Putting a mare out with a gelding for the first time

[Storminateacup]

I have a rather dominant gelding who can be protective of mares.
Since I ve owned him he has always been rather "interested" in mares. He used to try to mount my other horse, a gelding, but was never aggressive just playful, no horse ever had a mark on them, he seemed to grow out of this at around the age of five and we only see it rarely now.
We have now found a very suitable horse for my hubby, she 16.2hh heavy mare and age 9 and she had one foal in the past at the stud where she was bred. She current lives out with 3 geldings, one elderly heavy cob (massive) , one big warmblood (17.2hh) about 8 and a 2 year old heavy horse about 17hh. They all get on fine, the big warmblood being boss horse, but gentle with it.
My horse, before coming to me was turned out with his Dam,his Sire, half brothers and sisters and assorted other horses. Recently when he was away with his trainer he was a bit protective with a mare and another horse got kicked, but as there were five or six other geldings in the field with him and the mare, it cannot be said that my horse did the damage, and athough he was closest to the mare, he was easily caught and brought in from the field with no commotion.

Just wondering how to deal with her arrival and the first few days, would it be best to keep them seperate and meet over the electric fence or just fling them in together and cross our fingers?
It will only be the two of them together, and we do not intend having any other horses. I actually thought it might be the right time for my horse to have his own mare, rather than get so excited by them when out riding, although he is always well behaved.
There were mares trained alongside him recently in the arena at his trainers and he was perfectly sensible ridden, although obviously interested at first.

Ideas and/ or experiences would be much appreciated.

Thanks

 

[Nicnac]

I have always left them in separate fields with electric fence between for a few days and brought them up to tie up to groom/ride out first before turning out together. Having had my daughters geldings with my mares, what I have found is that some geldings get bad separation anxiety when really bonded with a mare, but have always been able to take the gelding out and leave the mare on her own. (bit like when my OH goes away )

I now have 2 geldings and did the same to introduce them to each other and we have a real bromance going on!

 

[Storminateacup]

my horse has seperation anxiety to start with, so it cannot get any worse!

 

[popeyesno1fan]

My gelding has been out with mares, grew up with a filly. but the balance has changed lately, different combination of horses. I put him out with a new mare last week, the little buggar hounded her for about an hour, kept chasing her, biting her bum, being a total arse!! I was on the way out to bring him in, when they settled down, so i waited and watched. after a while they were "scratching" each other, and are now best friends!!!!!! Funny how it works out, when left to their own devices.

 

[Rose Folly]

I've always run mares and gelding together, with no problems.

I think it is probably wise to keep them separated by electric fencing for a few days. What we usually do is to then take them for a really long ride, so when they get back all they have on their minds is a good graze and roll. We lead both the mare and gelding into the one field, release the dominant one first, who will usually go off and start grazing. then very quietly we slip the lead on the other horse.

It has always worked so far (19 years). Just keep it all as understated as you can. I agree that mares and geldings bond closely, but then so do some same-sex pairs!

 

[Storminateacup]

I think its most likely I will put a double row of electric fencing between them to start off with then let them in together a day or so later. Not likely to be able to go out for a long hack with them straightaway as they are both a bit new to hacking, both just starting our although my boy is scared of nothing, except being on his own!, but maybe a walk round the farm will do the same thing.

 

[popeyesno1fan]

I've always run mares and gelding together, with no problems.

I think it is probably wise to keep them separated by electric fencing for a few days. What we usually do is to then take them for a really long ride, so when they get back all they have on their minds is a good graze and roll. We lead both the mare and gelding into the one field, release the dominant one first, who will usually go off and start grazing. then very quietly we slip the lead on the other horse.

It has always worked so far (19 years). Just keep it all as understated as you can. I agree that mares and geldings bond closely, but then so do some same-sex pairs!

I had two mares, years ago, and my god, did they have a bond. they were bought around the same time, and were ridden together, lived together etc... every so often, the quieter of them used to be taken out to help catch a neighbours "herd". I was asked to "round up" the herd with the quiet mare. the other one jumped a huge wall out onto the road the first time, after that, i used to have to stable her, feed her and have someone stay with her if i took the other mare out!! crazy for a same sexed couple!!!! but they loved each other so much!!!
(unfortunately for my poor horses, i got pregnant at 19, my dad went mental, and sold both mares!! ).

 

[zippo]

No breakfast,4 or 5 piles of hay/feed,well spaced out.Usually they are too busy going from pile to pile to worry too much.However many horses we may have out together,we always have extra feeders/hay put out,that way there seems to be little competion and they all settle down.

 

[Storminateacup]

Thanks Zippo, hadn't thought of putting out hay. Will do that.