Mixed herds or not - pros and cons

[Bright_Spark]

At the first yard I was at (was there for around 20 years) it was mixed herds and yes it did cause some problems with fights, geldings 'claiming' one mare, mares constantly in season and injuries cause to mares and geldings by constant s**ging! They were big groups though, I'm not sure if that had an effect or if the ratio of mares to geldings does.

I remember one new gelding kept herding up a poor mare, when his owner brought him in, she galloped up the field to the rest of the horses. Gelding when balistic, got away from owner and attempted to clear a 5ft fence. Very lucky the horse only had a few cuts.

When I had my own field, my mare and gelding were kept together and were fine. Now I have 2 mares together and they sometimes share with a gelding, who gets attached to my TB but he does that to any horse he shares with. My gelding lives in a mixed herd and there are no problems.

 

[MerrySherryRider]

I guess it's down to what you do with your horse and it's value.

In the main you will find professional well run yards with top end horses will have individual turnout with post and rail fencing, blanked off corners and clean paddocks and that is my personal preference, we all have differing views.

I am sure many leisure/weekend riders find keeping their animals in large groups easier in many ways. It just doesn't work for me, I like to be as sure as I can be the horse is in one piece, especially if a large entry fee has been paid for the next day !

Yes, absolutely, I do not have top end horses and am not a professional competitor and their value is certainly not measured in 5 or more figures, so yep, chucking them out with a motley crew is fine.

However, I do look for post and rail fencing and clean paddocks like yourself.

Keeping horses in individual paddocks is fine, but those of us who don't, don't do it by default because we have horses of little monetary value or 'have to put up with it'. Its a valid and intentional choice.

 

[Littlelegs]

Think a lot of it depends on the herd really & how established it is. When mine was competing, & pretty valuable, I still chose small herds over individual. Partly cos she has always been a pet, who happened to be talented & she prefers it. Partly she's a real alpha & has never been either bullied or aggressive. But I do see where you're coming from, i'm not sure that I'd be happy to throw her out with a dozen unknown adult horses.

 

[Angua2]

interestingly, i have had more trouble with single sex herds than i ever have with mixed herds. With other more dominant mares attacking me when I try and remove

Current mare is in a mixed herd, and it would seem that she is the alpha female (obviously more dominant than the other two in there!!), while the one she has paired up with appears to be the alpha male.

This paring seems to work, as both the other owner and myself ride at similar times, and if we don't or one goes competing the horse that is left seems quite settled. very different to how it was before I arrived as the alpha male was a nightmare to take away from his herd.

perhaps it is purely anacdotal, but as owners we have achived a happy set of horses, so we are not knocking it.

 

[AdorableAlice]

Think a lot of it depends on the herd really & how established it is. When mine was competing, & pretty valuable, I still chose small herds over individual. Partly cos she has always been a pet, who happened to be talented & she prefers it. Partly she's a real alpha & has never been either bullied or aggressive. But I do see where you're coming from, i'm not sure that I'd be happy to throw her out with a dozen unknown adult horses.

That sums it up really well, rather than just saying horses should always be in herds because it's a natural environment, it is much more sensible to assess each horses needs and temperament and then provide that horse with the best possible situation.

I have a bully and a wimp, nether of them would thrive in a herd, they live in individual paddocks when they are turned out, side by side but not able to bully or be bullied. The others are in pairs and I have a 3 out at the minute, all mares.

It has been really interesting and informative to read this thread but I definetely could not cope with keeping a horse in a big group and experiencing some of the examples detailed about catching horses whilst being chased and harrassed by others. I have seen too many accidents over the years caused by people taking titbits to catch or even worse, buckets into fields, so I prefer to keep it simple with small paddocks and horses that come over when called with no barging or bad manners. I am far too old and stiff to do battle in a gateway these days.