My new horse fighting with old horse

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Pink Gorilla

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I have a 26yr old ex stallion. Although he was cut at 7yrs old he still likes to be the boss, however most horses seem to happily accept this and get on fine with him. I've recently got a new mare and was counting on them living together due to lack of an extra paddock. However she seems adamant to be boss and my old boy doesn't like it, so they are getting into fights each time I put them together. They are currently in the same paddock, but separated by electric tape. Would you recommend I keep trying to slowly introduce them and trust that they will eventually establish a pecking order and be fine, or keep them separate forever, even though this is very impractical? I just don't want either of them to get seriously injured. Any tips for ways to get them to bond?
 
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I think all you can do is give it more time and keep your fingers crossed. Not always possible though - I've had my section D for 2 years now and I still can't put her out with my older mare. She absolutely loves my other mare, but they are not compatible! They have been across the fence from each other all of this time, and have stables next door to each other as well. I have just accepted that they will not be able to turn out together - they always have a scrap when I try it :o
 
My new mare hated my gelding yet got on with everyone else. I have put the gelding next door for the last 4 months so they could touch noses but not get each other.
They started of screaming the place down then slowly got used to each other until they were grooming over the fence. I have now put them all out together, *touchwood* this has worked and they graze next to each other happily now.
 
I have two mares who cannot go out together. They are stabled next to each other and we have thought sometimes that they would knock the wall down. It is very inconvenient not to be able to turn all 4 out in one field but far safer to have them in 2 pairs.
 
I got down tonight and my gelding has a slightly swollen leg and is severely lame. One of my liveries said she saw them squealing over the fence at each other this morning. I hope she hasn't kicked him! Although there is no cut on his leg and the swelling is on the inside of his leg, towards the back of his cannon bone, so is probably more likely to be a tendon or ligament injury. It's hard to know what to think! I don't think I'll be trying them together for a while though by the looks of things.
 
Hope he is feeling better soon. I have one line of fencing between my 2 as they won't fight over a fence, but my cob has 2 lines between her field and any other horses, with a metre gap between them so they can't sniff noses or catch each other. Maybe you should look into setting up something similar until they settle down a bit more.
 
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