Urgent help - Mare with geldings

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Amberfield

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Some advice / Input / Ideas needed please.

I keep my gelding on a very small yard of 5 geldings. They are kept in pairs which suit their characters - the fifth is an old boy who goes out in a seperate diet paddock and doesn't fuss much with the others.

At the small holding next door , the owners have given permission for a firend of theirs to keep their mare on one of their paddocks which joins the fields our biys are in. They are not used to mares and have all gone nuts since her arrival. The problem is the constant squealing and season from this mare , coupled with the fact she is kept on her own , with only sheep for company. I believe her owner has been unable to catch her and has almost been kicked trying to fetch her in to ride. Our boys who are normally calm , compete regularly with mares etc have been difficult to lead , squealing and a real problem. They have been left in today , to prevent anyone getting hurt.

No idea what to do as the mare has nothing to do with the yard . She is obviously unhappy on her own and now we can't turn the geldings out .

This isn't a ' mare versus geldings ' thread - the reaction of the geldings is probably because they are in a small and regulated herd which doesn't involve mares , so teenage boy antics have been the response !

Any ideas ??
 
What a nuisance, doesn't sound like there is much you guys can do but hope the owner of the mare is equally hacked off with the impractical situation and moves her mare away.
 
How long has the mare been there? TBH I don't think there's a lot you can do except keep turning them out and hoping the novelty will wear off. You can't force them to take her elsewhere although a quiet word suggesting they might find her easier to catch, etc, if she's away from a herd of geldings might help. Have you spoken to the owner yet?

I'd catch the boys in rope halters or something a bit stronger than an ordinary headcollar for now though, you'll have more control. I would imagine leaving them in will be counter productive because they'll just be even more fresh when you do bring them out! If they are in pairs they should be more manageable so it's not like you're faced with a huge herd to negotiate each time.
 
The owner of the mare may, if you are lucky, get fed up and move her to somewhere more suitable but in the meantime you cannot keep yours in all the time. I would put a line of electric fence down the boundary, it may mean less grass for yours but it will keep them further apart and may give them all a chance to settle down, which they probably will after a while once the novelty wears off.
 
They just need to be given time to get used to the new addition to their territory, and she needs to get used to her new home.
 
It will settle, once they all get to know one another. Being next to new boys will have brought her into season - it will last as long as seasons usually do. It would probably settle sooner if she had her very own boyfriend in her own field, but since you don't have control over that, nothing can be done.

We have one mare, three geldings living peacefully in a happy group - once the initial introduction stage is over, harmony can reign :)
 
give it a week, 2 tops, and it will probably have all calmed down. mine are in a mixed herd of 9- before they had only ever been in small same sex groups. if a new horse arrives they will squeal over the fence ect... regardless of sex actually, although a bit more if it is the opposite sex, and they go a bit crazy for a few days, max of a week, new horse is settled.

I presume a new horse hasn't happened in a while so it will be exciting, even if it was a gelding, and this time of year mares will be more flirty.

just check the fence for anything like nails sticking out they could injure themselves on and boot them for a few days
 
What would you do if you took the geldings to a show and there was a mare there?
They should have the manners to be able to be handled around a mare.
They'll calm down in a few days.
 
Elsiecat - They are all usually very well mannered , thank you , especially at shows. All compete affiliated and mix with mares at competitions. I think the problem is her new presence next to them out as a ' herd ' and the fact that she is on her own , with no horsey companion , gelding or mare . She is lonely and now in season as well. She runs the fence and squeals when they are being led , which creates rather alot of excitement.

I was looking for constructive comment on how to deal with them as a herd while she is around and whether we as owners could be doing anything to help calm the situation.
 
Elsiecat said:
Amber field - dont get your back up! They will calm down in a few days, as will she. Just like I said!
Click to expand...

^^^^ This. In my minds eye I see a bunch of over protective owners..........of the geldings! Horses will settle, they always do, given the chance.
 
Advice:
Keep your lads to their routines
Pop up a temporary electric fence your side to keep them away from touching noses.

As others have said - they ought to settle in 7 - 10 days or so.
Its not usually ever a problem long term but something you'll need to be patient with till they have all sorted themselves out.
Its prob worse for the mare owner with the non-catching & her girl turning herself inside out - possibly losing weight etc too.
 
She won't be in season forever, and they will all calm down once they get used to each other. My extremely tarty mare has a gelding as her field companion and yes, the first time she was in season, he got a bit excited, but he has since realized that grass is far more interesting and she can squirt and squeal all she likes, but he'll just keep chomping. My advice would be to turn your geldings back out, and I'm sure things will soon be back to normal :)
 
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