What A Day... But Say Hello To My New Filly!

[legyield]

Today I trundled down to Leicester to pick up my new filly now that she's finally been weaned. She's such a lovely girl, I went to see her about a month ago and fell for her there and then. She is a PRE (andalusian in simple terms) with fab breeding. I decided I wanted something I could possibly keep and compete in a few years, and something to keep my 2yo company while she's growing too.

So home came Conquista! She jumped onto the box and travelled like an absolute star, quiet as a lamb. We picked my 2yo up from her field, as not only was today new pony day it was also new field day, and off we went to the new field down the road.
On getting there I put my 2yo (whose name is Tia) out first then spent the next half an hour trying to tempt Conquista off the box. Eventually we pretty muched picked her up and carried her off!

Conquista and Tia are getting on very well. Everything was brill until they were out with the two new horses, one an elderly arab who was no problem at all and the other a 16hh rather largely built cob. I knew there'd be a few tussles, especially over the first few days, while they establish a pecking order but it certainly wasn't nice to watch. My new foal and my baby getting kicked and bitten and chased like no end and I just felt totally helpless! Things wouldn't have been so bad had the other horse been barefoot. Honestly I've never seen anything like it, she chased my 2yo round and round and round before she cornered her. Tia panicked and broke a fence post and ended up through the fence and she's got a few chunks missing. All I could think was "oh god, I hope there's still something left of them in the morning" and honestly didn't want to leave them. The cob was literally stood just staring at them from the other side of the field, constantly, not grazing or anything and then she'd just charge at them and no amount of arm waving or shooshing away made a difference. I think my two are glad they've found a friend in each other. Please someone tell me it won't go on for much longer?!

Here they are:

Conquista trying to play with Tia, and Tia pretending that she's too cool to play with a baby!

Bum to bum, and almost the same size?!

Keeping a lookout!

Hope you all like.. and any reassurances welcome!

 

[dressagelove]

Gorgeous gorgeous gorgeous!!! You are so lucky!

 

[FfionWinnie]

They are both gorgeous. They look like good friends already

 

[Cortez]

Very nice; how big is the coloured and what's the PRE's breeding, if I may ask?

 

[Snoozinsusan]

She's beautiful!

 

[kerrieberry2]

my 27yr old mare was a right cow when she was first out with my 2yr, maybe for a month! she never kicked him or chased him round and round but at any possible chance she'd run at him and bite him! she swiped a patch of hair from his face at one point! then one day I saw them grooming each other and they get on really well now!

she is very much to boss of him, he knows that ears back means move out of the way but hes young and silly and does keep going back, so he does get the odd bite, but nothing nasty now!

fingers x'd your's will sort it out soon! She's lovely by the way!

Besties now

 

[Cinnamontoast]

Lovely filly! I sould think the field situation will calm down soon: mine got chased and picked on for a couple of days, next thing I knew, it was all peace and love in the field!

 

[legyield]

Thankyou all. I'd say Tia is about 14hh at the moment, maybe slightly bigger and she's bum high at the moment. Conquista is by Mejicano XXIX. I have her registration papers as her passport is still being processed by ANCCE, so don't have her whole pedigree. I do however have her pedigree up to her great grandparents on both sides in front of me but unfortunately I know nothing about Spanish breeding! Which is a bit of a shame really as I'm usually an absolute geek when it comes to breeding!

 

[millimoo]

Absolutely lovely pair, and look very happy together.
Is there any way you can keep them apart from the other two?
You're very lucky not to have a serious (even fatal) injury. I would never put out horses together straight away.
My mums horse would have killed my Shetland in the early days, and it took months before we could turn them out. Leaving horses to get on with it under any circumstance is taking a huge Risk.
Your two are only babies, and fragile ... They really do look gorgeous, and I'm sorry to be negative about turning everyone out together, but I've first hand experience of my Shetland escaping and my mum warmblood after him - and boy did he mean it.
Hope it settles, but I'd be inclined to get a temporary fence up if it continues.

 

[flirtygerty]

Absolutely gorgeous, could you not put electric fencing up for a few days.
When I introduced my lad (over a paddock fence) to our dominant mare and 27 yr old, the mare and my lad trashed every fence on the place, he was going for the old boy and the mare seemed to put herself between the two boys, after a couple of hours, I couldn't stand the constant kicking and biting and the old boy was brought into a stable.
Our mare and the new boy continued to battle for top spot for two days, both were shod and it was really horrendous, they eventually tired, and started grazing apart from each other, gradually getting closer, it must have been about two weeks before I would risk putting the old boy back out

 

[Clodagh]

Please say you haven't really gone home for the night and left a foal and a 2 year old in the field with an aggressive shod horse who has already put them through the fence? I'm really hoping I have misunderstood and there is someone there with them.

 

[Kallibear]

Awwww, I love babies!

They should settle down. However if they don't, try taking the elderly arab out. The big cob is protecting HER friends (mine mine mine!!!) and has something to be possesive over. Taking the arab away means they makes friends, or she goes lonely!

 

[legyield]

I actually asked beforehand (before they went in the field, and once in the field when they were fighting) that they be seperated to begin with and just get to see/know each other over the fence. When they were hooleying about earlier, the girl that owned the Arab was just absolutely useless. I asked her to get hold of the horse that was doing the chasing as she knows it and she just stood there. They're on 8 acres which is split into three fields, two have gates seperating them. Unfortunately Tia went through one of the fences earlier, and ripped a fence post out which snapped completely so there's nothing to confine them in that field, and she was very lucky to get away with only a few scrapes and a bit of missing hair. There's also no running water in the other fields. I suggested that we just put buckets of water in, but all I've gotten so far is that I "should just leave them to it as if I seperate them I'm just prolonging the inevitable". My mum's been to check on them again tonight, about an hour ago, as she knew how worried I was. She says they weren't doing badly and no obvious injuries! I'm going up at the crack of dawn tomorrow to see them, so will be taking supplies incase I need to do some field DIY and seperate them. The girl with Arab does fortunately live right next to the field and is keeping an eye on them.

 

[Twinkley Lights]

I'm sorry but it's not prolonging the inevitable it's keeping them all safe. I would put my foot down , cause a scene if required and sort out some electric fencing and start as you mean to go on tomorrow morning. It just isn't on to leave the foal and your pony in this position. And what on earth is going on with the water if she isn't providing for her horses then ignore her and make sure yours are safe and comfortable .... she sounds a nightmare!

 

[RutlandH2O]

Absolutely lovely pair, and look very happy together.
Is there any way you can keep them apart from the other two?
You're very lucky not to have a serious (even fatal) injury. I would never put out horses together straight away.
My mums horse would have killed my Shetland in the early days, and it took months before we could turn them out. Leaving horses to get on with it under any circumstance is taking a huge Risk.
Your two are only babies, and fragile ... They really do look gorgeous, and I'm sorry to be negative about turning everyone out together, but I've first hand experience of my Shetland escaping and my mum warmblood after him - and boy did he mean it.
Hope it settles, but I'd be inclined to get a temporary fence up if it continues.

Thank you for expressing exactly what I was thinking! I'd be very worried...Clodagh has also expressed my concern with your aggressive, shod horse and your babies. I really think you need to put up an electric fence for a while.

 

[PonyFeet10]

I would be separating them ASAP!! My youngster ended up having two of his teeth knocked out, one which hasn't grown back correctly (he was 2 then and now 4) and had ended up with a gash in his shoulder which needed stitching. All happened in about 2 minutes from the shod horse he was in with.. Never again, it could have ended up a lot worse and I learnt from that. Both of your youngsters are lovely, the foal is a beauty, I love her kind eyes

 

[Clodagh]

Have things settled down today? I hope everything is OK.

 

[TuscanBunnyGirl]

shes lovely

 

[sykokat]

Separate them ASAP!!! Let them get to know each other over the fence etc for as long as it takes! A babies leg can shatter so easily!

 

[Meowy Catkin]

Separate them ASAP!!! Let them get to know each other over the fence etc for as long as it takes! A babies leg can shatter so easily!

I have to agree. It's just too risky putting a weanling straight in with an aggressive, shod horse. Even if you think that everything has settled down, I would still move the two year old and the weanling into their own paddock (even if it's just an electric fenced off area).

 

[Meowy Catkin]

How are your weanling and two year old today? Are they OK? Has everything settled down?

 

[legyield]

Just to let you all know. I went back that night after giving my head a wobble and somehow cobbled together a make shift gate to get them out of the way in another field. The mare was still charging up and down the fence line but couldnt get to them. The next day at 6:30am I went up with my friend's dad in the horsebox and decided to move them back to the field my 2yo had been in, as it's always been a nice herd, but I thought the new field would have been even better for them. My friend's dad had to stand and keep chasing the mare away when she realised I was moving them as she was still gunning for them. They pretty much jumped onto the box!
They're now very settled in the old field, which is 40 acres, so plenty of room. Conquista has been playing with the other foal and Tia is back to being her normal, relaxed self. The only thing now is hat Tia has been jealous of all the attention my foal has been given (she hates other horse around me), and Conquista can't figure out why she isn't her friend anymore! Vet is coming out next week to vaccinate the pair of them and I thoroughly spoiled them both yesterday to make up for my mistakes.

 

[Equilibrium Ireland]

Congratulations! How beautiful!

Terri

 

[celia]

What a good-looking pair! Sounds like you've done the best thing for them. I hope you have a lot of fun with them both in the future.

 

[Clodagh]

Well done, what a nightmare for you. I'm glad they are happy. Other mare sounds like an old dragon!

 

[legyield]

Tia looking a bit happier!

Filthy pony

This one was took while I was stood with Conquista next to me, grumpy jealous pony!

After being told the grumpy look doesnt suit her

Conquista more chilled out! Here you can see the brand on her bum

Found a new little friend in Elvis, the spotty miniature

Stuffing her face!

I must admit I love her kind eyes and the fact that it looks like she's wearing black stockings

And together, in the other field. While there is a lot of grass still left it's very shrubby and with it being almost 40 acres it's going to take a lot of work/maintenance if i decide I want to keep them on there for the long term.

 

[FfionWinnie]

They look great. The easiest way to maintain that field would be to strip graze it tight and move them quite regularly onto the next strip then you could get someone to spray the nettles/thistles with grazon. I wouldn't worry if it got very long at one end during the summer because you could feed that area in the winter as deferred grazing

 

[tallyho!]

She is lovely! She has a lovely sire. I know a mare by the same sire from Millpark and she is gorgeous. You've picked a beaut.

There is no easy way to introduce new ones to a herd. I kept my baby with a friendly mare for about a month first. Just those two and they developed a close bond. I knew eventually she had to go out into big wide world and be with the other mares but at least she had a protector.

This is the first day we introduced her to the herd. The stuck to "granny" the whole time and Granny protected her by keeping her away from the ladies who bayed for her blood! LOL! Just sensible herd behaviour.

Anyway, at first she stayed away from them but within a few days she got bolder with the others and within weeks she was "allowed" into all their special spaces like tree shelters and scratching posts and water troughs. At first they wouldn't let her drink! (She had to have a special bucket) But resource protection is normal... horses often do this as they think the "new" one might contaminate them with bugs.

Anyway, you have 40 acres, plenty of room to move out of the way if some teeth lunge too close... would advise against strip grazing as you create "corners" where more dominant members can corner others. Let them sort it out, peace will reign.

Here's my baby, the bay one on far left a Nogal baby early this year, first day out with herd... there is more than 40 acres but they chose to defend the "Castle" which is that bit under the trees... hallowed ground

Now they all love her to bits and she is best friends with the mare that hated her the most!!! (The few spot appaloosa on the far right)