How long before I turn two new horses out together?

[Snowy Celandine]

I got my girl home yesterday, yay and also her new companion, yay again They are both good doers and I've turned them out in adjacent small electric fenced areas to begin with. I can see that they were standing near each other during the night as the grass is all churned up/muddy.

I don't feel it's time yet but how long should I give it before they can graze together? My mare is a bit dominant and the other mare seems biddable and quiet in that respect so I'm hoping things will work out but, obviously, I don't want any fighting. I heard one of them whickering to the other but when the companion went in for a nose sniff my mare squealed crossly and wheeled away. I would like to achieve my goal without either of them getting injured.

Please be gentle as I'm new to all this. Thanks

 

[scats]

I'd chuck them in together today, unless I could see obvious clashes between them at this stage. There is bound to be a bit of squealing, so don't panic too much, but do watch them for a while.

Whenever I introduce something new, they are turned out pretty much straight away with their field mate. I make sure they are in a decent sized field with plenty of grass. Usually a bit of squealing at first sniff, then heads down to eat.

 

[Goldenstar]

I don't usually wait long .
My new horse went out with H the evening he arrived but H is a least dominant horse you can imagine .
You have to it at some point and TBH horses in strange places separated by Temporary fences might well get themselves into trouble .
Is your mare easy to catch if so I would just do it .
On another subject get them used to you bringing one in and the other out straight away or you might make life difficult for yourself down the line .
Enjoy your horses at home .

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Thanks scats The problem I've got is that I can't turn them out into too big an area as I'm too worried about laminitis so I'm trying to keep them in smaller areas at first until they've grazed it down to nothing. Maybe I should wait until tomorrow morning when there will be someone else here to help me in case anything goes wrong and we have to catch them and return them to their separate areas?

 

[nikkianddave]

Hi Snowy

in my own personal experience when I am introducing newbies I leave them in the stable for a few days and regularly walk them around the yard for exercise and socialising, getting used to their new surroundings especially.

I have in the past turned out a horse the day after he came in a very small mixed herd, he panicked as he didn't know where he was and then bolted, through a barbed wire fence straight into a road, and the other horses didn't even approach him.

When I am socialising, as I am doing now, I am walking my baby (2 yo piebald cob) up to the field gates and back, so he can see the horses, get used to going under the motorway bridge, taking him with me if someone else is bringing a horse in so he can get to know them with us around

I think with introducing any horse, socialisation is key. Let them get used to each other IMO

everyone will have different experiences and views on this on this forum, so be prepared to be more confused than you where to start off with!

A lot of deciding will be down to the horses and how you feel about it. When they're ready you will know xx

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Thanks GS, mine is normally easy to catch and the new girl didn't want her head collar on this morning but her resistance was very low key

I'll do what you said about bringing one in without the other though as I definitely don't want to create problems for myself

 

[Red-1]

I would whip the back shoes off if they are shod, and then do it, supervised. I also boot up until I am satisfied that all is well.

I would keep back shoes off for a week and put back on if all are well.

Agree with getting them good to separate now, before they become too reliant. I would have one in and then the other every day.

 

[Goldenstar]

Useless any argy bargy is really meant don't be too quick to wade in they have to work it out and it would very unusual for two to fight badly when there's no established pecking order to upset .

 

[Snowy Celandine]

I would whip the back shoes off if they are shod, and then do it, supervised. I also boot up until I am satisfied that all is well.

I would keep back shoes off for a week and put back on if all are well.

Agree with getting them good to separate now, before they become too reliant. I would have one in and then the other every day.

Thanks Red They are both barefoot so no worries on that score,fortunately. I'll begin separating them today as suggested though, thanks.

 

[Snowy Celandine]

Useless any argy bargy is really meant don't be too quick to wade in they have to work it out and it would very unusual for two to fight badly when there's no established pecking order to upset .

Thanks GS, have taken that on board

 

[Sparemare]

As a rule, I would say wait a week til they know each other over the fence. However, when I got my last pony I waited a day before they went in together! As long as they aren't short on food they should be ok as ponies are more interested in grub than anything else in my experience.

 

[Ceriann]

I have three - one of my original two can be a n@b and she and my old girl (now gone) would fight from time to time. With her existing companion she's fine but was very wary of introducing newbie to them. I did 10 days or so ago and it was a massive non event (pretty nice grass) and until last night (when newbie came in with a wound on back leg (top section and fairly minor)) all has been fine. Even at bringing in time last night they were fine. I know it's a squabble or some rough play so they've been separated again - maybe they got bored of the grass or its hormones (all girls) but I can't risk newbie (my other mare can be a thug so no worries about her)!

 

[ester]

I've always just chucked them in, never had an issue, usually easier if one is bolshier anyway as little argument over who is boss. (the pansy arab will probably not be the boss , we had one on loan for a year which left Mum's mare in charge (She really isn't lead mare material), hacked him back to his mum's, hacked Frank back to my mum's through him out and cally got a bit of a surprise that he put his foot down and that was that.

 

[Pearlsasinger]

TBH every combination is different (not much help, I know!). I once put 2 mares in separate paddocks, either side of a fence, watched them sniff each other etc, all ok, took the dogs for a walk across the valley, from where I could see them standing together at either side of the fence with no problems at all, so went back and put them in together. They were best friends for the next 20 yrs through herd and location changes. Then at the other extreme, we have two mares now who we have had to separate because they both want to be boss and I am concerned that they would fight to the death, or at least serious injury. They were introduced over a wall and put in together after several weeks when everything seemed calm, they have adjoining stables, with shared air but they are dangerous in the same field.
I would keep your 2 short a food for a couple of hours or so and then let them into a bigger space, if you think you will be able to catch them, so that they will be more interested in eating than fighting. You can always make the paddock smaller when you know they have settled together, unless you know that one of them is prone to laminitis, rather than just wanting to be careful.

 

[Auslander]

I give them at least a week next to each other, after a bit of time totally isolated. Then ideally, I'l start hacking them with the herd boss, then chuck them out afterwards - and hang around til they settle.

That's what we did today, and new boy strolled out into the field, had a bit of a nose sniff, ate some grass, and then had a scratch with Alf, who he'd already hacked out with earlier on. No drama whatsoever.