Devonshire dumpling
Well-Known Member
My nearly 2 year old has lived all his life in a herd of 2 babies and a 30 yr old pony.. 2 geldings and a mare, they are all pretty much a family and live in a large field with a big warm barn they have access too. Now in the Summer I will be taking my boy home to stables nearer to home and he will become a "proper" horse and have a routine. Old pony is boss and the 3 babies box and play, but don't seem to kick or act aggressive.
New place has 2 mares a very fine TB mare who is 20 and a 20 yr old 11hh welsh pony mare. The pony is boss and does kick TB sometimes, wouldn't say the TB is bullied, just henpecked. We have a large field resting for hay and then 3 other fields for the horses to summer graze. These 3 fields consist of
1) small paddock with gate onto country lane
2) 2 acre field with stream in the middle with highish banks and they can cross the river at one point only
3) 4 acre field which is very slopey and above the house with very steep banks
Non of these fields are next to each other as have the yard inbetween but horses can see each other.
They have had 4 horses there in the past and no problems.
So when my frightened baby arrives in the summer we would like to eventually have him out with the girls, but what would you do first?
a) put him in the small paddock but scared he would jump the gate and go out onto the lane
b) tape off the river paddock and let them speak to each other through the river
c) put the girls up in the steep field and let him go in the river paddock alone
Hoping for some experience with you guys who introduce horses.
How freaked would you expect him to be with leaving his family and then going in a paddock completely alone?
Owning horses is one massive worry isn't it !!
Am not prepared to put him in the sloping field above the house incase he broke through the fence!! Mares are fine up there!
New place has 2 mares a very fine TB mare who is 20 and a 20 yr old 11hh welsh pony mare. The pony is boss and does kick TB sometimes, wouldn't say the TB is bullied, just henpecked. We have a large field resting for hay and then 3 other fields for the horses to summer graze. These 3 fields consist of
1) small paddock with gate onto country lane
2) 2 acre field with stream in the middle with highish banks and they can cross the river at one point only
3) 4 acre field which is very slopey and above the house with very steep banks
Non of these fields are next to each other as have the yard inbetween but horses can see each other.
They have had 4 horses there in the past and no problems.
So when my frightened baby arrives in the summer we would like to eventually have him out with the girls, but what would you do first?
a) put him in the small paddock but scared he would jump the gate and go out onto the lane
b) tape off the river paddock and let them speak to each other through the river
c) put the girls up in the steep field and let him go in the river paddock alone
Hoping for some experience with you guys who introduce horses.
How freaked would you expect him to be with leaving his family and then going in a paddock completely alone?
Owning horses is one massive worry isn't it !!
Am not prepared to put him in the sloping field above the house incase he broke through the fence!! Mares are fine up there!
