Tricky yard/ field situation

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Jim bob

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I have a yard/ field problem and looking at you guys for some advice :)
I shall start from the top as that will make it easier and hopefully I wont lost anyone on the way.

I have a 17hh ex racer, who since about the age of 2 has spent a lot of the turnout time in individual turnout. In previous homes he has been turned out with other horses, a mare which apparently he wouldn't leave alone and it was just them two. He has also been in a herd setting and basically from what I can gather was awful, but I don't know the details. He was then with another horse who was similar height to him and they would play rough but my horse was still the lower of the two. So he did come in with a few cuts now and again.

Then I bought him he was in a stable were he could see horses all around him however the horse behind him would try to bite him when he tried to crib (his a cribber).long with this he went onto individual turnout for around 18 months and to be honest he wasn't a fan of it. He would try and play with me when I went to poo pick then charge to the others near by, wanting to play. He looked quite low and became very bored ( he would bit and chew on electric fencing). Then him been depressed turned into aggression, towards me. With what appeared to be no trigger he launched at me and bit me hard on my head so I had bloody running down my face. His bit me on my chest with such force I have landed on the floor.

It was only when the biting started that I got outside help. Who in short told me. He is frustrated that he doesn't have his own space in his stable and so he cant relax and in the turnout he cant be a horse as he cant interact with other horses.

So I moved him, to a yard that allows him to crib, were he has his own space in the stable He is right in the middle so can see everything that's going on. He has turnout with other geldings ( 3 others). This is my current yard.

In the field there is the leader of the herd a 15.2 tb, a 15hh cob , a 14hh dales x and mine 17hh tb. My horse and the dales pony for whaever don't get on. Mine will chase him around now and again and happily bit his bum and the dales will tell him when he is fed up, normally he will double barrow him this doesn't seem to make a difference really. My horse only seems to go for this one pony. However its my horse who is coming out on the field beaten up!

Just over the course of today, this morning I brought him in to find he has been bit on his neck and cut on hi leg (from a kick) and tonight he has a very faint hoof print on his rump, that could have been caused by the dominant horse even hough his owner says he doesn't kick out. I have seen him kick out a few times however but never double barrowed.

I aren't sure if I could move him into another field ( as its he YO choice and it would be in with her horses). All the other yards that turn out in herds are either part livery or full livery and I don't want to have someone else muck out my horse really plus I like to keep costs low. DIY nears around me offer only individual turnout which I don't really want. I normally wouldn't be so bothered about my horse been bit now and then as there horses. But I have had 3 injuries happen in one day!

Thanks for reading! Well done if you have made it this far and not got lost! What would you all do?
 
yes. I ride my horse a lot. I have recently found out my horse and the leader (15.2 tb) were bum to bum and did rear at each other today aswell . I aren't sure what to do for the best.
 
Is he happier in his new situation at this yard? If so, I'd leave alone. Doesn't sound like he's getting any serious injuries, if he's low in the pecking order that's what happens, they come in with scrapes. But it sounds as though your horse hasn't been allowed to socialise properly, is being a bit annoying, and the Dales x is doing you a favour by teaching him what's what! Just sounds like horses, to me?
 
Sounds like he's being an annoying little toe rag, and the others are dealing with him the way horses do. Doesn't sound like the injuries are serious, so I'd just let them sort him out with the gift that keeps on giving - field manners. It might be painful for you at the moment, but if he learns a tough lesson now, you and he will have a much easier life in the future!
 
My horse is a ex racehorse and never got to play at a 2/3/4 year old due to been in a stable 23 hours a day!
 
Auslander said:
Sounds like he's being an annoying little toe rag, and the others are dealing with him the way horses do. Doesn't sound like the injuries are serious, so I'd just let them sort him out with the gift that keeps on giving - field manners. It might be painful for you at the moment, but if he learns a tough lesson now, you and he will have a much easier life in the future!
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Yes this is my take on it too. From experience it's always geldings that carry on like this. On my yard mares occasionally get injured and that's through nastiness, with the lads it's almost always through play!! They are separated btw.
 
Ooh tricky one, I can understand your concern; you want him to have company but not be at risk of injury... What about turning him out with boots on (I use old brushing boots that are too scruffy to ride in) and always in a rug/rain sheet/fly sheet (depending on the weather), that would minimise the more minor injuries? X
 
My boy sounds a little like yours, although he is only 2 and recently gone out with new horses. All the horses are new to each other apart from two who are owned by sisters. Mine has come in with a few bites on his neck and when they are first turned out in a morning, there's lots of play, rearing at each other, hooning around. I've occasionally seen another horse lift a hind leg to ward off my youngster and tell him enough is enough or he's gone too far. He's learnt to read these new horses now and accepts when they're done playing. He's actually starting playing at being the grown up and telling them when he's not in the mood! I think this is good for my youngster and he is actually a lot more mannerly around me now too.
OP you don't say how old your horse is now but it sounds like he is lacking in socalisation skills, just like a youngster would be. He's never learnt how to play properly and respectfully, but with the right horses (not ones who will just beat him up!) he soon will and will probably be much happier all round.
 
My chap is a poor doer and the flies can anno him so he is normally in a light weight or if its nice weather a fly rug. He was out in his turnout today and still managed a cut on his lower leg a bit on his neck and when I took his rug off tonight a faint hoof print on his rump :( He does still seem to be playing to a degree ( not sure if mounting another gelding is playing!?!) but he likes to bite there bums. He was a bit OOT when a new horse came and basically wouldn't leave him alone and had to graze as close to him as he could get and would follow him around the field. When the horse canter or do get excited my boy loves it. Becoming very excited and doing like little bunny hops.
 
Is it possible for him to stay out all the time on his present yard ? If so I would leave him out all the time apart from when you are doing stuff with him.
Apart from that I would increase his work load until he's going into the field tired.
They do usually reduce this behaviour in time as you say he does not like being out alone you don't have a lot of options .
Geldings can be complete pains in the field .
 
I had a TB that had spent most of his life in, it took him 6months of constant turnout to become normal. He was old when I got him and it was a bit hair raising seeing him standing on his back legs boxing and generally tearing round in a group, but he never went lame and eventually he literally toughened up, he used to have breaks in his skin where he rolled at first. In an ideal world I would turn him out with one for a while to create a pair bond before putting him in a group.
 
my boy is 9. Sadly its not an option to turn out in pairs. He does like to stick close to the leader of the group. At the moment. he is still in a night the grass is very rich.
 
Have had a few geldings like this in my herd ... We have always been lucky and issues have been resolved without injury; however they all got quite the beating from the rest of the herd and looked scruffed up for a few weeks. Once they settled , they learnt when and how to play appropriately and by invitation! You now see them rearing and kneeling and playing about, but never a mark on anyone.
 
Jim bob said:
my boy is 9. Sadly its not an option to turn out in pairs. He does like to stick close to the leader of the group. At the moment. he is still in a night the grass is very rich.
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If he's a poor doer, then leave him out if the grass is that good. It may also settle the group down.
 
My boy is a git when turned out with others. He antagonises the life out of field 'mates' and was always coming in with ripped rugs, bite marks and kick marks as were the other horses. Boys play rough, they can be a nightmare!

He has been on individual turnout for a good nine months now with no ill effect. He has horses all around him when turned out and the majority are on individual t/o. Our stables (Indoor barn style) only have bars and door at the front so he has his own personal space. Never had an issue with his behaviour towards me like you have described but then he is an ID so a bit more sane and sensible (I've owned TB's they are so different, lol)

I would perhaps ask if the Dales x could be moved but if you say its all of them I would be inclined to either put him on individual turnout again and keep a check on his behaviour (biting is not acceptable and no matter how big a horse is I would have floored him when he did it the first time!) or let them get on with it and see if it does settle in time. I would be inclined to boot him though for protection.
 
Sounds like they are just being horses to me, nothing nasty, just telling him to do one, when they get fed up...if they aren't actually fighting, pinning against the fence or real nasty behaviour I think I would just leave him out to get on with it...definitely try some old boots for a bit of extra protection...but if he wasn't happy on his own then i don't see you have much choice than to leave them to it and just keep an eye on them.
 
I would put some boots and a rug on him and monitor the situation carefully. How long has he been at current yard ? It might take time for the pecking order to be established and for things to calm down. I have herd issues with my new boy too who has had no turnout previously and simply doesn't know how to socialise. Good luck.
 
How long have you been at this yard and have you been bitten (or threatened) since your horse has been out with the boys?
 
Sounds like a nightmare of a situation but i have to say if i was the owner of one of the other horses i wouldn't take another gelding mounting them as "playing" and i woudl be asking the YO to have the one doing the mounting removed from the field!

Is there the option of single turnout but in a strip surrounded by other horses? Or turnout with one other?
 
How long has he been in his current turnout group, it sounds like they might still be establishing the pecking order.

I realise you're concerned about your horse being injured but the others are teaching him some sorely needed field manners by the sound of it.

If he's a poor do-er I'd be tempted to increase turnout until he's out 24/7 just coming in to be ridden and groomed as it may help the situation to be resolved more quickly.
 
Okay, to answer all of your questions. He has spent the last5-6 months in a group of 3. In the last month a another horse has come into the herd, the 15.2 cob. The only reason I haven't been turning him out full time in because they were on another field were they current field was rested. They have been on this new field around 3 weeks now and he is quite loose when turned out 24/7. He has been at the current yard around 7 months now. He hasn't threatened to bite in a while the last time was around hard feed... 3 months ago. There isn't really an option for him to be separated however we have suggested to the YO whether we can put mine or the dales in the other field with her horses. We haven't heard anything back . In terms of splitting the field and pairing the horses up we would need to speak to the other owners. And tbh I don't think they would want their horses splitting up .
 
It can take a long time until horses settle in their group and they often are not given long enough to really get established in their place. Provided nobody is getting seriously bullied just leave them to it and leave him out as much as possible, the knocks should get less over time as they get to know each other better.
 
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