Introducing a new horse.

Spiritedly

Spiritedly

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We have a new horse at our little yard....just her and my two youngsters, both geldings....we gave them a few days to get to know each other over the fence then put the calmer youngster in with her. There was a bit of squealing from the mare but they then settled down and grazed, we then introduced the second gelding, cue more squealing and they then seemed to settle.
That was yesterday morning, the mare now seems besotted with gelding two, she nickers in invitation and swishes her tail and follows him everywhere . The boys have both been together for two years and are close but nearly everytime they try to move together the mare chases away gelding one!
I've never had this issue before and I'm hoping it's pecking order and they will settle in a few days. I don't want gelding one being forced out on his own by her and have already decided if they don't settle that I will divide the field with tape but how long would you give it? I know it's still early days so I don't want to separate them if they will settle . :(
 
As long as the mare isn't chasing and chasing gelding one around and she isn't kicking out at him, I would give them more time to settle.
 
Leave them to it, they will order themselves to suit themselves. The more you go interfering the less likely they are to ever settle properly.
 
They will sort it out between themselves, it appears she wants to be the head of the group and is just showing her dominance.
My gelding moved to a new herd the other day, a mare is also head of that group and when he arrived she gave him a kick as if to say im in charge. He understands herds well enough and he just keeps out of her way now and your gelding will learn that in time too!
 
Faracat said:
As long as the mare isn't chasing and chasing gelding one around and she isn't kicking out at him, I would give them more time to settle.
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She doesn't chase him all the time and doesn't kick out at him, she just seems to object when the boys get too close and then she either chases him off or puts her ears back and backs towards him. I'm hoping they will sort themselves out soon as she's come to be 'nanny' out on hacks. :(
 
She may well be in season; when she goes out things should be more peaceful. And by the time she comes back in season again they should have figured out where they are with each other.
 
Sounds like she's in season. Mares can come into season virtually overnight when introduced to a new male horse they like :)

She'll be like that for a few days, then things will settle down. You may get a reoccurrence next month, but mares quickly learn that geldings aren't much use, even if they look attractive ;)

My field has three geldings and one mare - you know she's in season because she occasionally puts on a bit of a show, with nickering and Spanish walk :D,:D but none of the boys bother and then everything goes back to normal.
 
I have a gelding who becomes besotted with mares - so much so, that we declared ourselves a mare free zone about 5 years ago......but in all the stables I have worked in over the years - they will keep a mares field and one for the boys - but you can sometimes get away with one mare in a field of geldings - but in a 1:2 situation - then one boy is going to have no mates!
 
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