Turnout, mixed mares and geldings?

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Horses24-7

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Hi all

Was wondering what your opinions are on mixing mares and geldings for turnout?

Been looking at a few yards recently and some yards mix mares and gelding in the fields. I've always been on yards where they are split so was wondering whether this setup should put me off?

Thanks x
 
I would not be worried as long as they have a sensible introduction process. I hate yards where they chuck new horses straight out to sink or swim. Mine have always been in a mixed herd and been fine.
 
Our yard mixes. A mare hasnt long joined my lad and his field mate. She was put in the field that was next to theirs so they were able to meet each other over the fence. A week later she was put in with them and it was like she'd always been in there. The other lot of liveries also have a mixed field and have no problems.
 
What way would it put you off?
When I bought my mare in august she was in fields where it was just mares ad just geldings, where as when I bought her she went straight into a mixed herd, well we kept her in an isolation paddock for about 7days, so all the horses could see each other but not touch.. We then started introducing her droppings and then when she was put in wth the herd she was fine, a couple of squills but that's all .. She's now 2nd in the pecking order but she settled in so quickly with the geldings :)
 
I think it can work, and on small yards I guess it can make sense to have all the horses out together. However when our horse was on a yard with mixed turn out he got excessively attached to one particular mare and became very difficult. Hard to catch, rude and stressy on the yard, very reluctant to walk past the field when ridden or to leave for a hack. He always had nappy tendencies but this period really set them in stone and made the habit hard to break. He was at that yard with his previous owners (my pony was kept at the same place) but was moved away almost immediately after we bought him. He's fine in a big herd of geldings but not a mixed herd, and I'd always think long and hard about taking a future horse anywhere with mixed TO. But that's just my experience and I know it works for some :)
 
We've always had ours in mixed herd with no problems. Would agree that introducing them properly is important but I wouldn't want to chuck a horse straight out with a new herd anyway. :)
 
Well we used to keep our own horses on our own land, we had a stallion, mares and geldings and they all lived very happily.

But I have since kept my mare in a mixed herd and she was unfortunately repeatedly attacked by a large WB gelding, so I would now think twice about it.

I currently keep her on a large yard in an individual paddock, alot of the horses are in paddocks on their own, all next to one another, so she is surrounded by other horses. I keep her this way as she has rotation in her front right and I have to manage her diet so strictly to keep her sound, that keeping her in her own field is best for her safety. That foot of hers is just so vulnerable and its a fine balance keeping her sound that I just cannot risk keeping her in a large shared paddock with even same sex horses.

I like the idea of mixed herds and think it can work very well, but if you get a riggy gelding, like we encountered then it can be a nightmare
 
My girls are out in a mixed herd and they are a lovely settled herd. I've also had Genie in a mares only herd and didn't have any problems there either to be honest!
 
where my loaned mare is they tried putting the new livery (gelding) in with my loaned mare and her best friend. lets call my mare A, her best friend B and the livery C
C wanted to make friends with B, but A didnt like having to share her best friend and got jealous and chased him round the field kicking and biting him. we had to split the field into two as she wouldnt get used to him. to start with aswell we let them meet
 
It's a bit different as I keep mine on private land but we have always had mares and geldings out together (various horses and ponies over more than 20 years) and never had a problem with this. For me it just depends on the individual horses as I think some just take longer to gel... though we've never had to keep any separate.
 
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