Will they still recognize each other?

cob&onion

cob&onion

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My young cob and TB (both mares) where kept together for around 10 months approx 15 months ago, cob was 18 months and tb rising 5 when i moved my TB to livery, TB was always the dominant one. They where very close, always together etc.......planning on putting my TB back with her, they haven't seen each other in the time spent apart, cob is much bigger now but still bottom of the herd (small pony was leader of heard but he went back this eve). TB has been kept on her own (individual T/O) i also have a welsh yearling who has teamed up with my cob. Neither TB or cob are at all aggressive with other horses and the yearling is very much a baby still and just mouths at everything.
I am planning on sectioning TB off to be on the safe side but just wondered if they would recognize each other still?
Thanks :)
 
Personally I'm not sure if they would recognise each other visually but from body language and vocals they may well do!
Either way its probably wise to section them off initially as they may still need to re-establish a "pecking order" as they have both grown up a bit and may have changed in character and bossiness!
 
I doubt if they will. After weaning I remove the youngsters from their mothers for the winter. When they are reunited in the spring mothers do not acknowledge their offspring in any way and keep them on the outside of the established herd for a few days before accepting them in.
 
Yes, almost certainly. We did this earlier in the year with some who had been apart for 18 months, they definitely recognised each other and it took about an hour for the old pecking order to re-establish itself. It was lovely actually to see the 3 of them all so happy to be back together again.
 
I think they will. We used to have a small 11.2 pony & when my auntie brought her 14.2 grey to our place to live they saw each other & went whinnying, straight over to each other. Turned out they had been on a yard together a few years before but definitely still recognised each other. (The little pony was in turnout with other horses so not lonely & not the highest ranked so not a dominance/intruder thing) :D
 
I think they will.

A guy I hunt with bought his horse from a breeder - not the person who bred him, but they also had 2 full brothers to the horse - about 5 years ago, and the horse's younger full brother was sold at the same time as they were reducing their "riding" stock.

Last season, standing at a meet, the guys horse suddenly called out to a visitors horse, who replied. The visitor moved over to talk to the guy, and it turned out that she'd bought the other one, and that even after 5 years the two horses recognised each other.

just shows how strong the bonds they form can be!
 
Yes they will. We had two horses going crazy for one another, and it turned out they used to be at the same yard and used to be together in the same field, and this is with a 5 or so year gap. :)
 
Of course they will. They might still be suspicious/have to re-establish herd dynamics but they will recognise each other.
 
Earlier this month my horse spent the night at the yard I bought him from, I took him round for massive gay snogs with all his old field mates he hadn't seen since the end of 2009 :D it was deff like horses that knew each other and not first time greetings.
 
Mares and foals don't tend to recognise each other post weaning - I think this is due to time they spend together (under a year for most). But as for riding horses, they definately do recognise each other after years apart. I have had a few experiences of this.
 
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