My pony is terrified of my new horse

[Meg_99]

Hi!
Long story ahead but I recently got a new horse. She spent her first day and night in and was then turned out in her own sectioned off area.
My other two were stood with her all day and they’ve talked across the fence and they were all getting along fine. The new girl is very placid and kind natured so I thought it fine to turn them all out together. She just kept to herself and my other girls joined her about an hour later, they were absolutely fine!!!
Came to feeding time where they all get fed separately, one comes out of the field entirely. The pony totally unprovoked charges at my new girl ears pinned and I hadn’t even brought the food yet but she is still a baby. (3) The new girl rightly so defended herself and I don’t think she was expecting that as she is now utterly TERRIFIED of her.
I’m not sure what I can do. The new girl is never mean to her in any way, she totally ignores her if anything but the young one won’t be within 30 metres of her, to the point she jumped the fence at the bottom of the field straight through barbed wire. She is absolutely fine as she’s tough as nails but I don’t want it to happen again whilst I’m not there.
she has also made the new girl defensive as when the young one starts freaking out she kicks and squeals totally unprovoked again.
My older girl is constantly stuck in the middle of it, she gets along with both of them great but I don’t want the stress or the constant running about for her.

Any and all ideas welcome I’m thinking just leave it to run its course but I don’t want any injuries neither

 

[AmyMay]

Three can be a nightmare. I’d put the new girl back in to her separate field, until the spring when the ‘competition’ for food isn’t an issue.

 

[Meg_99]

Three can be a nightmare. I’d put the new girl back in to her separate field, until the spring when the ‘competition’ for food isn’t an issue.

I may have to, the only reason I didn’t do it was it’s not an big enough area as a permanent residence and most of it is in deep mud and I didn’t want her to hurt herself with the frost.

 

[AmyMay]

I may have to, the only reason I didn’t do it was it’s not an big enough area as a permanent residence and most of it is in deep mud and I didn’t want her to hurt herself with the frost.

Can you erect fencing in the other field then to corden her off safely?

 

[Meg_99]

I’m just trying to think where I could section her off in. It’s definitely possible but as the field is a very strange shape I’d need to go out and buy some more fence poles. Id keep her in, in the meantime but she stresses being in on her own and my older girl has arthritis so she can’t be stabled long either. Nightmare situation!! I stupidly assumed they’d be fine as they're all very kind natured individuals.

 

[SEL]

Sometimes it just takes longer.

My littlest pony is lovely natured and I introduced her to my pair (gelding and a mare) gradually by making a paddock within their paddock. The first night they were in together my gelding - the softest lump around - sent the newbie through mains electric. So back into the solo paddock.

I then just started with a few hours together, then all day together and finally 24:7 - but it took about 3 weeks.

 

[Midlifecrisis]

It took a couple of introductions before our new 3 year old was integrated with our 25 and 11 year old (all mares). Newbie was in sectioned off bit for two weeks and introduced and too much running about and through electric fencing occurred. So back into sectioned off area for another couple of weeks and when I saw droppings on both sides of sectioned off areas close together..and resting close together/lying down impressions overnight I took the fence down and that was that. This was in summer. Sometimes it does take a wee while.

 

[DizzyDoughnut]

When I got my young pony he went out with my old Welsh pony. They were over the fence from each other to start with and seemed to be getting on well so I put them in together and it was completely uneventful and they got along fine until they'd been together for a couple of days and the young gained confidence and decided to assert his authority in a thuggish bully kind of way, the old pony was scared of him and kept put of his way for a while, luckily the young one didn't go out of his way to have a go and was happy to let him keep his distance. They're now best friends and although the younger one is definitely still in charge the old one now tells him to get lost if he over steps the mark, they play together, sleep together lying flat out back to back. It just took time for them both to figure out where they stood with each other.

Could you separate them again and take them out somewhere together just so they get used to being near each other or just put them out together while you're around and gradually build up the time they're together.

 

[Meg_99]

Thankfully they’ve settled down a bit now, she’s still nervous about being in a smaller space with her as both hates to the field are quite narrow but she’s gained a bit of confidence. I’m going to take them for a walk together tomorrow

 

[Landcruiser]

It takes a while for them all to find their place in the pecking order, and it can change too. I introduced a bonded pair of rescue section As to my older gelding and young mare in October, by sectioning them off part of the turnout for about a fortnight. The gelding and the two welsh mares chatted nicely over the electric fence, but the Welshies took against my youngster. When I finally let them all in together it was in as big an area as I could - but they bullied her mercilessly. One day they got her cornered and were both turned kicking at her - luckily I was there to intervene. This went on for a few weeks, then at some point she must have decided enough was enough and retaliated. It was literally overnight - suddenly she was the boss of them, which is much better and calmer. She does lunge at them if they get in her space, but she doesn't follow through with kicks or bite them to actually make a mark. Gelding is the benevolent but strict boss of everyone and everything is sorted.
OP, if you need to buy a few more fence posts I'd do it, it's a small price to pay and they do get used to each other