Mixed herds... can they work?

As in mares and geldings?
Iv always had mine in mixed herds. Well uptl now. At the moment I have one TB 2yo turned out with 3 other TB geldings of same age and a 2yo batty(just got him last wkend) turned out with a donkey and 2 pony geldings.

When I was in ponies, I had my two poniestogether when at home (mare and geling) or turned out with a mixed herd when on livery. Never saw or heard of a problem in all the years I had ponies. My gelding was smitten with my mare ( it wasnt reciprocal) and the local riding school turns out all ponies together regardless of mare/gelding and all horses in another field. They have never had any problems in ver 25yrs.
In fact, barring TBs, none of the breeders, showjumpers or livery yards around here splits up horses based on their gender.
 
I think mixed herds can work, my horses seem happier in a mixed group. As long as the group is fairly stable and they have a large enough field it seems to work fine. My rescue pony was bitterly unhappy when she was in a mares only group and when she was turned out with one other. Both mine live in a fairly stable large (10-12 horses) mixed size, sex and age herd in a large field and seem settled. I'd really struggle if I had to move to a yard where mares and geldings were grazed separately as I have one of each and my gelding gets distressed if he is parted from my pony for more than a couple of hours.
 
yes, as long as no horse has shoes on (i am adamant about this) and you don't have any huge personality clashes, i think mixed herds are very good. it's particularly good for floozy young mares to be in with old geldings who aren't impressed at all, and cocky young geldings to be in with older ones of either sex, to take them down a peg or two. i have my old lad nannying my fillies at the moment, he taught the feisty one more in 5 minutes than i could do in 2 years, made her much safer and easier to handle for me. the oddest ones will pal up, as well.
if they've got shoes on, i would never mix them though... and i'd be very very careful who i put in together anyway. personally, once they're shod, they're in solitary paddocks and can groom each other over the fence, but not break each others legs...
 
Our three are in a mixed herd - three mares and two geldings. Originally it was my lad in with the three girls and when my sisters gelding joined the group the two boys had a couple of scraps (nothing serious though!) until they sorted out who was boss but they're all great together now and it seems to really suit them. We have a range of ages too - my lad is rising 7, sisters gelding is 10, our mare is 17 and the two others are 12 and 27. Personally I think they interact much more naturally as a group in a mixed herd and generally once they're settled into their pecking order you're unlikely to have any issues (much the same as a single sex group really).
 
ours always are, anything from 1 mare and 1 gelding whilst I'm at uni to 4 geldings one mare, seems to work well for us, have had two mares and 2/3 geldings too. Think it is more a problem if personalities clash than anything else
 
Yes they can work but at my yard it's getting a bit much as we have quite crowded fields so horses can't really keep themselves to themselves. I think you get alot less 'argument's when they're separated TBH
 
Absolutely yes! I have one mare (used to have two) and two geldings out together (they are all shod BTW) with no problems whatsoever.
 
Definately. Ive always kept a mare or 2 with my geldings up until a year ago (purely due to the one mare needing different grazing requirements). By choice Id always keep them mixed. I dont see a problem as long as none of the geldings are a bit frisky during in season time!
 
Our top field at the RS is mixed. 5 mares 8 geldings. 10 of them have shoes on and we have very few problems with them! Our yard never intentionally doesn't have mixed herds. The serious dominant horses have to be kept alone though as their agression is really bad.
 
Oh, for sure. My lad's in a small mixed group (3 geldings, 1 mare) and they all get along just fine. They have a huge field and all eat their hay together from a large circular feeder. There never seem to be any disagreements, although I did once see my lad push the little mare around one day, but I think she got between him and his grub, and thats a big no no
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When he first went to this yard, he was put in with the gelding herd (at 20 horses) but he didn't like this at all. He was bitten from head to tail, so we removed him from this group. Shortly after he was paired up with a lovely arab gelding, and this partnership has extended now to the four in the group today. Perfect for everyone!!
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I think if they are small groups (as in 4/5 horses or so, but then I never like large groups either) then I think it can work. Although as someone else said I would be wary of dominant characters. Out of preference, when choosing a yard I would always avoid it.

My boy used to be in a large mixed herd (14 or so horses) and he was always getting kicked. I left the yard in the end because of it.
 
Merlin has been turned out with geldings or at one time just him and a mare...... he loved her and she loved him, but he was very very posessive of her and would try to chase the riding school ponies away when they rode past the field!!!!!

Personally I would not turn him out with a mixed herd as he is a danger to himself
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I have seen mixed herds work very well and do at WL when horses are turned out in priate paddocks, mares with geldings...I personally wouldnt with Flint as he is dominate to other gelding with mares over the fence or the next paddock.... it depends how stable, how the personalties fix and how they gel. In the wild they would fight to the end, as domestic animals I would rather have mine in with same sex to be on the safe side... Hope that makes sense
 
I echo Kerilli, they work provided shoes are removed and there is enough room for anything scared to get well away from bullies.
Our current big herd numbers 24, and in that there are ancients, brood mares, retired horses, and even a 37 year old mini shetland..
Of course there are the odd squabbles but rarely do they result in more than a slice of hair missing or a bite mark.
It's interesting to see how the heirarchy works, brood mares are top, followed by some bossy retired mares, then the geldings, the top ones being the ones who are well established in the herd over a few years. Then the older horses, then the youngsters, who remain at the bottom of the pack until at least four year olds.
If I introduce a new horse it immediately starts at the bottom of the pack and fights it's way up..
The other smaller herds are all mixed too, those consist of ridden horses plus anything needing special care such as William or anything about to start work as an adult.
It's funny to see little William seeing off a thumping great two year old livery, knowing he has the support of the rest of his family to back him up if the new horse turns on him!
I find keeping just mares together sometimes generates problems , as they get very mare minded when you try to alter the mix to adding geldings, leaving them all mixed together except when they are due to foal works fine.
 
Definitely yes!

I've had mares and geldings out together, no problems at all. I once had 2 geldings and 3 mares together. The 2 geldings were actually stallions 2 months before hand. The mares were shod, geldings weren't.

In Your Horse mag there was an article about mixed groups are far better than single sex groups!
 

I think it is ideal. When we had the Shetties, both geldings, they lived quite happily with my mare. Introduced a new mare slowly & had to get her out of the field & reintroduce her as Sunny was in the mindset of fighting with her
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I also echo Henryhorn, mares together can get very marish without the added mix of geldings. I do think that single sex groups are not good generally (apart from the obvious of broodmare groups etc) as the various interaction they get is much better for their mental state. Never had any problems, even when my mare was shod so as long as common sense is used I don't think there is any real concern.
 
they can work but as long as you don't have posessive horses. could do it with my boy he tries to lash out at mare just walking pass them in the yard
 
Every yard I've ever been on, be it as a riding school pupil, on holiday, where I worked or as a livery, have always had mixed herds without any problems.
The only one where I've known a problem to arise is at my last yard where the mares and geldings were seperated and a couple of the geldings took to patrolling the fence bordering the two fields, which unfortunately was near to the gate.
The yard I'm on now has the horses all in one herd, out in the day, in at night at the moment and out 24/7 in the summer and we have no problems. IMHO I don't really think there's a need to seperate mares and geldings.
 
My Irish mare is the dominant one, but she thrives being in a herd and last year was in an all mares heard of 9... Yes she tells them exactly what she thinks of them and does not like being bothered, but she also settles.

My WBx mare has not been out with boys as far as I am concerned, but I was thinking of trying the two mares out with a 5 year old gelding who is moving onto the yard. My mare will be boss, there is no doubt about that, but I was just wondering whether they would get on or not. My two are fully shod, and this will not change
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Mines in a mixed herd of 8 geldings and 11 mares. There is one gelding who is kept with just his friend as when turned out with the others he makes holes in them. They are all happy to be taken off individually though and don't have problems being stabled or hacking alone. Have met herds that this is an issue and is a no go and would give me a headache lol.
 
Totally yes but I disagree with Kerill & Henryhorn on the shoes front.
We had our own herd of 25-30 horses from 37yrs down to new borns All that were in work had full set of shoes on. Only once in 30+ years did we have one fatallity & that was a horse that didn't always go out with the herd & resulted in a broken leg. Plus even if the horse that had kicked him didn't have shoes on it would of still broken the leg as he was a Clysdale.
Our foundation mare (a fell) was the matriarc mare the her eldest then 2nd then the 2nd one had a filly so she joined in. Any homebred ones were the top of the pack & bought in ones were lower down.
When the Bess the old girl was to stiff to make it up to th top field she retired down at home with an old shettie. Her eldest then became leader of the herd. There was no figthing for this it was just assumed!
It was great for the youngsters as Kerill pointed out the herd or a older horse can do so much work in teaching manners & make life easier for us!
We did run them in an 80acre field though so there was plenty of room for all to get away if need be.
Plus it is much more as nature intended.

Here is a pic only showing a small amount of the herd. You would often find them all flat out bar one keeping an eye out!
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They lived out all the year with no rugs. Winter they use to go to a wood that we had till Easter for a break.
Yet we could scrub up for a show!
The big bay 2nd from left is the chap that got his leg broke & the Shettie on the right was 38 yrs old when we had him but to sleep with his girlfriend who was the head of the herd as she was the same age & if we left him he would of died of a broken heart they were inseperable.
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Definitely. Mine is out with 19 others including mares and a mare and foal.
They just get on with it
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They have about 28 acres I think though so there is plenty of room.
 
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