Single or mixed sex herds?

[Charlie31]

This is just a musing really. Up until fairly recently mares and geldings always used to be turned out together in mixed sex herds. I never had any problems with my horses going out in mixed groups and it always seemed quite natural to me to do this.

Nowadays it seems that more and more yards are turning to single sex herds. My lad is in a geldings only herd but simply because that's the way the yard is set up rather than because this is what I chose for him. In some ways I would rather he was in mixed herd really and I tend to think that in mixed groups the bitchiness among mares and rowdiness among geldings gets diluted a little bit.

I just wondered what others thought really. What do you do with your horse and why? Is there a reason why we've gone down this split sex route? I've personally never had any problems with the geldings getting inappropriate ideas but maybe I've just been lucky.

 

[Llee94]

Mine are in a mixed herd at home.

 

[Shooting Star]

There's very few mixed sex herd yards around our way now (sadly few that even have true herds with lots of singles & pairs )

I spent many years on a yard with a mixed herd of around 15 and there were few problems until a particularly riggy gelding arrived, following that there were quite a few injuries & issues, as a result they separated into two herds.

 

[Taliesan]

Personally I prefer mixed herds as I feel that is more natural for them.

However, my gelding is currently in a single sex herd as, when the yard had mixed herds, he got very possessive over the mares, kept mounting them when they were in season and ended up getting himself in a right state (bites, kicks, etc) as he got into disagreements with mares and geldings alike.

We then all decided that it would be safest if the herds were split into mares and geldings. Both herds are kept next to each other and regularly communicate over the fence but, thankfully, there is no more of the possessive arguing now they have been separated.

 

[MuddyMonster]

I would prefer mixed herds, but my gelding is on single sex turnout.

He does go out in a herd of 20-25 other horses in huge fields though, which I'd prefer other a mixed sex but small sized group in small fields.

Swings & roundabouts I guess.

 

[Wheels]

I only keep a small herd of geldings now - mares can upset the balance some times.

I don't think mixed herds are particularly natural - one of course as in the natural environment there are no geldings and don't wild herds tend to be made up of mares with youngsters and one stallion with bachelor herds made up of stallions whi don't have their own herd?

 

[wiglet]

We have paired turnout at my yard. Can be two mares, two geldings or a mare and a gelding together - YO watches and pairs them up with suitable companions. Never been any problems or injuries. My mare is currently in with a gelding, they get on fine but aren't clingy.

I've had herd turnout before and there were a lot of injuries however, that was probably because it was never a stable herd - lots of comings and goings with different horses. I think that will always be a problem with herds on livery yards.

 

[pippixox]

I have 2 mares and 2 geldings. Previous yards have always split sexes, but they are all in together in my field and I like the dynamics. I personally find groups of mares can be quite hard when they are all in season. Although when mixed the boys can get a bit possessive of some mares sometimes, I feel the mares are less obviously in season as they get it out of their systems in the field with boys!

I find there can be more group issues to do with age- the 2 ponies I have (mare and gelding) were in my friends mixed herd but were regularly picking on the older horses (she has quite a few old slow ones!) but my 2 that they joined, although in their teens, are quite dominant and taught them manners.

 

[Charlie31]

Thank you for all your interesting comments.

There's very few mixed sex herd yards around our way now (sadly few that even have true herds with lots of singles & pairs )

I spent many years on a yard with a mixed herd of around 15 and there were few problems until a particularly riggy gelding arrived, following that there were quite a few injuries & issues, as a result they separated into two herds.

I find singles and pairs a sad recent development too. I had my guy in a pair for a while and it made him very insecure. He's much happier in a big group now and I've vowed never to keep him in a pair again. Would never keep a horse single, it just seems wrong to me.

Personally I prefer mixed herds as I feel that is more natural for them.

However, my gelding is currently in a single sex herd as, when the yard had mixed herds, he got very possessive over the mares, kept mounting them when they were in season and ended up getting himself in a right state (bites, kicks, etc) as he got into disagreements with mares and geldings alike.

We then all decided that it would be safest if the herds were split into mares and geldings. Both herds are kept next to each other and regularly communicate over the fence but, thankfully, there is no more of the possessive arguing now they have been separated.

I guess this sort of thing does happen and necessitates split sex groups. I wonder if maybe it works for smaller groups but gets out of hand if it's a larger herd?

I would prefer mixed herds, but my gelding is on single sex turnout.

He does go out in a herd of 20-25 other horses in huge fields though, which I'd prefer other a mixed sex but small sized group in small fields.

Swings & roundabouts I guess.

Same situation for me really. My lad is in a group of about 15 geldings at the moment but in the past (with my old horse) we used to have mixed herds of six or so. This horse has a whale of a time in his big group but I don't remember so many ripped rugs in the olden days!

I only keep a small herd of geldings now - mares can upset the balance some times.

I don't think mixed herds are particularly natural - one of course as in the natural environment there are no geldings and don't wild herds tend to be made up of mares with youngsters and one stallion with bachelor herds made up of stallions whi don't have their own herd?

Yes, that's a good point actually, I never thought of it like that. I suppose there's quite a lot not natural about the way we keep horses nowadays.

We have paired turnout at my yard. Can be two mares, two geldings or a mare and a gelding together - YO watches and pairs them up with suitable companions. Never been any problems or injuries. My mare is currently in with a gelding, they get on fine but aren't clingy.

I've had herd turnout before and there were a lot of injuries however, that was probably because it was never a stable herd - lots of comings and goings with different horses. I think that will always be a problem with herds on livery yards.

Definitely agree with this and it's one my bugbears about livery yards. I tried to count the number of changes in the geldings' herd in the last year and couldn't!

I have 2 mares and 2 geldings. Previous yards have always split sexes, but they are all in together in my field and I like the dynamics. I personally find groups of mares can be quite hard when they are all in season. Although when mixed the boys can get a bit possessive of some mares sometimes, I feel the mares are less obviously in season as they get it out of their systems in the field with boys!

I find there can be more group issues to do with age- the 2 ponies I have (mare and gelding) were in my friends mixed herd but were regularly picking on the older horses (she has quite a few old slow ones!) but my 2 that they joined, although in their teens, are quite dominant and taught them manners.

That's an interesting take on things. This is not a problem I've encountered myself because usually the oldies just keep out of harm's way. I guess if you get a couple of youngsters who thing it's fun to get together and gang up on the oldsters that could lead to problems though.

 

[Micropony]

Having had a very bad experience years ago where someone got their arm broken in an argument between two oversexed geldings (one mine) over a tarty mare, my preference in a livery yard scenario is for single sex herds.

I am sure mixed herds can work really well for a lot of horses where the herd is really stable, my experience was that it doesn't work so well when horses are coming and going from the herd, in and out at different times and people with varying levels of competence are turning out and catching in at different times.

 

[horsefeed]

Completely depends on the horses within the herd. I currently have a mixed herd, 2 geldings, 2 mares and a stallion donkey, a pair 1 gelding and 1 mare and then a gelding on his own as he is just damn right horrible to everything!! He gets overly attached to mares but hates them at the same time, he will chase others round constantly, rips rugs of the backs of all horses in the herd but if you were to take even 1 out of the field leaving him with company and does not matter how many he is left with he will fence walk constantly and full on attack any of the others that get in his way! Then when you return the missing 1 to field he attacks that too! On his own but constantly company over the fence seems to have given him stability that he needed. The pair are both old and like a quieter live and have different dietary requirements to the mixed herd.

 

[pennyturner]

Don't know about mares, but boys are definitely happier in a single sex herd. It mimics the bachelor herds they form in the wild, and stallions, as well as geldings, settle and form quiet friendships without those tarty girlies getting in the way.

 

[rowan666]

Mine are in a mixed heard but as long as they have company I don't suppose it really makes a difference

I have found in the past that our heard was at its most content when it was all geldings and just one dominant mare to keep them all in line though

 

[Cahill]

always had mixed with no problems.

 

[oldie48]

As another has said, nothing natural about mixed herds of mares and geldings, I prefer single sex but have had small mixed groups in the past which were stable and worked well but I did have a gelding that was very aggressive with another gelding over a pony mare.

 

[TelH]

I have 5 mares and 2 geldings at home all turned out together. One of the mares is top of the pecking order and everyone else knows their place but they all get on fine. The only time I've separated them was when one mare was heavily in foal and when her foal was tiny, they had a part of the field penned off then.

 

[dizzyneddy]

At my old riding school if your horse was out all summer they were in a mixed herd but if they were kept in on full livery (the only other alternative to working or grass livery) the mares went out in the morning & geldings in the afternoon.

When l moved to a yard that was part livery they were turned out in small groups & could be mixed.

But when l purchased my house l moved them to a friends yard down the road & the YO only allowed mares to be turned out together in one field with the boys being turned out in the adjoining field.

lt never bothered me if my girls were turned out with a mixed herd or not. But the only time l'd not fancy them being turned out together is when you get a gelding that is constantly wanting to mount everything in sight which l know one gelding at a yard constantly did whatever time of year it was!!!

 

[Sparemare]

Only geldings on our yard. It's a stable herd and they all get on well together.

 

[Passtheshampoo]

I've always kept my mates in a mixed herd up until last summer. Once the only gelding had left the mares were much more settled not niceably in season and generally quieter in the field with no rug damage. I dont think I want another gelding with the mares in future and as it's my small yard it will remain girls only.