Trouble at t'mill - horses fighting

[MrsElle]

Tara, 14 year old mare has been with us for 5 days. She and Ellie get on great but 2 year old Blue is really bullying Tara.

Tara stays out of Blue's way but sometimes Blue will actually chase her and attack her. We went to leave the field this evening and heard Blue cantering round the field towards Tara. Lots of squealing and a few cracks of hoof against legs took place and we ran back. We put Blue in another paddock and checked Tara over. She seems ok but it was quite dark so will give her a good check tomorrow.

My question is, will they get better in time or am I going to have to keep Blue and Tara separate? Blue and Ellie get on well but so do Ellie and Tara and as Tara has been kept alone for the last 4 years I would rather keep her in with Ellie. This would mean keeping Blue by himself which I also don't want to do. Since Tara arrived Blue has been even more bolshy and arsey than usual with us too

 

[Ziggy_]

Of course I can't give you a definite answer but I'm sure you know that some horses just don't get along with each other - just like some people just don't get along. If they have the space to stay well out of each others way they might learn to live with it, but IIRC you keep your horses on a fairly small acreage?

I know scuffles are normal when a new horse is introduced but I'm wary of 'leaving them to it' for a reason - aside from the risk of serious injury. I persisted with keeping my mare in a herd where one particular member seemed to hate her - for a nearly a year because I kept thinking they would stop eventually. Thankfully she avoided any major injuries but she is now really nervous of other horses as a result. It only became apparent when I moved yards and introduced her to her new companion, an elderly 13hh arab mare, who she promptly ran away from, and if another horse gets too close when I'm leading her or riding her she'll try to run too. I feel terrible for sticking with it so long.

 

[AmyMay]

It might work better if you take Ellie out rather than the two year old. And it's really unusual for one so young to take on an older horse like this.

Over waht period did you introduce them??

 

[Echo Bravo]

Sorry to here that Tara getting beaten up, I'd keep them apart for at least a week,just let them sniff each other the fence if poss and then put them back together sounds like pecking order issue.

 

[mattilda]

I got a new gelding and after the usual few days letting them get to know each other turned them all out together. I already had 2 geldings and 2 mares. All was fine until we lost one of the geldings and then the new horse attacked my old lad. He really laid into him.
Now I have to keep them seperated at all times as they just don't get on.

 

[Chico Mio]

Is Blue usually the submissive one in the Ellie/Blue pairing? If so he may be asserting his place in the hierachy. Tara came last so he needs to make sure she knows he is above her. Ellie doesn't care who she is with because she knows she is the boss.

I know of an identical situation at the moment. My old mare, who has retired to the country with an elderly gelding friend has established herself as boss of the pair. A new mare was put in the paddock with them and the gelding has been giving her a real hard time - obviously asserting his place in the herd and making sure the newbie knows she is bottom of the heap. MoM couldn't care less which one she is with - unless they try to get her food! They have all been left together to sort it out and both the new mare and elding are shod.

If Blue isn't shod hopefully there won't be any serious damage. Maybe you could divide the paddock and put Blue on one side and the girls on the other until they get used to each other?

 

[MrsElle]

That's my fear Ziggy, Tara has been kept alone for four years and I am so impressed with how she and Ellie get on. I would hate for Tara to become fearful of other horses just as she has bonded so well with Ellie

They are on two acres at the moment and have plenty of room to keep apart, which Tara does, but Blue actually spots her accross the paddock and will chase her to attack her

 

[AmyMay]

[ QUOTE ]
They are on two acres at the moment and have plenty of room to keep apart, which Tara does, but Blue actually spots her accross the paddock and will chase her to attack her

[/ QUOTE ]

That's actually not much space for 3 horses - and could be part of the problem. Tara simply can't get far enough away (ie stand away from the herd) to be an acceptable distance from the one youngster.

5 acres would be much better.....

 

[MrsElle]

Thanks for all your suggestions. Blue is currently in a separate paddock with Ellie and Tara happily grazing alongside each other.

Blue is a bolshy arsey teenager at the moment and I do understand that he is trying to find his position in the herd. They are only separated by electric tape so can still get relatively close and hopefully learn to get on over the fence.

I was quite surprised by Blue this evening as they had been rubbing along OK for the last few days, but Blue seems to be getting more aggressive. He gave me a good bite this evening too, the sod!