Mixed group turnout - Help needed

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My horse has just arrived at a new yard and has been allocated a herd made up of 3 mares, 2 geldings and a rig pony. He has always been a herd leader and a strong, difficult character but his behaviour at the moment is now terrible, I tried to catch him the second day he was there and he didn't want to know and so we let him settle in for a couple of days ( visiting him each evening) and then bought him in to the yard on the 5th day. He bolted to and fro trying to get back to the herd and got himself really stressed to the point where he took about forty mins to calm down. I have now been told that unless his behaviour improves he will have to leave, which is fair enough as the YO has other liveries to consider. Do you guys think the herd make up is appropriate for such a horse and will he settle, or should I take him away anyway ? PS. The rig pony did keep calling for him whilst he was away and I don't think that helped cos he could hear him. PPS there are no problems in the field, total harmony.

Sorry so long , cakes and coffee if you got this far.
 
IME groups like this are just an accident waiting to happen. You can usually get away with groups of quiet oldies, brood mare, etc, with no back shoes on in large fields, but otherwise I think its safer to turnout in compatable pairs in paddocks.
 
Is there another group he could be tried with? We have two mixed herds. Some of ours don't get on 100% with others but luckily all in the two herds get on. We have one on its own. Gelded as a 4 year old. Perfect with people but a nightmare with horses in the field. Our fields are big and best friends tend to stick together. At bedtime both herds gather each side of the divideing fence.
How long have you been their? If not long and there is no fighting he may settle. We have not had this problem as with herds they have plenty of companionship. If there is a hint of real agression i would move him. Tickles is very agressive that is why he is on his own but next to the others.
 
Thankyou guys, you have really confirmed what I thought in that a rig shouldn't be in with a group like this, I have never been on a yard anywhere that has such groupings.

The YO doesn't want to create anymore herds or use anymore fields which is fair enough its her choice, so moving them around is not an option.

SF - just to say there is no aggression at all within the group but mine seems to be struggling to now be separated from the group.

Wheezy - yes the rig is certified apparently the vet doing castration said only one ball and needed op but owners didn't go through with it !!
 
We have mixed groups when appropriate too - for example my gelding is out with my mare and two other mares, there is a mare and gelding in the field next door and another mare/gelding pair on the yard. It doesn't always work, and I would say I rig should certainly never be with mares!
However don't agree that they should always be in pairs, both my mare and a gelding on our yard are certified nightmares when being kept as one of a pair, as they pairbond so strongly they create havoc if taken away from their pair (for example if you want to ride one of them!!). Both have been much more settled since being part of larger herds!
 
Your horse may be just really stressed at being in a new place. I know mine took weeks to settle into our mixed herd. He wasn't aggressive at all he just stood next to the fence for the first week and then acted all stressy when I brought him in. For about a fortnight he refused to be lead away from the others to come in. Now that he's used to a new routine he's really settled about being in the field and being taken away from the rest of the herd.
Hope you get it sorted, it's awful when all's not well with the horses.
 
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Is the rig a certified rig? If so IMHO it shouldn't be turned out with anything at all!

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Yeah because thats not cruel! There is absolutely no reason why a rig cannot be turned out with other horses- just as there is no reason a stallion shouldnt. Yes turning a rig ut with both mares and geldings is a crazy idea but turning a rig out with one other gelding is generally no problem atal. I turn a suspected rig out with one gelding and they love each other, its only if i added a mare to the situation that he would turn into a s***.
 
My pony lives in various mixed groups and is dominant, first month he arrived he was terrible lots of fighting and not wanting to come out of the field, easy to catch but would not move once caught.

Now he has settled he in fine - current group is 5 geldings and 1 mare and they seem to get on - sometimes this group is merged with another larger group when they rotate the fields and again no problem. I think it depends on the individuals rather than the gender, my pony was not so nice when he was living with a group of retired horses over the winter, he just did not seem to bond with many of them and was very bossy.

Once the others knew who was boss he was a lot less clingy. He was gelded at 4 and prior to that ran with mares and had his own herd so it has taken a while for him to settle in his new life. He is only 6 so still young though.

Has your horse been like this at other yards. If when he is brought onto the yard and he is alone he could just be missing his mates - lots of horses dislike being alone, especially if he was moved from his old yard - he may remember being taken from the field and his friends and then not going back so is perhaps anxious about this happening again.
 
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