I had the scare of my life tonight!

Sambo

Sambo

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Firstly, sorry this is so long!

The last few nights I've not been able to catch Sam without walking all the way back up to the yard to get some treats and then I can coax him over, although is very nervy all of a sudden...

In the field there are 5 of them out, and 3 get brought in together, Sam and 2 mares. This leaves a mare and gelding still in the field who get brought in about an hour later, when their owner comes down.

When I got down tonight I could see Sam and the other gelding biting each others faces and neither of them seemed to flinch and they just keep biting and rearing. So I watched for a bit and then they seemed to stop, so I got on with mucking out before going down to get them.

Sam was his ussual, and even with a carrot I couldn't catch him. So 2 mares got brought in and I came back to get a bucket and treats. On my way back down the 2 geldings were biting again. By the time I'd got to the field they were properly fighting. Galloping around the field, biting, rearing, striking and bucking. They were making proper contact - Sam nearly got knocked over when he got double barreled on his hinds. Sam gave as good as he got and kicked the other gelding several times, and really grabbed his rug with his teeth.

This lasted about 15-20mins of sold fighting. I tried to seperate them but they charged for me! I tried flicking ropes/headcollars, shouting, even waving a stick around! They just carried on - the remaining mare out there stayed well out of the way in a corner. In the end, Sam was so tired I managed to get him to move away and keep to one side of the field while my friend caught the other gelding.

Luckily Sam only lost a shoe, and we had 2 very riped rugs - but no injuries - not sure how.

I thought I was going to be sick, they were going for the withers like stallions do when they fight.

Luckily, neither have hind shoes on....

Do you think this is a one off?

I would like to seperate them now (which is possible) - but the other geldings owner thinks it was a one off and they'll be fine.... Although she is happy to seperate if I want to.

They have lived together since November, and have never seen anything like this..

Any advice please!!!!!
 
IMO you need to separate the mares from the geldings. They have been fine over the winter but now that the mares are coming into season in Spring, the geldings will continue to fight over them. If the owner of the others wants to keep her mare and gelding together, then they should be in a separate field of their own. You have been very lucky tonight.
 
Has the mare that was left with them be coming/in season? That could have caused them for some reson to get alphamaley with there being 2 boys and 1 girl. Tough decision for you I would probably put mine back in (while i/someone was around) for another try and if they dont settle again then seperate.
 
I would separate mares from geldings.Sounds like you have a bit of a battle for the mares affections going on. I'm not saying that yours or the other ladies geldings are riggy but with 2 geldings in a mare dominated environment will lead to fights for top position for the mares affections.It is natural behaviour I'm afraid but it could well lead to one of them being badly hurt by the sounds of it. I know you say they have been living together with no issues since November but now the mares are starting to come into season again could well be the reason behind your horses refusal to be caught in the past few days.
 
i also think the mares and geldings should be seperated OR only have one gelding in with one or two mares. Ours are usually ok with one or two but generally we have all the mares together and geldings the other side of the yard.
 
I have known other horses suddenly fall out with each other and they were never friends again - caused initially by mares in the same field, although it continued after the mares were mpved out. Maybe the prob has started because of the mares coming into season as the others have suggested. I would not risk putting them out together again.
 
That was my thought, my horse is quite dominant over mares - as he was a breeding stallion until 3 years ago.. although at my old yard all over spring/summer he was out with 2 geldings and 4 mares, and always fine.

I haven't noticed them coming into season, but could well be...

I think tomorrow I'll keep Sam and one mare in one field and the other gelding and 2 mares in the other.... the fields are next to each other but seperated with electric tape.. so hopefully that will be OK....

Argh!! It was so scary....
 
I might try them all together again at the weekend when we're all down in daylight, rather than left from 6am with no one down till 5pm... I am very lucky this wasn't worse as they could have been doing it all day...
 
Sambo said:
I might try them all together again at the weekend when we're all down in daylight, rather than left from 6am with no one down till 5pm... I am very lucky this wasn't worse as they could have been doing it all day...
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TBH I wouldn't risk it again. You have already found that you cannot separate them without risking injury to yourself. Your horse will have established stallion -type behaviour, as do many former breeding stallions. Please take care.
 
I think mares can fight just as badly as stallions. They get back to back and screech and grunt like dinosaurs, very scarey. My two mares did this just once, every time I managed to split them up with a whirling rope they came back for more. I took one out for an hour, but had no choice other than to put her back in. They were immediately fine and never did it again. (I think if they had I'd have known because one would have ended up injured). To be honest, if it was mine I'd try them again when people are about and as you say in daylight. However, it's a risk and if you're unsure then maybe see if you can keep the boys away from each other permenantly.
 
Ditto the mares and geldings being mixed has probably caused all the problems! Mares coming into season turn geldings into idiots a lot of the time, we had exactly the same problem with the shetlands trying to kill each other at the moment when the dominant mares are removed from the field. Only the shetlands go in with the mares though - geldings and mares are otherwise split! Our problems were caused by the younger mare coming into season :)
 
Thanks... today I have put Sam and one mare in one field and the other gelding and 2 mares in the other.

The fields are split with electric tape - which is electified.

But the other gelding was going mad calling for the mare Sam is in with.. So I am just really hoping he doesnt go thru the fence anyway.....

Why do I have a horse?!
 
If neither had any injuries other than rug ripping is it possible the two gelding were just playing roughly?

We have a couple of geldings that play very roughly with each other, one is a youngster the other in his early teens, they run round together, rear and bite and generally chase each other round and climb all over each other.

I wouldn't be surprised if the other gelding isn't calling for your boy rather than the other mare.

Bullying or fighting over an in season mare is very different and I would seperate them as you have done if this is what is happening.

I've always kept my horses in mixed sex groups and have only had an issue when riggy geldings have been in the group, the type that mount mares all the time and are generally quite agressive. In my experience there are always more problems with single sex groups as groups of geldings tend to play fight the whole time and mares fight and bully one another.

You've said Sam is usually brought in with the other two mares whilst the other gelding remains with the other mare, surely if you were to split them it would be better doing it this way?
 
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No, they were definately fighting. It was very agressive and both were knackered, but carried on. They were kicking so hard they almost fell over when the other made contact.

They are both a bit riggy as Sam was a breeding stallion till he was 7 - he is now 10.

I will put Sam in with the 2 mares he normally gets brought in with and leave the gelding with the other mare. However I couldn't do that today as the field I put Sam in has no grass as we were resting it, so I had to put haylage out - and for one reason and another the other mare Sam normally comes in with can't eat it.

Tomorrow morning I am going to split the good field in half and have Sam and his 2 mares in one half and the other 2 in the other...
 
Boys will be boys, especially if they are similar size/stature/age. It's likely to happen again, you'd be unlucky to get a serious injury but it could happen so it's up to you, and it could happen.
 
I knew of two geldings who had been in a field together for about 5-6 years maybe longer. They were 17.2 and 15.3
One day a mare in season was put next door. The 17.2 beat the crap out of the smaller on and nearly killed him.. The big one was left on individual turnout for a year. Now has a turnout friend but completely away from any mares..
 
My two boys are together in a field only with other geldings, they get on great. Rewind 6months ago and they were out with mares, the pony was *horrible* to the other one, to the point of my big lad always grazing on his own, because the wee one would go all hell at him if he dared go near the girls. I agree separate mares and geldings if you can, I used to think this was being silly, now I'd never mix my boys with mares.
 
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