companion pony did break out of his field to get in with a friends mare when she came to stay for a couple of days and did a good stallion impression but we'd deliberately not introduced them (he's a rescue so could easily have been gelded very late/ be a rig)

My main fear is that the big horse falls in love and gets stupid about leaving her to ride on his own (well with me of cause!) it's taken me years to get him hacking out nicely on his own - but he does 'love' his gelding companion and leaves him so maybe a mare wouldn't make too much difference!

Perhaps I should go and have a look - were are all the people telling me it's crazy to take on another one?!?
 
If the mare is introduced slowly and the existing members of the herd are given time to get used to the newbie there won't be any issues.

I was given a mare and needed to integrate her with 2 geldings and a mare, they had been together for 8 years. Using electric fencing to keep the new mare separated
but within view of the others it took 3 weeks before they were ready for the newbie to mingle with the three of them but the two mares didn't get on at first at all.

The geldings thought they were stallions and there was much excitement and mounting. In this state I couldn't do much with any of them but it didn't matter. This went on for a week or two and the novelty wore off eventually.

I then had to separate the older mare until such time they accepted each other over the electric fencing. It took about 3 months altogether. I am glad I took my time as now they are a settled herd again.
 
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I think it depends on the particular horse. My gelding went out with two geldings and coincidentally a connie mare (Inventively called.. Connie!) and he was a nightmare. They actually all seemed to get on OK in the field but he turned into a bit of a ladies man and became obsessed with her. He used to herd her around and keep the other geldings away. Primarily though he became a complete ahole to ride and handle as he was constantly simpering after her and wondering where she was and what she was doing. I had to have them separated in the end.
 
It is important to keep the new mare separate but within view and so they can smell and touch each other. The new mare will need time to get used to her new surroundings and friends at first.

Separation anxiety can occur but again you work on this by taking each one away for short periods to start with.

But I waited until they were settled as a herd before taking my gelding out for a hack.
 
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Always mixed them-only had one problem which is my sister's gay tb x id who HATES any mare. He attacked the mare I just sold for no reason and she was a completely passive mare so it was a shock. He also bullied my little mare as much as possible but he's fine with geldings.
Other geldings they've gone in with and been just fine!
 
i have never had happier horses than i have now...mare and gelding turned out together! they are like brother and sister (or mare and foal when looking size wise.....)
since being with the mare my gelding's alot calmer, willing to be caught, but will also stay out longer
the mare's season are 'regulated' (use to be in season so frequently and very grumpy) and i never know when she is having them now!

i will never go for single sex turnout with mine again unless i get something that really needs it!
 
It really does depend on the horses unfortunately. I've always had a mixed herd with a mare herd leader and no issues. However my mare got too attached to new mare and so I've had to separate them. Now mare herd leader isnt in with new mare she has turned into a right slut with her gelding field companions! Fine when she has a gelding companion who ignores her, but the couple of youngsters who were in with her were a bit too interested so I've had to have a swapsie round on field companions and popped her in with my ex race gelding who has never shown the slightest interest before. Fingers crossed it continues! It really is a tricky one as my little mare (herd leader) is totally disinterested in the boys so no problems with her, but with a harlot it can be trickier! I would ask myself if worst case scenario they need to be separated whether that would be possible or not - eleccy fencing, different fields etc and then go from there :). From an attachment perspective my two girls are a lot better not being in the same field but can still see each other in the fields and stable next to each other with talk grill, and neither has become attached to a gelding despite big mare being a flirt!
 
Good suggestion re thinking about worst case, there is space to have separate fields BUT the big horse has nil respect for fencing so hops around wherever he feels like it !! so if he wanted in with her he would get in with her - also if I had to separate she'd be on her own (not something I like) so knowing my luck I'd have to get another mare to keep her company. Having cut down from 5 to 2 I don't want to be back up to 4!
 
I have always kept horses in single sex groups due to that being the way yards had it set up. about 18 months ago I went to a yard that managed groups according to personalities rather than sex and I haven't looked back. I wouldn't hesitate to try mixed in the future.
 
Our Shetland was a colt until 6 weeks ago and aged 4 , my mare had only been living at mums for a week when a shire stallion tried to rape her so her trust in horses especially males has dropped, however the other day she jumped the internal stable wall into his open stable and went out in the starvation paddock with him, she was in season and squirted a bit and he licked her legs but they adore each other. My mare is 15.2 and only 3 , obviously her grazing needs are different to his so they are in separate fields all day and she is stabled at night and he has access to his stable with door left open, they spend all night grooming over the wall and kissing over the door, best relationship breeze has ever had with another horse, with my other mare she was too attached but ruby took advantage and bullied her constantly, where as the gelding who used to be boss of our old stallion is now just in awe of this weird horse ( he has not ever lived with Shetlands and not seen big roses before as we had him from weaning) and he respects her space, if she calls from her stable he obediently trots back up the starvation paddock to see her for fuss
 
My sisters pony is a gelding and mine is a mare and they've been together for the last two years :) the gelding actually gets quite agitated when they're separated - kinda cute until you need to bring him somewhere on his own or try to sell him! But they get along great together :) I dont think it would be a problem to mix them although they might fight a bit over her at the start, more than likely they'll all settle down and get along great :) Good luck! :D
 
I have 2 mares and 3 geldings in our paddocks. They all get along well on the whole, we have no separation issues re hacking etc.
 
I've always had a mixed herd. Up to 9 horses in the herd. Never any problems until one troublemaker gelding arrived. But he would have taken lumps out of the geldings too if in a same sex herd. I have mine divided into 2 herds now due to different grass requirements. One mare in each herd, the rest geldings. They all get on amazingly
 
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