Introducing a gelding to an all mare field?

[EquestrianFairy]

Is this a receipe for disaster?

The field my gelding was supposed to go in hasn't worked out so I've been offered another field but it's an all mare field (used to have one gelding in there but he left around 6 months ago).
I'm wondering if this is a recipe for disaster or whether it should work fine having never been in a such a situation before.

 

[Auslander]

My lad goes out with mares very happily, and they love him. Problems only arose when I put another gelding in there, who he perceived to be a threat to his harem! They might all be bit squealy at first, and he might get tortured when they are in season, but I find one gelding in with a load of mares works ok.

 

[chocolategirl]

For me personally, I would never mix mares and geldings but that's just me! I know some people do it with no problems, but in my many years experience, I have seen and heard of too many of the same problems for it to work well. Mares are far more volatile than geldings, after all, they are basically female stallions (entire) so for me, just not worth the risk. It's scary enough watching just mares together in a herd.����

 

[EquestrianFairy]

I've always mixed them myself but this is an established mare field and my little gelding so I am a little apprehensive.

 

[p87]

My gelding had never been out with mares until I got him and where I kept him he would be going out with two mares. I kept them in together overnight so they could all see each other and then put him out with the most docile mare. After ten minutes I knew there wasn't going to be a problem there, so I put the other mare out who I wasn't sure how she was going to react. Lots of pawing, squealing, and she chased him around a bit, but they settled down. I have since introduced another mare to the herd, and my boy loves it, these are his girls and he keeps them in line - someone needs to!

I've only ever been to one yard in 16 years where they separate mares and geldings, I don't agree with separating them. They wouldn't separate themselves in the wild, they sort out their pecking order and live together the way they do for a reason. I believe a herd of mares fight so much because they are all vying for pole position and don't have a dominant gelding to even them out. I felt so sorry for the mares always fighting and coming in with new cuts and injuries when they really didn't need to be.
It's unfair to keep an animal if you aren't going to at least try and make an effort to keep them as close to their natural state as possible - and that goes for all animals, not just horses!

 

[Mince Pie]

My lad was turned out with 3 mares at the private yard, worked well for us and he was in his element!

 

[9tails]

Err, you don't get geldings in the wild.

It depends on the horses, my mare has lived in a mixed herd and is now in a mares only herd. There's never been an issue.

 

[p87]

Err, you don't get geldings in the wild.

Well I thought that would be stating the obvious a bit... but I guess I should have clarified, you never know who is reading and might think there are geldings in the wild lol

 

[Goldenstar]

If he's a nice horse with others and the only gelding he should be ok .

 

[SaffronWelshDragon]

Will read with interest. My sister is looking at getting a new horse this year, and we've been wondering about mare / gelding. We have 4 mares, including Saf, who is extremely dominant. She gets on so well with her little herd, they've been together for years. I was concerned about getting a new mare, in case it turned out to be the dominant type, in which was it would be a disaster with Saf. I assumed that it would be better to get a gelding as less likely to try to be leader (lead mare usually in charge in the wild).

 

[Goldenstar]

In the wild they don't live in mixed groups on maturity the young males are driven from the herd and they live in bachelor groups until they try to take over a herd or form one them selves from mares who leave a herd , they sometimes also try to 'kidnap ' mares from established herds.

 

[EquestrianFairy]

He's young (4.5 years) and very gentle, not the type to start a fight. There is a mare in that same field that he spent two weeks in isolation with (yard rules) so he knows her but that's it and there's no way of knowing whether she will want his company now she is in a new herd herself.

My main concern is him getting a beating for being the only male, obviously there will be the usual type introductions that happen but I don't want him to be targeted especially because he is a male. I have a feeling after seeing him with other mares that he will just want to be included and won't specifically look to dominate any of them.

 

[Goldenstar]

Give it six weeks and they will all want his company in fact they will be wrapped round his neck .

 

[ester]

I think one gelding is fine, 2 can be problematic though can be fine if only one is bossy

 

[Spot_On]

At ne yard I was at there was a bay gelding who got bullied by the other geldings in the herd, so moved him in with the mares and there has been no trouble since.

 

[EquestrianFairy]

Give it six weeks and they will all want his company in fact they will be wrapped round his neck .

I hope so! He's due to go in tomorrow afternoon so I can stay and watch for abit.

 

[Sunshine]

My gelding loves his little harem and has never had a problem being with them. He is a bit of a stud muffin though and one of the pony mares is the most terrible flirt with him, but I think this type of herd also helps reduce any mareish behaviour under saddle as we have never had any of those problems from any of our mares.

 

[tallyho!]

My gelding was fine though he was definitely harassed when they on season... Poor chap.

 

[Equi]

I have two geldings and one mare, they all get on swimmingly. The bigger gelding is the boss and will seperate the other two but generally they just mooch about together. A gelding might get a little bullied by the mares if he is seriously out numbered though. You would also make sure that he is not riggy or he will hurt the mares.

 

[Tiddlypom]

It should be fine. I have a gelding and two mares and they get on ok, the gelding is number 2 in the pecking order. The mares do stick to him like velcro when they are in season, but it has't made him riggy in any way.

 

[Auslander]

I think one gelding is fine, 2 can be problematic though can be fine if only one is bossy

Agree! Alf got very protective over his girls when Spike arrived, but soon realised that Spike knew his place at the bottom of the pecking order, and they get on fine now. They are an opinionated bunch, but as long as protocols are observed at feed time, they get on very well. Spike actually gets the best deal, as the other three dive into the first pile of hay, and waste much time squabbling over it, while he sneaks down the end and has several piles all to himself!

 

[EquestrianFairy]

I have two geldings and one mare, they all get on swimmingly. The bigger gelding is the boss and will seperate the other two but generally they just mooch about together. A gelding might get a little bullied by the mares if he is seriously out numbered though. You would also make sure that he is not riggy or he will hurt the mares.

He's not remotely riggy or at least shows no sign of it so far. He will be the only gelding in a good sized herd of around 9 mares- although not all out at any one time and only one mare out at night with him. He's only a small boy around 14hh, 14.2hh max.

 

[Pigeon]

My gelding had never been out with mares until I got him and where I kept him he would be going out with two mares. I kept them in together overnight so they could all see each other and then put him out with the most docile mare. After ten minutes I knew there wasn't going to be a problem there, so I put the other mare out who I wasn't sure how she was going to react. Lots of pawing, squealing, and she chased him around a bit, but they settled down. I have since introduced another mare to the herd, and my boy loves it, these are his girls and he keeps them in line - someone needs to!

I've only ever been to one yard in 16 years where they separate mares and geldings, I don't agree with separating them. They wouldn't separate themselves in the wild, they sort out their pecking order and live together the way they do for a reason. I believe a herd of mares fight so much because they are all vying for pole position and don't have a dominant gelding to even them out. I felt so sorry for the mares always fighting and coming in with new cuts and injuries when they really didn't need to be.
It's unfair to keep an animal if you aren't going to at least try and make an effort to keep them as close to their natural state as possible - and that goes for all animals, not just horses!

Herds in the wild are lead by a matriarch. The stallion is only really a sentry and baby maker

 

[AdorableAlice]

I have just had the same problem. My 2 year old gelding has lived with his girlfriend another 2 year old for a year. I prefer to keep horses in pairs, often changing the pairs to prevent cling on problems.

He is a bit of a Kevin and has no social skills. With the exceptional weather I have had to close all the fields bar one. The idea of turning out on a rota didn't float my boat so there was only one option, put the gelding out with three mature mares plus his girlfriend.

I put him, his girlfriend and the dam of his girlfriend together first and then added another mare followed by the final mare. The two year old filly kept well out of the way whilst the mature mares 'spoke' to the gelding. To my amazement they did not kick his lights out, he was simply told who the alpha mare was and who is second in control. It has actually turned him into a very polite young horse.

It is funny to watch now, the pair of 2 year olds play whilst the older mare stay together with a 'kids' look on their faces. There is an orderly queue at catching time and he overnights in a barn with his girlfriend and her mother. They feed from a big bale feeder. The other two mares are stabled. I do stick to one rule though. No hay in the field. One of the mature mares is the worlds biggest guts and will fight for every strand.

 

[smellsofhorse]

It could go either way.
It depends on rne temperament of the mares and your gelding.

They could see him as an intruder.
He could get very possessive.
They could fight and get quite nasty.

Put up some electric fencing within the field or put him next to them to test it out.

 

[Menolly]

Lovely to see you bought him after

I think he'll be totally fine. Not sure what field your going in but my gelding jumped into the neighbouring field of mares last month and it took a long time of searching with head torches until we found him as they were all so quiet!
x

 

[EquestrianFairy]

Lovely to see you bought him after

I think he'll be totally fine. Not sure what field your going in but my gelding jumped into the neighbouring field of mares last month and it took a long time of searching with head torches until we found him as they were all so quiet!
x

That's good to hear! It's the bog field as it happens, I don't normally boot up for introductions but I think I will for this one!

 

[Tern]

the only way to see is to try - you can take him out if anything goes wrong!

 

[irishdraft]

my one gelding gets on fine with the 3 mares i have here, one mare is dominant and he is submissive to her the others he just gets on with but he is a friendly horse and he has been here since he was 6 months old, doesnt take any notice when they are in season either

 

[PorkChop]

I have always run mares and geldings together and never had a problem.

He will find his place in the herd.