How to introduce recently gelded mini

[Pinky94]

to my two mares.

Gelded before christmas, all swelling gone and healed. All 3 have been stabled together since November, and each tie up outside stables for a chat whilst mucking out.

Whats the best way to go about introducing them out in the field.

Today I turned the girls out in the school as field gateways are like mud soup. Took mini in on a lunge line so he could chat & have a run around with them.

Rising 2yo filly was a little funny with him, noticed today she was in season so been extra wary of her big feet (as she stood on my foot sunday and have soft tissue damage!).

Archy was very well behaved, pretty much ignored her squirting pee everywhere. Got a little excited when she first came over for a chat, and he let his little friend hang out but soon put it away.

Older mare has been fine with him, had a little squeel but no more.

Should I just take him out on a rope for a few more days to get them used to being together? Im just terrified he's going to get kicked, and with him being so small and the girls being a lot bigger (15hh youngster and 17.2 old mare) and that will be the end of him.


Ooops this ended up being more writing than I thought.

 

[Pinky94]

anyone?

 

[HollyWoozle]

Well, I might be bonkers, but I've always just turned all out together regardless of size and sex. Currently we have my 16.2hh mare (who can be mad), a 16hh gelding, a 12.2hh gelding and our shetland gelding (around 10.2hh ish, so not a mini) out together and we have never had a problem with kicks or anything. When introducing a new horse we have always put them in a neighbouring paddock to start, but literally just for 20 minutes or so to size each other up, then they go out together and sort themselves.

I guess it's risky but I think if you plan to put them out in the same field at some point anyway, you might as well just do it. They always have to work out their hierarchy eventually. I'd be concerned that keeping your mini on a lunge would just restrict his ability to move out of the way to where he thinks is a safe distance. I totally understand why you would be apprehensive about it though and I hope the integration works out well, whatever way you choose to do it.

 

[putasocinit]

He is not going to lose his testosterone level that quickly and he has a brain and knew what they were for, at this stage he could still inseminate although they say 6 weeks 8 weeks would be more on the safe side, whilst he may ignore them if one is in season he will be intersted, is he fully healed, might he injure himself if he tried, could you give it till the end or mid of feb say

 

[The Xmas Furry]

I turn out with little one the other side of the fence for several days.
After the initial excitement with all having their run around, they usually settle.

Then I'd prob pop little one in their paddock whilst they go into his - so everyone gets to know all corners etc.
By about a week if not sooner if all happy, I'd 'accidentally' pop the small one out with the others, but on occasions I have also put a crush rail on a gateway, so tiny one can get into the adjacent paddock in case of a real problem, or put a corner crush rail in a part of the paddock, so tiny can put them selves out of the way of the others if needed.

Piles of hay well away from fences will also distract from argy-bargy.

Usually tho, they do settle quite quickly, tho you may well have the 'child-slides' to stamp in round their field

Current mini (aka TF) has been shoved in with up to 16.2 over the past couple of years, she's been fine as long as she knows where the paddock fences are

 

[Pinky94]

Thankyou for your replies


I will definitely leave it longer to turn him out with them properly. The paddock the girls are in isnt shetland proof so will wait until they move to a better paddock. May take him in the school on the end of the rope again when they are in there so they can chill and be used to going together, then let him off in there while im there for short periods of time and build it up.