Not sure how to to this..

[angellauren]

I'd appreciate some advice please if anyone has a moment or any bright ideas!

Here's the situation, my partner and I are moving in to a new property, I have 1 pony out on loan at the moment and they are putting the pressure on to bring him back and I have a foal arriving also and am also getting a lot of pressure off the guy as he wants to get rid of heads basically because he's got too many due to go down at the yard and people keep postponing! So now, I've got my loan pony and a foal fresh off the mountains coming on the same day and there's not really a way around it.

I'm not sure how to deal with it ha ha!

Should I put them together or keep them separate? Would you get one in particular to arrive first?

Just any advice really as their reaction is panicking me a little bit as I want them to be as settled as possible really.

So two ponies in a new environment and that don't know each other.. Sounds like I'm asking for trouble right

 

[noodle_]

i did this tbh......

i moved my oldest mare into a brand new field (different yard)....


brought my youngster (2 and never been anywhere but her breeders) into the field next to her (youngster was quite shy did NOT lead...) youngster then cleared the 3.5 foot fence into my eldest mares field


dont be surprised if they kick off and want to be together - mine did! (they lived out)

they were inseprable until i lost my eldest

 

[be positive]

If the foal is unhandled and used to being on a mountain I would make sure I had somewhere safe to keep it shut in for a few days to get some basic handling done, worm it and gradually introduce it to the other pony.

I would get the older pony first, it should be more easy to adjust and go where you want it, then the foal can arrive and be left to settle, it will probably be stressed anyway so the less going on once it arrives the better, seeing another pony should help.

 

[smellsofhorse]

it depends on them.
It would be nice to see them together but the pony could well be nasty to the foal.
Can you stable or turn them out next to each other. so they can see each other and maybe touch a little.
See how they are and progress from how they seem and react.

 

[Wagtail]

To be honest, this should be much easier than having just one arrive at a time as they will bond quickly in a strange place with no other equines. They would be much more frightened if the only equine. I would use electric fencing to make tw small paddocks next to one another and see how they get on over the fence. Then if all seems well, put the older one in with the foal after a few days.

 

[angellauren]

Thanks for the input guys.

I could stable them but my pony who is coming back off loan is a bit of a Houdini and regularly hops over his stable door and out of fields so whilst he settles I was hoping to put them in this giant walled garden we have there whilst I sort out the fencing around the rest of the place!

I could section it off inside with electric fencing I suppose? Where can I get fairly good quality stuff as pony has been known to go under the stuff previously, such a brat

The foal is 7 months old and will make about 15.2hh and my pony is about 13.3hh/14hh so there's not a great deal in height to be honest as this one is a big baby!

Foal and pony will both be wormed prior to arrival and foal will have had fairly basic handling as the guy brings them down off the mountains and they spend a couple of weeks at his home/yard where they get used to a little bit more.

ETA: I was also a little worried about them latching on to each other and then having separation anxiety issues between the pair of them!!