Mare and geldings problem

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Moonberry

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Been reading for a while but now need some help, so first of all hi.

My new mare had settled nicely into her new home. We have now introduced her into a small herd of just her and 2 geldings.

The dominant gelding has become very attached to her, to the point I can't bring her in without him going nuts, charging through electric fences, galloping up and down the fence line and calling.

She in turn is hugely unsettled and very hard work to lead, won't stand tied up on the yard and is clearly distressed at being separated.

Any opinions on wether this is likely to settle over time, or if it's best to separate them?

It's now getting to the point where it feels dangerous to attempt to bring her in as the field is pitch black and I'm juggling torches and stressed horses.

Help!!!
 
You have my sympathies as we are going through this at the moment! We have two mares and two geldings and since we moved from a big livery yard, the mares became inseparable to the point where they were getting dangerous to ride. One mare now turns and tanks back to the yard, one won't school without taking off, bucking and galloping to get back to the barn. I would split them up now. It took us a while to realise it was separation anxiety as the problems we saw were mainly when they were ridden. One mare didn't seem to make that much of a fuss when separated and the problems have just gradually become bigger and spread, like leading in from the field! The mares are now in with a gelding each and I have moved one to a barn where she cannot see or touch the other mare. They can still see each other and touch over the fence when turned out. One mare we have decided to give the winter off as she is a baby who has been messed about a lot this year (we only bought her in August). The other mare is just being hacked and they are both doing in-hand work to build a bond, which is especially important with the new baby. We are already seeing an improvement in behaviour. I am also getting an animal behaviorist out, as the older mare was kept alone with no equine company for five years before we bought her and seems to crush terribly on other mares, so we would like an expert opinion as to other ways we can help her improve. Good luck!
 
In all honesty, it is probably best to separate them.

My gelding is the same about one of my mares but he's only 11hh high so not as scary as a big horse in the dark!
 
Hello and welcome :)
Separate them....geldings together and mare on her own. I have just moved my cob to a new yard and along with my friend and her mare and Shetland gelding, they were never in the same field at old yard and my gelding never seemed dependent on them ,however he became so, and we had stabled them next to each other....we moved him further down the barn to a stable away from her and spaced their paddocks apart....it has taken two weeks, but he has started quieting down....that he can now be turned out with out the use of a bridle and now back in head collar....you need to think that she is new to you and has had to deal with complete changes...new owner and new home..., persevere and Good Luck :)
 
Thanks all. Wil have a chat to the yard owner later. Ideally I would like her to be in a herd, but not at the expenses of having a horse i can't do anything with! I know the fact that she'd had such huge upheaval is also likely to be adding fuel to the fire, it's just hard to know when to act swiftly and when to leave things to settle sometimes!!
 
My boy was very very attached to our Mare when they went in together I almost separated them (I'm convinced it wasn't just because she was a mare though) after a few months they settled down and they are ok being separated now. I wont be adding another gelding to the mix though so if I end up with a second they will have to have a buddy and live in different fields.
 
my gelding used to be really clingy to my mare, if I got her out!! he was fine if it was the other way round but he'd gallop about until she came back when she was out!

I ended up having to move him to another yard as he needed a walker, during box rest and I was so scared when I turned him out! he was in a small herd with a mare and a mini and another gelding, he was always the first out in the morning and I was worried about how he'd cope!! he was totally fine! he can now be turned out alone or in company, he doesn't get upset when the others are taken away! he will even graze happily when all of the other horses are in!! I can't believe the change in him!! think he just spent so long with my mare, he didn't know how to cope without her!
 
Thanks everyone, thought I was being a bit precious but took husband up with me tonight and he was quite shocked and thinks it's not safe.

Going to have a chat with the owner of the geldings (who is also yard owner) but she seems quite keen to keep them together. However this is currently sucking any kind of joy out of my new horse.

She has come into season do you think it will calm down when she finished?
 
I would separate them to be honest. I had my well behaved gelding turn into a monster when the YM put a couple of mares in the paddock next to him, I even started a thread about him, as I wasn't sure he wasn't a rig.
It didnt' settle down, and he just got progressively more dangerous, until the mares were moved a couple of paddocks away.
One mare in particular really set him off, and even now if they see each other on the farm she'll flirt at him and he'll try to show off to her. It makes no difference whether she is in season/ foal or not.
Kx
 
So, thanks all for the advice. She is on a tiny yard, so don't really have an option to separate them easily. I've tried sectioning off a section of paddock with electric fencing but she either jumps out or he will barge through.

Don't really want to disrupt her again by moving yards, but I think I might have to? Any tips to stop this happening again if I do move? I'm thinking she might be better in a bigger yard with lots going on?
 
How long has she been there? If it's all very new and exciting (plus she's come into season) it may well all calm down in the next two or three weeks. But in the meantime, if you decide to continue, yard owner needs to bring hers in at the same time or be there when you catch her to make sure you're safe.

You have my sympathy, we added a new mare to my long time paired mare and gelding this week and have had fireworks with my gelding. My mare also came into season at the fuss. My gelding hooned around that much he's actually gone slightly lame (think he pulled something skidding around that first day). It's actually done us a favour as he's happy plotting about, but feeling too sore to chase the new horse, so things have calmed down!
 
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