Introducing horse to herd.

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littlen

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Has anyone ever put in a new horse into the field straight away, without a meeting over the fence etc? How did it work out?

What do you expect when introducing a new horse to an established herd, eg, kicks, squealing etc?

How long does it normally take a new member to settle, ie. How long to watch them very closely for?

Thanks!
 
I put mine straight in with another but that was one on one and they were fine just started racing each other, rearing up to see who could get higher etc and after about 5-10 mins they settled and were fine
 
Personally, I would never put a new horse in with any others without having them in a separate adjoining paddock first. I recently bought a new gypsy cob. He arrived on a Friday and I popped him into a field next to my other two geldings. You can usually tell straight away if there is going to be any aggressoin. In my case, they didn't really take much notice of each other and within a day or two were grazing side by side with the fence in between them. On the 4th day I put them in together and there hasn't been any trouble. I have always put a new one in a separate paddock, sometimes it has taken a few days and sometimes a few weeks before the others are happy with their new fieldmate. Best to take your time to start with, than risk a nasty injury. Good luck.
 
At my last yard they made me seperate mine from the herd with leccy fencing and it was quite a bad meeting when he finally went in with them

At my new yard we turned him (and a new horse i had a couple of years later) strait out and both were absolutely fine
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I think the more fuss and panic we make, the worse it is

I'd do it in the morning so your about for the day and keep can a "close eye"
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yeh my yard always does it, lots of gallopying but they settle pretty quickly. maybe we've jsut been lukcy, but never had any accidents or anyting and they've been doing that regularly for donkey's years!
 
Thanks everyone for the advice, This is the dilema we are having:

New horse arriving this weekend, We have two paddocks, both a miles walk apart, one winter one summer. The heard of 8 is currently in the summer.
I have the option of putting him in the winter on his own for a few days to settle before putting him with the herd, but again he will not have met them anyway so i see little point in this?

I cant seperate any parts of the field, as there are no facilities to do this, and none of the other liveries are willing to move another horse into the winter paddock with new horse so this leaves the only option of putting him straight in and watching closely for any problems. Im just worried about potential accidents !
 
I would just put him in. if you put him a mile away, he'll be on his own whihc is double stressful for him, and then you'll be re-uprooting him again to put him in wiht the other herd. if really worried, i've heard lots of poeple take out most horses leaving in the most difficult one(s) to begin with, to let them settle - but in the end if they are all going to gallop round then they are all going to gallop round - not a lot you can do :-)! maybe put on lightweight rug and plenty of boots?!

good luck!
 
You are right to worry, but if you have no option other than to turn him out with the others, you have to do it and walk away.

I keep my horses at my home and I only have the two of them. A few years ago, I lost a mare because she received a fatal kick to the hock when she (as a newbie) was turned out with strange horses (against my wishes). Personally it is something I wouldn't risk again, but we all keep our horses in difference circumstances.
 
Its always a worrying time....my advice is make sure everyone is aware what time you are doing this so they can be present if they want to be. I always put brushing/overreach boots on just so mine doesnt catch herself with the initial cavoort about.

We always put a new one straight in and so far (touch wood) have had no real problem but it looks pretty wild for a bit.

We reintroduced a mare and foal last Saturday...mare originally out with the heard and that went relatively trouble free after the run about.
 
I turned my horse out alone for twenty minutes when we got to the new yard to let him stretch off (theirs were already in for the night and he'd had a 2.5hr journey) I stabled him overnight and put them all out together in the morning (my 4yr old gelding with 4 other geldings and 1 elderly matriarch mare). They were absolutely fine.
 
Our yard has a herd of between 22-25 horses at any one time. They are wormed, kept in for two days then kicked out in the field. Not had any problems, I don't really like putting them in a field next door where they can get legs caught on fences trying to kick each other etc.
 
I normally seperate for a few days then turn out, but saying that I moved my two to a new yard together (prev at seperate yards) at the weekend and turned them out together (they'd been on lorry together and stood in stables next to each other for about 2 hrs, and they were absolutly fine... in fact they have bonded well already. However I knew both are very submissive geldings and unlikely to hoon around or attack each other.

Good luck - sure it will be fine!
 
Thanks everyone.
As i said i dont really have much option, and just letting them get on with it seems the only viable one as i dont want to put him on his own which i see as pointless, i dont want to stable him as this again is pointless as he will not get to meet them anyway, and i dont have anywhere to partition off.

I will be putting him out as soon as he arrives, after he is given an hour or so to calm down, the other liveries are aware of this and the other liveries are aware of this and are happy enough for him to go straight out!

Fingers crossed i suppose. He is fairly submissive anyway, there are dominant herd members as there are in any herd and i hope he will find his place quickly with no injuries.
Is there anything i can do to make this easier on him?
 
put boots on and a lightweigh turnout to take the worst of the bites (old one so it doesnt matter, even better an old one belonging to one of the established herd horses, then he'll have a familiar smell about him)

it would be lovely if we could all introduce horses like it says to in the books wouldnt it, but it rarely works out like that. and ive never come across a yard full of liveries that would be willing to have their horses hind shoes removed for the benefit of a new horse!!
 
New horses have to be wormed upon arrival and stay in for 24 hours, we work the newbie alongside the the other horses or let the others see the new horse and sniff him/her if they wish.

On day two the newbie is turned out with a few quiet horses and allowed to settle the others are usually introduced over a couple of hours after they have been worked. Things will have settled completely after anything from a couple of hours to a week.

In 17 years there have only been two injuries when introducing new horses to the group (one of the injured horses (it was the newbie) turned out to be a rig though).

Most of our horses are not shod behind, our fields are very large and herd members don't change very often which I think definitely helps minimise injuries/problems.
 
Exactly abracadabra,
The liveries dont want to remove their horses from the herd, and also the YO is not happy about using the winter field anyway as it is ment to be rested.

I will be booting him and putting on a lightweight turnout on for the first few hours, although i might have to take it off after a while since its really hot at the moment out there!

New horses are so worrying! I just hope he dosent injure someone elses horses. I suppose they could have a bad reaction even if they have been introduced over the fence, or maybe i am just trying to reassure myself!
 
I'm moving herds within the yard shortly- due to my horse being bullied (the poof).

He hasnt been turned out with the others, but walks past them every day on his way out of the stable block...so he has met them nose to nose as it were. Boots and LW turnout....and a deep breath. He'll be out first, as usual- then the others will join one by one over the next few hours.

I will pop down at lunchtime to see how things are going.....
 
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